Video: Bernie Sanders Defends LGBT people in Congress in 1995...

[Fearless]

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I don't think I need to ask what Hillary's point of view was in 1995. What is right is not always easy, but Bernie has stood by us from the beginning. He has my respect and my vote.




(Crosspost from V&M: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017292895)

[MannyGoldstein]

1. So what?

I'm voting for the true lifelong defender of LGBT rights!

[Chitown Kev]

2. Please...sure Bernie Sanders has mostly

been a reliable vote in Congress but where was he when during the Vermont civil unions battle in 2000? Patrick Leahy was willing to go on the record at that time and say that he supported the Vermont legislature; Bernie Sanders was not.

http://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/fuggedaboudit/Content?oid=2291039

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!”

When it comes to the question of LGBT rights, the best among the Dems running for president is clearly Martin O'Malley.

[Fearless]

3. He didn't support separate but equal? I'm fine with that.

[Chitown Kev]

5. His former advisor, Anthony Pollina didn't want to settle for CU's

even in 2000 and Sanders didn't support Pollina when Pollina ran for governor against Dean.

Sanders has played politics with LGBT issues just like everyone else, I'm actually fine with his in that regard votes...but both of my IL senators at the time voted no on DOMA...one of those Senators ran on a presidential platform of marriage equality on 2004.

[Fearless]

6. Maybe his support of Dean was unrelated to his disapproval of separate but equal.

Perhaps Pollina had other issues that were of concern to Sanders to support Dean over them. For me though, it goes to the votes. He voted against DOMA and against separate but equal in VT, and campaigned FOR LGBTers years before almost anyone else. Just my two cents.

[Chitown Kev]

18. FTR, I'm not all that sure that Sanders supported Dean all that much

I mean, there was quite a bit of a rivalry between Sanders and Dean, from what I've been able to ascertain.

[Aerows]

9. Uh huh

[LostOne4Ever]

20. O'Malley is good but that article is pure rubbish

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]Absence of knowledge of evidence is not evidence of absence.

There is no evidence of you protesting that one thread on not eating yellow snow. Does that mean you oppose not eating yellow snow?

Similarly Sanders was calling for the abolition of all laws against homosexuality all the way back in 1972 (when O'Malley was just a child.)

O'Malley and Sanders both have incredible records on LGBTQ issue. No need to split hair on that issue.[/font]

[Chitown Kev]

21. As far as that article being rubbish

take that up with the late, great, and irreverent journalist of Vermont politics, Peter Freyne

[Aerows]

4. Bernie Sanders kicks ass

I just love him.

[Aerows]

7. This thread in no way violates the purpose of the LGBT group

If there is someone that can take Bernie Sanders words as negative, then you didn't listen.

I have no idea why some people on DU are rallying against a man that has stood up for gay rights his entire career, stood up for gay marriage before it was even on the radar, and has tirelessly supported equality.

If that is viewed as "defective" I'm "defective" as hell.

What the hell are we associating with if it isn't equality and tolerance for all?

[Fearless]

8. I had started a thread in our host forum in case any of the hosts are interested.

For the record, and publicly, I do enjoy the postings of the alerter in question. It seems we spend a lot of late night time on the boards and I always find something interesting in what they've said.

[Aerows]

10. I got the alert

and decided to weigh in. I'm up late, too.

[Fearless]

11. If anyone ever tabulated the times of night that I post threads they'd think I was mad!

[Aerows]

13. I quit caffeine two years ago

and I still have trouble sleeping.

I just look at my cat that is piled up like sleeping is an Olympic sport and she is going for the gold.

[Fearless]

14. I'm a sucker for the late evening "pass out in front of the tv nap"

I've never been much for caffeine, but that accidental hour nap in the evening seems to push back bedtime to sometimes 4am EST. It's really terrible sometimes!

[Chitown Kev]

12. As far as I know (and I've researched this)

The earliest statement of Bernie Sanders that I can find where he supported marriage equality is 2009....both Al Sharpton and Carol Mosley Braun supported marriage equality when they ran for president in 2004 as did Dennis Kucinich in 2008.

Even Hillary Clinton supported civil unions in 2000 and, of course, President Obama supported marriage equality as early as 1996, when CU's weren't even an option (although Obama shadily retracted his support until 2012).

[Aerows]

15. I'll research it myself and post back

I like concrete evidence and facts - and I dispute what you posted.

[Fearless]

16. I've found this one...

Talking about "gay equality" from his campaign in the 1970's...

http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/bernie-sanders-was-full-gay-equality-40-years-ago

There's this from 1983...

"“It is my very strong view that a society which proclaims human freedom as its goal, as the United States does, must work unceasingly to end discrimination against all people. I am happy to say that this past year, in Burlington, we have made some important progress by adopting an ordinance which prohibits discrimination in housing. This law will give legal protection not only to welfare recipients, and families with children, the elderly and the handicapped — but to the gay community as well.”

http://www.queerty.com/32-years-before-marriage-equality-bernie-sanders-fought-for-gay-rights-20150719

I do find this from Hillary Clinton in 2000 though:

"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.""

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2013/03/18/how-hillary-clinton-evolved-on-gay-marriage/

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Frankly in the 80's and prior, marriage wasn't a focus of the national LGBT movement. It was a broader fight for equality that took center stage. Would you suggest that since FDR didn't mention gay marriage in the 30's he was against civil rights? Marriage equality wasn't even a possibility 20 years ago, never mind 40 or more.

[Chitown Kev]

17. Yes, I very specifically said marriage equality

which, technically, Barack Obama is on the record as having supported as much as a decade before Bernie Sanders goes on the record.

Mind you, I'm fine with Sanders record on LGBT issues (although if only LGBT issues were the basis of my support, the clear choice among Democrats would be Martin O'Malley).

And Bernie Sanders, while touting his support for the passage of that non-discrimination ordinance in Burlington in 1983, didn't lobby all that hard for the passage of the ordinance when it was being discussed (whereas Barack Obama was the sponsor of the non-discrimination ordinance when he was in the Illinois Senate).

Of course, Sanders has been supportive of LGBT rights, that is without question. But has he been a fierce advocate? Well, sometimes.

[Chitown Kev]

19. I know quite a bit about the history of gay politics

Last edited Sat Sep 12, 2015, 05:49 AM - Edit history (1)

Frankly in the 80's and prior, marriage wasn't a focus of the national LGBT movement. It was a broader fight for equality that took center stage. Would you suggest that since FDR didn't mention gay marriage in the 30's he was against civil rights? Marriage equality wasn't even a possibility 20 years ago, never mind 40 or more.

If anything, LGBT's were against the institution of marriage prior to the AIDS crisis of the 1980's. The AIDS crisis an sneaking conniving homophobic relatives wanting to lock out so many gay partners is really why marriage equality rises as an issue and throughout the 90's, even LGBT groups weren't all that supportive of marriage equality.