It’s official: President Obama has hit the big time.Obama keynoted the Human Rights Campaign’s annual banquet last Saturday and, in the process, provided the opening act for pop music’s newest princess, Lady Gaga.Mr. Obama isn’t one to be overshadowed. He has proven his oratory ingenuity. He’s also shown a masterful ability to inspire hope in millions of people worldwide.But for the first time, Obama was overshadowed. Interestingly enough, it took Lady Gaga to do it.Gaga didn’t do it through her ostentatious appearance or jaw-dropping speech. In fact, save a small 2-minute preview to her act, she hardly spoke at all.She stole the night through her performance.Mr. Obama, as the nation’s first minority president, should have been the highlight. Speaking with the heaviest of symbolism, he should have vowed to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy during the 110th Congress.He should have been able to get up and show the world the Age of the Straight White Man, ushered in by 15th century Europe but perpetuated by America, is finished. He should have extolled diversity and multiculturalism and embraced the realities of our time.It took Lady Gaga’s performance to do all that.That’s not to say Mr. Obama gave a poor speech. To be honest, I’m quite sure he could give a great speech about a chunk of rock.The problem with the speech, and a few of his others as of late, was he said nothing he hasn’t already said.I think it comes as no great surprise a progressive Democrat from Chicago would be in favor of expanding hate-crime legislation or anti-discrimination legislation.Mr. Obama needs to say something new. I’m sick of hearing the same speeches, and not just on this issue.If he wanted to truly advance honest discussion, he should have gone further.Imagine if, with the First Lady in attendance, he had said the love he shares with her is no different than the love between Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, the 87-year-old and 83-year-old who were the first same-sex couple to be married in California.Imagine if he had taken it a step further and mentioned the importance of teaching to Sasha and Malia equality and dignity.Sadly, only Lady Gaga allowed us to “Imagine” what could’ve been.She stole the night through her performance. No, she didn’t get up and sing “Poker Face” or “Paparazzi.” Rather, in the most conservative outfit I’ve ever seen her wear, she sat at the piano and gave a rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine.”She even changed the lyrics of the famed Lennon song, adding in a reference to Matthew Shepard, the gay college student brutally attacked and tied to a fence in freezing weather near Laramie, Wyo., and adding a new fourth verse, which became the night’s most memorable quote.In it, she sang “People of the nation, are you listening? It isn’t equal if it’s sometimes. I want a real democracy. Imagine all the people could love equally.”I hope being upstaged — by a pop music singer, no less — urges Mr. Obama to double down on advancing the change he promised last year.The issues supported by the HRC are important, but pale in importance to the commanding issues of our time, mainly the recession and the two wars.If President Obama can refocus on fulfilling his promises to the American people on these issues, then the promises he made to gays and lesbians will come in time.But, if he fails to implement a safe withdrawal from Iraq and, eventually, Afghanistan and fails to improve the jobless rate, then the views supported by the LGBT community won’t matter come 2012 when Mr. Obama fails to reclaim the White House.Stephen Schmitz is a 19-year-old mass communication sophomore from The Woodlands, Texas. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_sschmitz.
 
 
 
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