Election '08 and the Gay Rights Movement

By Brian Jaime

With the 2008 Primaries in mid-swing and the upcoming Election only a skip and a hop away, the question on many gay rights supporters’ minds is where the prospective presidential candidates find themselves in regards to the issues. The hottest topic is gay marriage and civil unions, however there are several other areas of gay rights that will also come into play.

The important thing to realize with any election is that the candidates will always use the hottest topics as their platforms to drive votes. Gay rights, especially the marriage debate, has been one such issue that has been utilized to drive votes in recent past elections, and will no doubt once again be used by both sides. And, with the Conservative and Christian outlooks in America still strong perspectives, many of the candidates are weary of fully supporting many of the issues at hand.

Of the three main contenders – Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John McCain – McCain has taken to following in fellow Republican George Bush Jr.’s shadow when it comes to the gay rights movement, although McCain is less stern and upfront about it. He has gone on record, however, as stating that he does feel that states should be the ones responsible for making those decisions.

Clinton, who is favored among most GLBQT supporters, has walked a fine line when being interviewed by the likes of The Advocate and other gay news agencies. She has gone on record to say that she does NOT support the gay marriage initiative, but does support civil unions. She is also not a supporter of a Federal Amendment that would specifically state marriage is between a man and woman only. She has stated that this should be decided on the state level.

Clinton’s rival, Barack Obama, has also played coy when it comes to the issues, but he is more stern about his stance. He is not in favor of gay marriage but he does not necessarily think that “gays and lesbians are any more moral or immoral than heterosexuals”. However, when asked for clarification, he seems to always revert back to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which Clinton’s hubby was responsible for founding back in the 90’s.

The way Clinton and Obama seem to be leveraging the gay vote (and, yes, both have a large group of gay voters split amongst them with the largest portion going to Clinton) borders on vagueness. It is almost the lesser of two equal evils and, while Clinton seems to have thought about plans while Obama seems all theory, neither seem to be supporters of actual marriage between same-sex partners. And, while civil unions are a step in the right direction, they are NOT the same thing as marriage. It is still separate but equal and hearkens to bygone days where African Americans could sit on the bus – but just in the back. Rosa Parks helped solve that issue by being a role model for African Americans everywhere. GLBQT peoples throughout the US have still to find our Rosa Parks, but the march still continues. Though, any under-represented and discriminated against group can learn and should learn much from Mrs. Park’s daring move.

With this election, as was the case with Bush Jr.’s two elections, the gay marriage debate is being utilized to gather up votes for both sides. Both sides WANT this issue in the press and to be a big deal because their stances on it can gain them valuable numbers of votes. Candidates always try to find the two or three issues that people in the country seem to be most impassioned about and that they will clamor to one side or another for. Gay marriage, the war in Iraq, and health care seem to be the biggies this election season and will no doubt be used as vantage points by both Democrats and Republicans. Democrats will try to win the Liberal & Conservative votes by being vague on certain issues and more straight forward on others, while Republicans will appease Conservatives by holding strong to traditional values, all while appeasing Liberals by steering as far clear from the shadow of President Bush Jr. as possible. It is all a game of cat and mouse – each candidate is walking their own tight wire until they each fall and only one is left as President. The question is: Will that person be the one who will represent YOU well?

So, where do the candidates stand on all the gay rights issues in the coming election? Here is a little re-cap to make your voting a little bit easier:

John McCain

1. Supports the definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman, but opposes a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
2. Thinks individual states should decide the issue.
3. Believes a federal marriage ban might be appropriate if courts overturned state marriage laws.
4. Supports legal benefits for same-sex partners.
5. Thinks “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is working; don’t tamper with it!
6. Is NOT in favor of adding sexual orientation to the definition of hate crimes.

Ron Paul

1. Supports definition of marriage as between a man and a woman, but opposes any federal marriage definition.
2. Believes that states should NOT be forced to recognize another state’s same-sex marriage law.
3. Opposed House measure amending the Constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
4. Thinks “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is a decent policy for gays in the army.
5. Is in favor of banning gay adoptions.

Barack Obama

1. Believes that being gay or lesbian is not a choice.
2. Also, believes that “gays and lesbians are any more moral or immoral than heterosexuals”.
3. Opposes same-sex marriage, but also opposes a constitutional ban.
4. Supports civil unions.
5. Thinks that decisions about marriage should be left to the states.
6. Believes that the gay rights movement is somewhat like the civil rights movement.
7. Supports health benefits for gay civil partners.
8. Believes that marriage is not a human right, but that non-discrimination is.
9. Wants to include sexual orientation in anti-discrimination laws.
10. Is not in favor of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

Hilary Clinton

1. Opposes same-sex marriage but supports civil unions.
2. Says states should ultimately decide the issue.
3. Opposes a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
4. Thinks that don’t ask don’t tell was an important transition step, but wants to amend it or get rid of it all together.
5. Believes that the Federal Marriage Amendment would be a terrible step backwards.
6. Also, believes that gay soldiers need to shoot straight, not be straight.
7. Thinks that gays deserve domestic partnership benefits.
8. Wants to include sexual orientation in anti-discrimination laws.

Hopefully this list will educate people on the gay rights issues facing us in the coming election and will encourage them to vote on the candidate which they feel will best represent their stance on the issues. With that said, please take into consideration that these lists only represent one small grouping of issues that candidates have opinions on. There are slews of other issues facing the candidacy (such as the war in Iraq, social security benefits, national security, education, health care, etc.) which should all be taken into consideration and become a vital part of your reasoning for why you may chose to vote or not vote for a candidate. Your BEST bet when voting for any candidate or law is to educate yourself, read both sides or viewpoints, think with an open mind, and ask questions! Never vote without educating yourself first, or you are just wasting your vote! And, if you have no desire to vote, remember not to complain later when things are not going how you would like them to. Everyone’s vote counts – even yours!

For more information on gay rights issues, gay political news, or where the candidates stand on ALL issues, be sure to checkout the below references as they are a wealth of information and vital sources in properly educating people on the issues of gay rights.

© Copyright Brian Jaime and bchrisdesigns, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

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References:

http://www.issues2000.org/default.htm
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.samesexmarriage.html
http://gaylife.about.com/od/politics/p/hillaryclinton.htm
http://www.advocate.com/issue_story_ektid49015.asp
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/view.php?id=7312
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/opinion/2005-7173.html
http://www.365gay.com/
http://news.yahoo.com/fc/US/Gays_and_Lesbians
http://www.247gay.com/
http://www.gaywired.com/
http://www.gayrightswatch.com/labels/2008%20Presidential%20Election.html
http://www.bgay.com/news/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=185&Itemid=23

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