Obama on Gay Rights - Richard Goldstein August 18, 2008

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Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2008/06/18/Gay_Rights_and_the_Politics_of_2008

Journalist Richard Goldstein argues that gay rights advocates should not expect a hypothetical President Obama to be a leader on gay issues, and should instead focus their efforts on affecting change in the U.S. Congress.

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Efforts to overcome discrimination based on sexual orientation have been part of a more generalized agenda of civil rights. These efforts have been played out in the streets, in major institutions, and in the courts.

What do the politics of statewide elections and the presidential race of 2008 tell us about efforts to remedy the effects of discrimination on gays, lesbians and transgendered individuals?

The panelists who will deal with issues of marriage and the family, employment, health and well-being to assess electoral politics and the interests of a gay constituency include Judith Stacey, professor of Social and Cultural Analysis, Sociology Department, NYU Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality and author of In the Name of the Family: Rethinking Family Values in the Postmodern Age; Shannon Minter, legal director of The National Center for Gay Rights and lead attorney for same-sex couples in the marriage case recently decided by the California Supreme Court, and Richard Goldstein, journalist and author of Homocons: Liberal Society and the Gay Right.

Moderated by Robert-Jay Green, Executive Director, Rockway Institute, Alliant International University. Sponsored by the Wolfson Center for National Affairs in partnership with the Alliant International University's Rockway Institute for Science and LGBT Public Policy - The New School

Richard Goldstein writes about the connections between pop culture, politics and sexuality. He is the author of Homocons: Liberal Society & The Gay Right.