Now that polls consistently show Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and former Mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani, as the leading candidates for the Republican 2008 Presidential nomination the bar has been raised for all candidates with regard for GBLT issues. Senator McCain courageously stood up to his party's right wing zealots and helped defeat their Federal Defense of Marriage Act.
My current understanding is that Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani has long supported the GLBT communities, supports nondiscrimination statements and EOE laws, anti-hate crime legislation, and has made many comments supportive of the GLBT. I am not sure if he has oppossed Family Protection Acts banning same-sex marraige and civil unions, or supports civil unions.
Can we expect all of our Democratic candidates to do the same? We should not let the GOP Presidential Candidates take the mantle of leadersship and support of the GLBT issues in 2008. The Democrat party has a long and noble tradition leading the long march for full equality and civil liberties for all Americans.
We are the party of strongest support for the First, Ninth, Tenth, and Fourteenth Amendments. So I call upon all of our 2008 Democratic candidates to make their positions clear now, so we can avoid the potential election disaster of getting ourselves locked into a 2008 candidate whom will try to run to the right of McCain and Giuliani on these issues.
As part of an article I am writing on "Which 2008 Presidential Candidates Are Most Supportive Of The GLBT Communites," I am creating a summary matrix of all the candidates from both parties indicating their support or opposition to our most important issues.
Here are the key issues I believe all 2008 Presidential Candidates should take positions on.
Denounce State Level Laws Banning Same-Sex Marraige, Civil Unions, Domestic Partnership, and Powers Of Attorney
These laws enable hospital visitation, insurance , inheritances, and the many other benefits taken for granted by opposite sex married couples. Especially, those law being advocated in their own states.
Strong Support For Nondiscrimination Statements in Employment, State and Federal Government Employment and ohter Laws
Former Governor Mark Warner (VA) just signed an Executive Order for the State of Virginia providing a strong nondiscrimination statements and making it illegal for the State Government to discriminate on the basis of "sexual orientation."
Bravo Governor Warner. For the purpose of my upcoming article my draft matrix is assuming that all the other Democratic candidates are at least up to this level. Only Newt Gingrich, and Mitt Romney have stood up to oppose the GBLT communities.
Let States Offer Civil Unions To All And Let Churches Offer Marriages
John Kerry supports civil unions and believes this should be left up to the state. As a Catholic, he feels he cannot support same sex marriage. My opinion at this time, is that this could be acceptable as a transitional state to full and total implementation of the 14th amendment.
I believe Al Gore, also supports civil unions. I am not sure with regard to Hillary Clinton, Rudy Giuliani, John Edwards, Wesley Clark. My current information indicates that Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, and Mark Warner either oppose or do not support them. Feedback and corrections are of course welcome. I am, of course, sending the questionairre below to all candidates and advocacy groups to gain accurate info before publishing my article.
My opinion at this point is that we do need to leave this to the states to resolve. But since so many people in some states, have such strong feelings that marriage has special religious meaning of even status as a sacrament, the only constitutional and practical way forward is to get the government out of the religious business entirely, and only provide a legally defined civil union or domestic partnership agreement to all citizens.
Alternatively, if states defines marriage as it's mechanism to provide the legal protections, insurance, inheretenes, etc. then it must be available to all without exception.
So a solution that is both politically expedient as well as consistent with the constitution is for the state to get out of the religion business and offer everyone only civil union or domestic partnerships. And let the Churches handle Marraige.
But we cannot allow the Federal Government to continue to offer married couple more than 1500 preferential benefits and privileges and simultaneously prevent members of the GBLT community equal access. (See Baculum King's comments in Harvey Milk's Dairy last week.)
Support For 2004 Democratic Election Platform
I believe all 2008 Democratic Candidates should support at least our party's 2004 Presidential election platform.
GLAAD's 2004 Web site on the 2004 Party Platforms provides an overview summary of the party's 2004 positions, as well as a link to the 2004 DEMOCRATIC PARTY PLATFORM
A STRONG AMERICAN COMMUNITY
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. We believe a day's work is worth a day's pay, and at a time when women still earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by men, we need stronger equal pay laws and stronger enforcement of them.
We will enact the bipartisan legislation barring workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation. We are committed to equal treatment of all service members and believe all patriotic Americans should be allowed to serve our country without discrimination, persecution, or violence.
We support the appointment of judges who will uphold our laws and constitutional rights, not their own narrow agendas.
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.
My current draft of my Questions For The 2008 US Presidential Election Candidates is listed in the footnotes, as are the First, Ninth, Tenth, and Fourteenth Amendments, and the results of my GLBT Support Poll from yesterday.
Any helpful information and comments would be much appreciated. After review and feedback, I will send the following questionnaire to all candidates.
Thanks,
Lolligolli
:-)
UPDATE FRI FEB 24 1015PM EST Sorry to throw off the previous number list for Warner. I'll correct it.
Questions For The 2008 US Presidential Election Candidates
- Do you consider yourself to be a supporter of the basic civil liberties and human rights of the GLBT and related communities? (Yes +1, No -1)
- Have you made public statements you consider to generally supportive of the GLBT communities or have you made statements opposed the open participation in society of members of these communities? (Favor +1, Oppose -1)
- Do you support the inclusion of the terms "sexual orientation,""sexual identification,""sexual affectation,""and sexual expression" in the legally binding nondiscrimination statements for employment? These clauses make it illegal to discriminate in corporate, state, or federal employment on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, sexual identification, or political affiliation, or against otherwise qualified persons with disabilities." (Yes +1 for each, No - 1)
- Do you support legislation against hate crimes against members of these communities. (Yes, +1, No -1)
- Do you support any legislation opposing or restriction any members of these communities from any legal rights or participation in organization, health insurance, civil unions, same-sex marriage or other legal transactions? (Score -1 for each)
- Do you (or have you) oppose legislation banning same-sex marraige, civil unions, powers of attorney, domestic partnership, and other benefits remedies for the GLBT communites at either the federal or state levels? (Yes +1, No -1)
- Either: A. Do you support at least civil unions for same-sex or other members of the GLBT community? OR B. Do you support same-sex marriage?
(yes to +1 to either, no neither -2)
- Do you believe that the 14 the amendment should include members of the GLBT and other communities when it says the constitution protects the civil rights of "all Americans?" (Yes +1, No -1)
- As President will you promise to eliminate any and all legislation that appears to preferential or discriminatory benefits to some classes of people over other based on gender? (Yes +1, No -1)
- Do you support the Constitutional Right of Privacy guarenteed buy the 9th and 10 amendments? (Yes +1, No -1)
- Do you have any others comments, questions, or feedback for either the intervewer (Lolligolli) or the GLBT communities?
Relevant Constitutional Amendments
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Amendment IX
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Amendment X
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.
Amendment XIV
Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Results Of Yesterday's Poll
Vote In Poll Here
In an ascending order my support for the GBLT communities is best described as:
Strong opposition to Bill of Rights and hostility (More restrictions such as ban on gay marriage or civil unions are needed) 1 vote - 1 %
Mild opposition 1 vote - 1 %
I think gender issues shouldn't be discussed in public: (Don't ask, don't tell) 0 votes - 0 %
The US has it as well balanced is possible or desirable for now 1 vote - 1 %
I generally support diversity and the GBLT and wish folks would discriminate less and be kinder to all people. 4 votes - 5 %
I support the inclusion of the terms sexual orientation and identification in nondiscrimination clauses for employment. 3 votes - 4 %
In addition to nondiscrimination statements, I support anti-hate crimes legislation. 5 votes - 7 %
Although I may support nondiscrimination for employment I oppose same-sex marriage and civil unions. 2 votes - 2 %
The 14 Amendments protects the full equality and civil rights of all Americans with no exceptions for the GLBT and related communities. 54 votes - 76 %
Other 0 votes - 0 %
71 Total Votes