To hear some Bernie Sanders supporters here at the GOS tell it, Senator Sanders is more than capable of walking on water, parting the Red Sea, and has fought hard for the civil rights of all people and maybe even a few of those extraterrestrials over at Area 51. For his entire life.
And those of us "others", who choose to simply play "identity politics," do not show sufficient appreciation for all that Senator Sanders has done for us.
Senator Sanders' actual record, however, is a bit murkier.
Let's take marriage equality, for example.
UPDATE: Per NancyK's request, I changed the title of the diary
Aphra Behn over at Shakesville did a highly detailed 4-part series on many aspects of Bernie Sanders' record that should be required reading. In Part 4, she reviews Senator Sanders record on gay rights, with an emphasis on the fight in Vermont over civil unions in 2000.
Simply put, Seven Days political columnist Peter Freyne lit into Saint Bernie's ass.
U.S. Sen. Pius J. Leahy, er, sorry, Patrick J. Leahy, belongs to the flock that has Most Rev. Kenneth Angell as CEO. But St. Patrick’s not marching to the drumbeat of Vermont’s Bingo Bishop. Nor is he marching with fellow Democrats Backus and Flanagan.
According to a finely crafted statement issued by St. Patrick’s Washington, D.C., office Tuesday afternoon, “The Vermont Supreme Court produced a thoughtful and well-grounded decision. I believe the best solution now would be legal protections through a comprehensive domestic partnership law, but I respect those who support other remedies.”
At least he took a position.
Obtaining Congressman Bernie Sanders’ position on the gay marriage issue was like pulling teeth...from a rhinoceros. Last month, shortly after the decision of the Amestoy Court was issued, Mr. Sanders publicly tried walking the tightrope — applauding the court’s decision and the cause of equal rights without supporting civil marriage for same-sex couples.
This week we were no more successful getting a straight answer. All we did get was a carefully crafted non-statement statement via e-mail from Washington D.C. And Bernie’s statement wins him the Vermont congressional delegation’s Wishy-Washy Award hands down.
Once more he “applauds” the court decision but won’t go anywhere near choosing between same-sex “marriage” and domestic partnership. “By all accounts the legislature is approaching this issue in a considered and appropriate manner and I support the current process.”
Supports the current process, does he? What a courageous radical!
That’s as far as Ol’ Bernardo would go. It’s an election year, yet despite the lack of a serious challenger, The Bern’s gut-level paranoia is acting up. He’s afraid to say something that might alienate his conservative, rebel-loving rural following out in the hills. Something that could be interpreted as “Bernie Loves Queers!”
After the Vermont legislature passed the civil unions bill, Freyne caught up with Sanders and
repeated the question:
Over the weekend, we ran into Ol’ Bernardo down at the Earth Day festivities on the Burlington Waterfront and popped the question one more time.
"I think the legislature handled this issue with a lot of dignity," said Sanders. "I know there are a lot of very different points of view on this issue. People feel very strongly. But I think the legislators handled themselves with a great deal of dignity, and I agree with what came out of the legislature."
There you go. Thar wasn't so painful, now, was it?
As Behn notes, that was a laudable position to take in 2000 but it was
not an endorsement of marriage equality.
I will be the first to admit that Sanders' has a great record LGBT on issues. Behn suggests that the "regressive nature" of Don't Ask, Don't Tell was the reason for Sanders' "nay" vote on the 1993 measure. And Sanders did vote "nay" on the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (then again, both of my United States Senators voted "nay" on DOMA, although my representative at that time was a "yes" vote for DOMA).
Let's take note of Senator Sanders' April 28, 2015 statement urging the Supreme Court to rule in favor of same-sex marriage.
In the 4/28/15 press release, Senator Sanders notes his support of both the 2000 civil unions law in Vermont and the landmark 2009 law legalizing same-sex marriage. I have no doubt that he supported both measures. Yet I do not see any 2009 press releases from Senator Sanders' office urging then Vermont Governor Jim Douglas to sign the same-sex marriage bill passed by the Vermont legislature (Douglas vetoed the bill), no press release congratulating the Vermont legislature for overriding Governor Douglas' veto, or any statement celebrating the commencement of marriages in Vermont September 1, 2009.
That does not constitute the "fierce advocacy" of gay civil rights (at least on the same-sex marriage issue) that Bernie Sanders supporters claims that it does.
A final note; Behn's Shakesville piece notes the disingenuousness of some Sanders "fanboys" exaggerating Sanders' record on the same-sex marriage and using it to bash Hillary Clinton.
And this, dear reader, is where I lay into a very particular set of Sanders fanboys who want to use Sanders' support for equality as a silencing tool. (Note: if you're a Sanders fan who is not doing this, then please understand that this is not meant for you! If the shoe doesn't fit, don't wear it.)
Sanders was cautious about same-sex unions in 2000. And Hillary Clinton shared his caution:
In October of 2000, Clinton made clear in response to a question from a gay voter that she did back civil unions -- implemented in Vermont that fall. "I don't support gay marriages, but I do support extending benefits to couples, domestic partner benefits," she said, "and the kind of civil union that Vermont adopted seems to be the way to create that opportunity for people."
Simply put, as to the question of same-sex civil unions, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton shared the same position w/r/t civil unions in 2000 (though one has to note the "seems" hedging in Clinton's statement).
I'll be the first to say that Hillary Clinton and even President Obama have been, at times, a bit shady on the marriage equality issue, though both support marriage equality today.
Let the record show, however, that even with his stellar record on LGBT issues, Sanders' has been "a bit shady" on the marriage equality issue as well.
H/T Aphra Behn at Shakesville