Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Environmentalists seek gays' advice on President Obama

Young environmentalists looking for a success story in pressuring a Democratic administration to advance their goals have found it from an unusual source: the gay rights movement. Environmentalists, especially youth activists who were a large part of President Barack Obama’s 2008 electoral victory, had high hopes for the past two years. But after the death of cap and trade, an oil spill that led to little action from Congress and the GOP gains last fall, disappointment reigns. For the greens, there are numerous emotional parallels between their movement and the gay rights movements, most notably frustration over the lack of action on what they see as an obvious endgame. They are seeking a major victory, like the December repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and are looking at how the advocacy tactics used in that debate could be adapted to environmental goals...more

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