No wonder there’s no policy change for the civil rights of GLBT citizens

She may be a friend of Barack, but she's no friend to civil rights.

WAPO reporter Jonathan Capo interviewed Obama loyalist Valerie Jarrett who is rumored to be on the short list for Chief of Staff. One of her answers showed how little support there really is in the West Wing for civil rights for GLBT citizens. This is appalling and explains why we can t see a change in DOMA or DADT. DADT is a policy that Obama could end with a signature.

You can see the video at Petrelis Files because Capo didn’t share the hatred on his blg . PF was more than willing to go there.

Today the Washington Post’s gay kapo Jonathan Capehart shares a video interview he conducted on Monday with senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett. She clearly states a belief that Minnesota gay teen Justin Aarberg, who committed suicide in July after being bullied, made a “lifestyle choice.”

Unbelievable.

Capeheart: One of the things you’ve put a spotlight on, and to veer sharply away from infrastructure, and that was on the rash of suicides of gay youth. You gave a speech to the Human Rights Campaign annual dinner, where you named the victims. You talked about the President’s committment to making a more inclusive, tolerant, accepting country. Why did you feel it was important to deliver that message, and deliver it there?

Jarrett: Well, I think what we’ve seen over the last few months are some very tragic deaths of young people, our children. And avoidable deaths. They were driven to committ suicide because they were being harassed in school, and driven to do something that no child should ever be driven to do. And in many cases, the parents are doing a good job. Their families are supportive. Before I spoke at the HRC dinner, I met backstage with Tammy Aarberg, her son Andrew. These are good people. They were aware that their son was gay. They embraced him. They loved him. They supported his lifestyle choice.

How do you build a more inclusive, tolerant and accepting country when policy makers that are supposed to represent the Democratic party use language like that? “Live style” choice is something you’d expect to hear from Tony Perkins or Ralph Reed. Why did she take a play book from the religionist right?

Valerie Jarret needs to be show the door. No one should be writing checks to any party that let’s a major spokesperson use terms like “life style choice” when representing the GLBT population. That is the language of an intolerant religionist.

The Religious View

The question of what causes some people to be gay has been a topic of endless debate among the general public and the mental health community. Generally speaking, the religious community of every persuasion views homosexuality as an abhorrent sin against God and nature. Deeply religious groups among Muslims, Christians, Catholics and Jews reject homosexuality as totally unacceptable in the eyes of God. Therefore, most orthodox religious leaders view it as a life style choice thereby condemning the homosexual to eternal hell.

The American Psychiatric Association

The American Psychiatric Association, the organization that writes and publishes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, with the cooperation of professionals from psychology and social work professions, listed homosexuality as a mental disorder until the 1970’s. Based on increasing amounts of research the APA decided to drop homosexuality as a diagnostic category. They found that as long as gay people adapted well to their sexual orientation and were able to function in society, there was no reason for them to be placed in the category of having a mental illness. Therefore, when gay people seek psychiatric counseling there is no reason to attempt to counsel them to change their sexual orientation. In other words, there is no reason why a gay person should not be considered normal.

The folks in the White House just keep on keeping on when it comes to homophobia. Feel okay doke’d yet?