As a Southerner and a lifelong Democrat, I have worked tirelessly for civil rights, equal rights for women, and labor rights. Yet, when it comes time for equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people the Democratic Party has been remarkably timid. Here is the statement from the 2004 Platform:
We support full inclusion of gay and lesbian families in the life of our nation and seek equal responsibilities, benefits and protections for these families. In our country, marriage has been defined at the state level for 200 years, and we believe it should continue to be defined there. We repudiate President Bush's divisive effort to politicize the Constitution by pursuing a `Federal Marriage Amendment.' Our goal is to bring Americans together, not drive them apart.
Here is the Platform statement on civil rights:
Our commitment to civil rights is ironclad. We will restore vigorous federal enforcement of our civil rights laws for all our people, from fair housing to equal employment opportunity, from Title IX to the Americans with Disabilities Act. We support affirmative action to redress discrimination and to achieve the diversity from which all Americans benefit.
The difference in language could not be greater. As a gay man who has worked for others' civil rights all of my life I will state categorically that MY civil rights are not negotiable. Any political organization that says that I am 3/5s of a person or that I must wait - 50, 100, 500 years - does not deserve my support. I also do not believe that fundamental civil rights should exist at the whim of the ballot box. Certainly if such a view had prevailed in the 1960s, African American would still be disenfranchised.
The reality is that basic civil rights for the GLBT community are gutted at the state level, usually with the support of numerous Democrats. Most recently, Virginia has authorized a referendum for adding the "so-called" Defense of Marriage Amendment to its state constitution. And Governor Tim Kaine, the darling-child of so many Democrats, has signed off on it. Even more distressing, Kaine has been selected to give the Democratic rebuttal to Bush's State of the Union address. In addition, nearly half - nearly half - of the Democrats in the Virginia House and Senate voted in favor of this amendment. More disturbing, over half of African American members of the House of Delegates voted to deny basic civil rights to their fellow citizens.
Here are the Democrats who voted in favor of the DOMA:
(* African American Senator or Delegate)
Virginia Senate:
Colgan, Charles J.
Deeds, R. Creigh (And this guy is from Charlottesville!!)
Houck, R. Edward
Puckett, Phillip P.
Reynolds, Wm. Roscoe
Virginia House:
*Alexander, Kenneth C.
Armstrong, Ward L.
Barlow, William K.
Bowling, Dan C.
*Dance, Rosalyn R.
Hall, Franklin P.
*Howell, Algie T., Jr.
Joannou, Johnny S.
Johnson, Joseph P., Jr.
*Jones, Dwight Clinton
Lewis, Lynwood W., Jr.
*McEachin, A. Donald
Miller, Paula J.
Phillips, Clarence E.
Shannon, Stephen C.
*Tyler, Roslyn C.
*Ware, Onzlee
Not Voting:
*Melvin, Kenneth R.
*Spruill, Lionell, Sr.
Some may be offended that I have chosen to point out those African American legislators who voted in favor of Virginia's DOMA. I do so because I find it especially egregious that people who have experience centuries of discrimination could so easily turn around and discriminate against others. I recognize that this simply reflects the humanness of all of us. I also recognize that it shows that African Americans are no different than other groups in their views of sexuality. But, given the African American experience in American history, I find it incomprehensible. I recall the time when African Americans had their political and legal rights stripped from them by finely worded legislation and judicial decrees. What is the difference today?
If you are concerned, I urge you to e-mail each of these senators and delegates. You may find a clickable address at:
Senate:
http://sov.state.va.us/...
House:
http://dela.state.va.us/...
Oh, and don't forget Governor Kaine:
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/...
Unfortunately, they require you to use their cumbersome form.
Martin Luther King, Jr. said on the steps of the Capitol Building following the Selma March,
How long? Not long, because no lie can live forever.
How long? Not long, because you still reap what you sow.
How long? Not long, because the arm of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.
How long? Not long, because mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.
I ask you, does that same justice apply to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered?
Does the Democratic Party have the courage to speak the truth?