Rodney Croome . gay advocate

Great, deep hope

Obama has set a new standard on gay inclusion. The challenge to Rudd is to match it.

The world has gone Obamamad, and with good cause.

Like I said last week, with the election of an African American to the US Presidency, a century that was tainted like no other by racism and racial conflict has been brought to a close.

Americans have stamped their approval on the dream of unity and renewal, and the rest of the world has responded with a cry even louder than the one after 9/11, “we are all Americans now”.

As I watched Obama’s acceptance speech (huddled around my plasma screen in this forgotten corner of the world) I shed a tear over what great, deep hope has found its voice in this one man.

And then I shed another when he spoke a word that is where my keenest hope lies.

“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

“It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled."

Obama has never balked at gathering up gay people in his rhetorical arms.

He did it when he alighted the world stage four years ago and talked of healing rifts in a divided America. He did it again during his campaign when he chided black church-goers for anti-gay prejudice. And now he's done it again, while the entire world was watching, as effortlessly and as sincerely as if he was stumping at a gay bar.

What a stark contrast with Australia’s Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd.

Rudd has conspicuously failed to include LGBT people in his list of those he wants to see brought into from the cold. He has never spoken of us without being prompted and without the cover of opposing our right to marry.

Of course Obama and Rudd have a lot in common.

They have very similar policies, including opposition to marriage equality.

They both owe their electoral success to winning back support from centrist evangelicals, blue-collar men and socially-conservative minorities.

But that’s the rub.

Despite being an opponent of same-sex marriage, and despite depending on the support of potentially-homophobic constituencies, Obama regularly and unashamedly articulates his vision of a nation where gay people are included, in a way Rudd so far hasn’t, not even once.

Until now it was only John Howard’s attitude to LGBT people against which Rudd’s was measured.

Naturally, Rudd looked pretty good.

But now Obama has set a new standard.

He has shown that successful national leaders can include, even if not all their supporters and policies do.

Rudd has no more electoral or policy excuses left.

If he fails to match Obama’s embrace of LGBT people there can only be one reason, his own personal prejudice.

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The other big news out of the US is that marriage discrimination initiatives have succeeded in three states, with the fourth and most important, California, still too close to call.

While you’re waiting for the result, check out the final and most pointed ad from the California campaign.