From today's
BostonGlobe:
Kerry backs state ban on gay marriage
Says amendment must provide for civil unions
By Patrick Healy and Frank Phillips, Globe Staff, 2/26/2004
TOLEDO, Ohio -- Presidential candidate John F. Kerry said yesterday that he supports amending the Massachusetts Constitution to ban gay marriage and provide for civil unions for gay couples.
In his most explicit remarks on the subject yet, Kerry told the Globe that he would support a proposed amendment to the state Constitution that would prohibit gay marrriage so long as, while outlawing gay marriage, it also ensured that same-sex couples have access to all legal rights that married couples receive.
"If the Massachusetts Legislature crafts an appropriate amendment that provides for partnership and civil unions, then I would support it, and it would advance the goal of equal protection," the senator said yesterday, stressing that he was referring only to the state, and not the federal, Constitution. He has said he would oppose any amendment that did not include a provision for civil unions. "I think that you need to have civil union. That's my position," he said Tuesday.
IDIOT!
That's my first reaction to this. It has nothing to do with the rightness or wrongness of his position. Bush yesterday alienated a ton of potential supporters with his support of the FMA. Kerry is going to alienate gay voters.
He should have just stayed out of this issue on the state level. It would be tought, I know. However, by supporting an amendment, gay voters are gonna get quite pissed at him. Some of the folks will see this as no different than what Bush is doing (though it is in that it does leave open some benefits).
Asshole!
That's my second reaction. It just pisses me off. I'll still end up voting for him, but I won't be happy about it. I don't know how hard folks will work for him, either. He's really alienating gay folks in his home state--we're a valuable part of the party here and he's putting our resources at risk.
It also makes the work of keeping the amendment out of our constitution that much harder.