Gays in the military - which Dem presidential hopefuls are supporting?

[jillan]

I thought this was pretty interesting-

http://www.gaycitynews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18202573&BRD=2729&PAG=461&dept_id=568864&rfi=6

Gay City News this week queried all eight Democratic campaigns, as well as those of the nine Republicans who have thrown their hats in the ring.
Of the 17 candidates, only Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, Delaware Senator Joe Biden, Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich, and former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel indicated that they believe the privacy protections articulated in the 2003 Lawrence v. Texas ruling - which overturned that state's anti-gay sodomy law - should be extended to those serving in the military. . . .

Significantly, the campaigns of the three Democrats viewed at this early stage in the race as the frontrunners - New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Illinois Senator Barack Obama, and former North Carolina Senator and 2004 vice presidential nominee John Edwards - did not respond to the newspaper's request for comment. . . .

Kucinich told Gay City News, in a phone call, "People who serve in the military fight for everyone else's rights and they shouldn't have to fight for their own. During my presidency, government will stay out of people's bedrooms and also stay out of their e-mails, their bank records, their library records, and their medical records."

Gravel, who served two terms in the Senate ending in 1981, this week submitted an op-ed to Gay City News calling for an end to Don't Ask, Don't Tell. His communications director, Elliott Jacobson, told the newspaper, "The senator is committed to conforming military policy to the Lawrence decision. In other words, people should be allowed to do whatever the heck they want."

Biden's campaign sent an e-mail that referred to "the Supreme Court's clear and unmistakable view in Lawrence that the sex lives of consenting adults are a private matter... apply to every American, both civilian and military." The Dodd campaign wrote that the senator believes "every American has the right to privacy and that should be extended to members of the military."

When General Pace last month asserted that gay people are "immoral," both Clinton and Obama faced harsh criticism for their initial responses that emphasized their opposition to Don't Ask, Don't Tell, but sidestepped the issue of morality. After several evolving clarifications, Clinton, the following day, said, "I should have echoed my colleague Senator John Warner's statement forcefully stating that homosexuality is not immoral because that is what I believe." Then in a separate comment, she added, "Then let the Uniform Code of Military Justice determine if conduct is inappropriate or unbecoming."

[bigtree]

1. Richardson calls for repeal of ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy

03/15/2007 7:45:47 PM
Associated Press

SANTA FE (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson says he wants Congress to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in which gay service members are required to keep their sexual orientation private.

Richardson’s comments are in response to remarks made this week by the Pentagon’s top general that homosexual acts are immoral and that the military shouldn’t condone homosexuality by allowing gay personnel to serve openly.

Marine General Peter Pace has since apologized for the comments, saying he should have limited his discussion of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

Richardson says he doesn’t believe homosexuality is immoral and that people shouldn’t be judged based on their sexual orientation.

Richardson calls Pace’s remarks “unfortunate” and says the Bush administration should reject them.

http://www.kobtv.com/index.cfm?viewer=storyviewer&id=31086&cat=NMTOPSTORIES


What about Bill?

2/22/2007

Concord, N.H. — “He’s actually been wonderful. He’s kept every promise he’s ever made to the community.” Anyone remember the last time you heard an LGBT political activist say that about a candidate for the White House? It certainly can’t be said about Bill Clinton, whose 1992 campaign pledge to let gays serve openly in the military resulted in the disastrous “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Ditto for John Kerry, whose reputation for being a longstanding champion of gay civil rights went bust when he came out for anti-gay marriage amendments in Massachusetts and Missouri in the heat of the 2004 campaign. But that’s how Alexis Blizman, the executive director of Equality New Mexico, sums up Democrat Bill Richardson’s record on LGBT issues as governor of her home state.

He certainly has a few things to talk about. In 2003, Richardson followed through on campaign pledges to sign into law LGBT-inclusive hate crimes and non-discrimination bills, making New Mexico one of just a handful of states to include transgender people in state’s civil rights laws. Not only did he sign the legislation, said Blizman, “he actively helped work the legislators to make sure it passed.” Richardson also issued a 2003 executive order providing domestic partner benefits to gay state employees. In 2005 he came out in opposition to proposed state DOMA legislation, unless it contained a civil unions or domestic partnership provision (the bill eventually died); he has also spoken out against a federal anti-gay marriage amendment. Blizman, who is supporting Richardson in his quest for the White House, says that Richardson is behind Equality New Mexico’s push to pass a comprehensive domestic partnership bill that would provide two “non-familial” adults with all of the state-level rights afforded to married couples.

Richardson’s support for LGBT rights extends back to his years in Congress, where he represented New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District for 14 years until 1997. He opposed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and supported a range of other gay-friendly legislation.

http://baywindows.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=008EC9FBCFF24AD18614290016BE1303&nm=Current+Issue&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&AudID=0813BC739F2044E5A03DCF2DE3FDF7C9&tier=4&id=DE28FE4B33E043EF97576A4A91448621


Bill Richardson was one of only a handful of lawmakers to vote against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Governor Richardson was Congressman Richardson back in 1993, when lawmakers were debating "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and wading through a swamp of anti-gay sentiment on Capitol Hill. But Richardson stood out even then as a champion of lesbian and gay service members. He was one of only a handful of lawmakers to vote against the law, advocating instead for the right of gay personnel to serve openly.
http://citizenchris.typepad.com/citizenchris/2007/01/another_bill_be.html

From Day 1, Richardson made clear that anything less than full citizenship for gay service members was simply unacceptable.

Today, Governor Richards continues to support open service, and a repeal of the ban. This entry from The Bill Richardson Blog also points out that the Governor is an outspoken advocate on other issues important to the LGBT community, too.
http://billrichardsonblog.com/?p=214

http://freedomtoserve.blogspot.com/2007/01/bill-richardson-long-time-champion-of.html


http://journals.democraticunderground.com/bigtree

[jillan]

2. What I found interesting about this article

Was the silence of the top 3 contenders.
It really pisses me off.

Why do politicians have to be afraid to stand up and say what they feel without worrying about the reprecussions?

That's why I can't get behind any of the candidates in the 'top tier'.

[qwlauren35]

4. I'm Really Like this Guy...

I wonder when more folks will start to notice him!!!

[smomfr]

3. Hopefully this won´t offend anyone but if they opened up the

military to more gays we could then have wars with style.

[DU9598]

7. Not offended,

but your statement plays on stereotypes of gay men. My partner is serving right now and his placing his life on the line daily has done nothing to make the death and destruction of war somehow "sytlish".

[gaspee]

5. When the repubs

Give in and repeal don't ask don't tell, look for a draft. It will be the only reason for them to repeal it.

[qwlauren35]

6. On Richardson...

Also from the Gay City News article: "New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson's campaign sent this newspaper an e-mail pointing to his opposition to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy and emphasizing his success in his state in enacting a hate crimes law and nondiscrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The e-mail did not address the issue of the military sodomy ban."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think the paper is being a bit nit-picky in not pointing out that Richardson was intentionally not giving an opinion, but actually pointing to his record!!!!!

[nealmhughes]

8. Wes Clark also supports overturning DADT, by the way. . .

[Laughing Mirror]

9. Thank you Congressman Kucinich

You have my vote.

[Zenlitened]

10. Edwards supports repealing "Don't Ask/Don't Tell"

From USA Today:

Edwards touts gay supporters

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. presidential candidate John Edwards is touting prominent gay supporters who have signed on to the Democrat's presidential campaign, including a former adviser to President Bill Clinton.

Businessman David Mixner is one of 25 people listed on a news release the Edwards campaign distributed Tuesday, along with a statement from the candidate saying he is honored to have the support of so many respected gay leaders.

"They work hard every day to make our country a better place and I am proud to join with them to fight for equal rights for all Americans," Edwards said.

Edwards is making a push for gay support in the competitive Democratic presidential primary. In February, he came out in support of legislation that would end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that prevents people who are openly gay from serving in the military.

More:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-04-10-edwards-gay-supporters_N.htm?csp=34