by Karen Ocamb

The 10th annual LGBT Leadership Council fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C. on June 26 revealed a growing divide within the LGBT community over the Obama administration’s turtle-slow pace of delivering on his campaign promises of equality.

But it was the filing of a Department of Justice brief upholding the Defense of Marriage Act with language comparing lesbian and gay relationships to incest that prompted scores of prominent LGBT leaders, donors and allies to pull out of the event in outrage. Boycotters included event co-host and former DNC chair Gov. Howard Dean, David Mixner, Richard Socarides, Bruce Bastian, Hilary Rosen, Chuck Wolfe, Stampp Corbin, and Andy Towle.

The DOJ brief “undercuts every conceivable argument that the LGBT community would use to fight for the repeal of DOMA,” said Mixner. “Right-wing nut cases can now just simply quote horrible stuff from this hateful brief and proclaim loudly it was filed by the Obama Justice Department.”

"If this debacle of a brief represented the president's views, I'd boycott too," DNC Treasurer Andy Tobias told Politico.com in an e-mail, adding that he “personally totally believe(s) in the president.”

Others protested outside the event over the Obama Administration’s failure to halt the discharge of 265 gay servicemembers under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” since January. Recently, 77 Congressmembers (minus 18 California Democratic representatives) sent a letter to Obama calling for action on DADT, which appears to have been ignored, as have been reports from the Palm Center and the Center for American Progress on possible ways to proceed until DADT is repealed legislatively.

But the number of protesters—which included Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network—was smaller than expected and the fundraiser raised $1 million—$250,000 more than last year, according to the Advocate.

“I think it’s so important that as gay and lesbian people who are denied equal rights, we do feel an impatience and a frustration and it’s really important that that be expressed both outside and inside,” Wisconsin Rep. Tammy Baldwin told the Advocate before she entered the Mandarin Oriental Hotel with shouts of “Shame on you!” trailing after her.

Inside, featured speaker Vice President Joe Biden read his remarks from a teleprompter.

“I am not unaware of the controversies swirling around this dinner, swirling around the speed—or lack thereof—that we’re moving on issues that are of great importance to you and, quite frankly, to me and to the president and to millions of Americans,” Biden said. “More importantly, I want to thank you for being a critical—critical—voice for keeping the nation focused on the unfinished business of true equality for all of our people; and I know, and this administration knows, that we have so much more to do,” the Advocate reported. “I promise you, I promise you, with your help we’ll get there in this administration.”

Biden received several standing ovations.

But working the event were some DNC staffers wearing “265” buttons in solidarity with those protesting the lack of leadership over DADT. And the speech by DNC chair Tim Kaine reportedly fell flat.

Perhaps more important was the absence of the entire board of National Stonewall Democrats, the LGBT Democratic grassroots activists. They were angry that the DNC cut off traditional funding for the group, then expected them to participate in the fundraiser. Unlike Dean, Kaine has made little outreach to the LGBT community, the second largest and most loyal Democratic constituency, behind African Americans.

More LGBT Democrats are now pledging to focus only on selective Democratic races, instead of blanket funding for the DNC or Democratic Congressional fundraising groups.

"For several years we have made significant investments in individual U.S. Senate and House races, along with state level candidates who support same-sex marriage and family equality. We are also eager to continue our substantial commitment to the DNC when we see tangible commitments with timelines to repeal DOMA, ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell,’ and support marriage equality at the federal level. We must hold President Obama accountable to all of his campaign promises for change, including the repeal of DOMA and ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell,’" prominent investor David Bohnett told Frontiers in L.A. “We hold everyone accountable to support full LGBT equality, but more so those who, like President Obama, have made specific promises on our issues.”

As to DOMA, the Justice Department explained that it is the DOJ’s job to defend the law on the books. But there has been no apology for comparing gay relationships to incest—apparently even in an off-the-record meeting with LGBT legal advocates.

“We met with senior officials from DOJ and Elena Kagan, the Solicitor General,” national Center for Lesbian Rights Legal Director Shannon Minter told Frontiers. “We reiterated our concerns about the offensive and legally insupportable arguments DOJ made in the Smelt brief defending DOMA, and urged DOJ in the strongest possible terms to refrain from making those arguments in the future. They did not make any commitments, but indicated that they took our concerns seriously. Time will tell.”

Attention now turns to a White House event on June 29 commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising during which President Obama is expected to comment. The LGBT community hopes the president will have the audacity to move beyond rhetoric and take action as the “fierce advocate” he has promised to be.