Defense of Marriage Act
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Arlen Specter Tweets About Repealing DOMA
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The Civil Rights Test of Our Generation
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The Five Things Bill Clinton Should Do to Take a Firm Stand on Gay Marriage
Arlen Specter is No Joe Sestak When it Comes to LGBT Rights
Published September 24, 2009 @ 08:46AM PT
In one of the more talked about primaries of the 2010 election, Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter is battling Rep. Joe Sestak for the Democratic nomination for one of PA's U.S. Senate seats. Specter is a Republican-turned-Democrat who for the past 30 years has approached the issue of LGBT rights as if he were walking on egg shells. Sestak, on the other hand, is increasingly becoming a bull in a china shop for equality.
Rep. Sestak has become a leading advocate to overturn "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and this week called on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to hold hearings on the Respect for Marriage Act -- the bill introduced this session of Congress to repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Sestak said DOMA was discriminatory when it passed in 1996, and it's just as bad now.
"Since its passage in 1996, the Defense of Marriage Act has discriminated against LGBT Americans by excluding federal benefits from same-sex partners who have been legally married in states that recognize their marriage. As a result, married LGBT couples are not provided equal treatment under the law," said Sestak.
Specter meanwhile? He still thinks that DOMA is good policy, although he doesn't want to see a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. According to Open Left, Specter recently sent a letter to a constituent saying that he believes its premature to throw DOMA out, and supports traditional marriage.
Specter is listed as a supporter of hate crimes legislation that would expand federal protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity (although he's previously voted against this), and has supported the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) in the past and is a co-sponsor of the bill this year.
But at the same time, he's also sung the praises of Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, two anti-LGBT jurists.
Specter deserves some praise, but equal rights aren't something to be achieved through moderation and issue tap-dancing. The bottom line? Sestak gets that. He'd likely be a much better and stronger advocate for LGBT rights in the U.S. Senate than Arlen Specter any day of the week, and twice on Tuesday. The difference are that clear.
(Photo of Rep. Joe Sestak courtesy of AFLCIO2008's photostream on Flickr.)
Marriage Equality as a Small Business Innovator
Published September 21, 2009 @ 10:55AM PT
What's the best small business idea in the country right now? Well, if you judge that question by the number of folks who voted at social entrepreneurship Web site Ideablob, it's a group that's pushing for marriage equality throughout the United States.
The National Marriage Boycott (NMB) won Ideablob's August 2009 contest for "Best Small Business Idea," and in turn received $10,000 to help them get their organization off the ground. The NMB, which started at Stanford University shortly after the passage of Proposition 8 last November, is now poised to perhaps become the largest student-drive movement for marriage equality in the country. Their mission? To get people to say no to marriage until everyone has access to marriage rights under the law.
Sarah Masimore, the NMB's Chief Operating Officer, said that the money will accelerate the growth of NMB, bringing the campaign to hundreds of college and high school campuses. "Today we are in ten states. In a year we plan to be in every state, demonstrating that Americans care about equal rights regardless of where you live or whom you love."
And the best part? Ideablob announced that NMB won this award the same week that Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) introduced legislation in the U.S. Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. Coincidence? Probably. But together the two pieces of news make for some good marriage equality karma.
The Defense of Marriage Act Was the Worst Vote of His Political Career
Published September 16, 2009 @ 05:47AM PT
Yesterday, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) introduced the Respect for Marriage Act -- with the support of 90 members of Congress -- to effectively repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and send the message that the federal government shouldn't be in the business of defining marriage. Finally, for the first time since DOMA passed in 1996, efforts have begun in Congress to repeal it.
While Rep. Nadler is one of the leaders of the DOMA repeal efforts, there are two voices bringing a whole bunch of gravitas to the argument over eliminating DOMA. Voices like Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), pictured above, who voted for DOMA back in the day. His take on DOMA now?
It was the worst vote of his entire political career.
We'll second that, and say that it was probably the worst vote for all 342 U.S. house members who voted for the act, as well as the 85 U.S. Senators who signed onto it.
"[My] vote fed the bigotry," Rep. Blumenauer writes. "Once Congress had put its imprimatur on DOMA, it was a logical step for the homophobes and political cynics to intensify their efforts and make permanent a ban on gay marriage in both the U.S. and state constitutions -- spawning many state initiatives and intensifying the assault."
DOMA was bad law in 1996, and it's bad law in 2009. Even former President Bill Clinton, who signed DOMA into law, and former Congressman Bob Barr, who authored the text of DOMA, have called for its repeal.
You can, too, by clicking here and sending a message to your Congress members to support the Respect for Marriage Act. Repealing DOMA is certainly going to take more than 90 U.S. House members. So the work on this begins, but it's work that's well worth the undertaking.
Oh, and if you want to thank Rep. Blumenauer for admitting his mistake in voting for DOMA thirteen years ago, feel free to send him a message on Twitter - @RepBlumenauer. Might we suggest, "@RepBlumenauer thanks for switching your position on the Defense of Marriage Act and working to end discrimination."
Overwhelming Support for Repealing the Defense of Marriage Act
Published September 10, 2009 @ 10:48AM PT
The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is one of the worst, most discriminatory bills ever written into law. It's the thirteen-year-old gift that keeps on discriminating against gays and lesbians, denying millions of folks their right to Social Security survivors' benefits, equal treatment under U.S. immigration laws, the right to take leave to care for a spouse, and more. A time for a repeal of DOMA is now.
Efforts are underway in Congress to introduce a bill calling for a repeal of DOMA, with Rep. Jerry Nadler from New York taking the lead. Going hand-in-hand with the proposed legislation is an initiative from the Human Rights Campaign -- RepealDOMANow.org -- that hopes to mobilize tens of thousands of letters from folks urging their Congressional Reps to overturn DOMA. You can take action here to help make that happen.
"Thanks to a string of state-level victories, tens of thousands of loving, same-sex couples across the country have finally been able to join in marriage this year," HRC says on RepealDOMANow.org. "Yet because of DOMA, enacted in 1996, the federal government doesn't recognize a single one."
And they're right. No matter that marriage equality is the law in places like Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Iowa, New Hampshire or Maine (ballot initiative pending). DOMA means that couples married in these states won't be recognized on the federal level, and won't have access to the more than 1,100 benefits that straight couples receive from the federal government.
That's unfair, unjust, and unconstitutional. Much like HRC's new Web site says, it's time to Repeal DOMA Now.
Should LGBT People Be Losing Patience With Obama?
Published September 08, 2009 @ 04:26PM PT
There's that leftover line from the 2008 Presidential campaign that "you campaign in poetry, but govern in prose." Lately for President Obama, it seems that his administration might have hit a streak of writer's block when it comes to the art of governing. And that's leaving some people -- including the openly gay man who ran candidate Obama's field operations - a bit frustrated. Especially when it comes to LGBT rights.
Steve Hildebrand, who by many respects helped launch Obama thru Iowa and into the heart of the primaries last year, said in an interview with Politico today that he's losing patience with the 44th president, and with Democratic leaders in Congress. "I am one of the millions of frustrated Americans who want to see Washington do more than it's doing right now," said Hildebrand. "I gave up a lot to elect Democrats, and I expect them to give it up for me. I'm going to speak loudly."
For many, Hildebrand is speaking truth to power here. There are countless people who think that Obama and Congress are taking too long to affect the type of change they were elected to make. They're seeing that on the issue of health care. They're seeing that on the issue of labor. And certainly they're seeing that on the issue of LGBT rights.
To his credit, Obama has made some changes. Under Obama's watch, the U.S. has signed onto a UN statement in support of the global decriminalization of homosexuality. His Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, said that protecting the human rights of LGBT people worldwide would be a priority for this administration. Earlier this summer, Obama commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots with a reception at the White House for scores of LGBT leaders and allies. And most recently, Obama awarded Presidential Medals of Freedom to two LGBT icons -- Billie Jean King and (posthumously) Harvey Milk.
But while these steps have been welcomed, many LGBT folks are seeing nothing but delays and Congressional hold-ups when it comes to some of the campaign promises Obama made last year. That includes passing a hate crimes bill, passing an Employment Non-Discrimination Act, repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and integrating the U.S. military, and overturning the "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA). To make matters worse, Obama's administration has tripped up a few times, most notably with the Justice Department's bizarre brief defending DOMA in U.S. courts.
Hildebrand allows the slow progress on LGBT rights -- as well as issues like health care -- to be shared all around. Yes, it's partly Obama, Hildebrand says. But it's also the Blue Dogs in Congress who try to compromise too much on the issues that Democrats were resoundingly elected over this past year.
"There's basically three different parties, and one of those parties tends to be the barrier to getting anything done — and that's the Blue Dogs in the House and the moderates in the Senate," said Hildebrand. "Change is not going to come by people in the Beltway deciding we should have change. It’s going to come because they’re feeling pressure from all over the country."
So who's to blame for the slow progress? Congress? Obama? Both?
Perhaps the biggest concern, one could argue, is that if these historic pieces of legislation can't make it through the 111th Congress - ending DOMA, repealing "Don't Ask," enacting hate crimes legislation and passing an employment non-discrimination bill - could they possibly be even more delayed in the 112th Congress? Especially, as experts ranging from Charlie Cook to Nate Silver point out, Democrats lose seats in 2010?
Now that's something that gets the blood pressure going. With control of the White House, U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House, there's a feeling that everybody is governing as if they're stuck in a big bowl of Cream of Wheat.
But moreover, how is it that the Bush administration, with a bare majority of Congress, was able to shove so much down our throats, but the Obama administration, with majorities not seen by any party in decades, is seemingly stuck?
Perhaps that's the source of the frustration. Both for those passionate about LGBT rights, as well as those working for better labor practices, a national health care system, and a whole host of progressive causes that have been largely dormat for more than eight years.
Martha Coakley - The Next Sen. Kennedy?
Published September 01, 2009 @ 12:30PM PT
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley picked up nomination papers to run for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy. While surprisingly quick, the move places one of the state's biggest advocates for LGBT rights - and herself somewhat of a national LGBT hero for filing a federal lawsuit challenging DOMA - in the spotlight to become the 100th member of the Senate.
Coakley is the first nominee to jump into what could be a crowded field. Already, Massachusetts Reps. Edward Markey, Stephen Lynch and Michael Capuano have expressed an interest in the seat. The primary election for Kennedy's U.S. Senate seat will be held on December 8, with a general election scheduled for January 19, 2010.
In July 2009, Coakley filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government challenging the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In the lawsuit, Coakley said that DOMA undermined states' efforts to recognize marriages between same-sex couples, and "codified an animus towards gay and lesbian people."
"Our familes, our communities, and even our economy have seen the many important benefits that have come from recognizing equal marriage rights and, frankly, no downside," Coakley said when filing the lawsuit. "However, we have also seen how many of our married residents and their families are being hurt by a discriminatory, unprecedented, and, we believe, unconstitutional law."
Coakley now has to gather 10,000 signatures in the next five weeks to qualify for the ballot. Her timing is definitely soon, given that Sen. Kennedy's funeral was only four days ago. But when it comes to LGBT rights and working on behalf of LGBT constituents, she's certainly on par with the legacy of Sen. Kennedy.
Who is Going to Be the Next Sen. Kennedy When it Comes to LGBT Rights?
Published August 28, 2009 @ 02:23PM PT
Senator Ted Kennedy was the type of straight guy most every LGBT person could like. He was ahead of his time by championing LGBT rights for decades, fighting to pass inclusive hate crimes legislation, and an employment non-discrimination act that covered sexual orientation and gender identity. He was one of only 14 Senators to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act. And contrary to what many politicians were thinking when Massachusetts became the first state to enact marriage equality, Sen. Kennedy celebrated that moment for its importance in civil rights history.
With Sen. Kennedy's passing, a giant hole is now left in the U.S. Senate when it comes to a tried and true supporter of LGBT rights. Who will fill that mantle?
Below are five U.S. Senators who are working hard for equal rights legislation in the Senate and/or in their own states. Senator Ted Kennedy is in many respects irreplaceable. But these five might just be able to carry on his legacy and become the voice for LGBT rights in the U.S. Senate.
Sen. John Kerry: OK, like him or leave him, Sen. Kerry has a bit in common with the late Sen. Ted Kennedy. Kerry was a former Presidential contender, and Kennedy was a former Presidential contender. After losing their respective races, both returned to the U.S. Senate and (more or less) ruled out higher office. And both are champions of LGBT rights. For his part, Sen. Kerry is a vocal spokesperson for lifting the travel ban on HIV individuals imposed by the U.S. government, and is a support of hate crimes legislation, an employment non-discrimination act, and for overturning "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." In 1996, Sen. Kerry was the only U.S. Senator up for re-election who voted against the Defense of Marriage Act (even out-progressiving Sen. Paul Wellstone on the issue). As recently as July 2009, Kerry has called the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. But...and it's sort of a big one...Sen. Kerry hasn't personally come out in favor of marriage equality. This video right here will likely send shivers down people's spines with memories of 2004, as Kerry tries to say that he's for equal rights but not personally for marriage. Sen. Kerry is going to have to get over this obstacle if he wants to have the same legacy as Sen. Kennedy on LGBT rights issues.
Sen. Russ Feingold: One of the most independent Senators out there, Sen. Russ Feingold's support for LGBT rights runs pretty deep as well. He was also one of the 14 no votes in the U.S. Senate on the Defense of Marriage Act, and has long advocated for hate crimes and employment non-discrimination laws. More good news? He's also on record with a forceful statement supporting marriage equality. "[Marriage equality] is something ultimately that people throughout the country will accept," said Sen. Feingold, adding that bans on same-sex marriage have no place in the nation's laws. The weird news? Sen. Feingold voted for Supreme Court Justice John Roberts. Huh. Well, at least he voted no on Alito?
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: Sure, she has to survive re-election to her first full-term in office before becoming anyone's champion. But Sen. Gillibrand is already positioning herself to be one of the strongest LGBT allies in the entire Congress. She's the lead sponsor behind efforts in the U.S. Senate to overturn "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." She's encouraging state politicians throughout New York to support marriage equality in the state. And she herself? She's a strong believer in same-sex marriage, saying right here on the Women's Rights blog at change.org earlier this month: "Marriage Equality is the equal rights battle of our generation, and we should all be strongly united in our efforts to make progress." She needs more years perhaps to reach Sen. Kennedy status. But she's clearly building a ton of street cred when it comes to LGBT issues.
Sen. Barbara Boxer: Sen. Kennedy was often vilified by the right-wing as part of the liberal establishment. But for as much as Sen. Kennedy was targeted, Sen. Boxer may be even more so. People on the right just don't like her, which makes people on the left (and a bunch in the middle) like her even more so. Sen. Boxer has been an adamant supporter of LGBT rights, including earning a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign for her support of pro-LGBT legislation. And last year as same-sex marriage was assaulted in California with Proposition 8, Sen. Boxer came out forcefully and strongly against the ballot measure. Her opinion of Prop 8 before it narrowly passed? "Prop 8 is a statewide ballot initiative that would put discrimination against same-sex couples into the California State Constitution. It is unfair, unnecessary, and wrong." Her sage words of inspiration after Prop 8 passed? "This is so not over. The fight for equality goes on and on. The fight for a more perfect union goes on and on." Here's hoping Boxer's Senate career goes on and on, too.
Sen. Patrick Leahy: When Sen. Patrick Leahy isn't helping shape the judicial system in this country through his chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he's often times pushing equal rights legislation on behalf of LGBT Americans. One of Leahy's biggest missteps was voting for the Defense of Marriage Act. Since then, Leahy has come down hard on the side of LGBT rights. He's now the third-most senior Senator in the entire legislative body, and the highest-ranking one at that to support marriage equality. Which he made clear earlier this year after Vermont's State Legislature enacted same-sex marriage rights. "If I was voting – if this matter was coming the first time, I'd vote differently than I did [when I voted on DOMA]," Leahy told Vermont Public Radio. "Because I think the states are now ahead of the Congress on this." Other reasons we like Sen. Leahy? In 2006 he called out the bullshit that conservative Congress members were trying to pull in pushing a marriage protection amendment, and he's a lead sponsor of a bill that would completely expand immigration rights for LGBT couples.
Any other allies in the Senate that you think might take the reigns that Sen. Ted Kennedy leaves behind on LGBT rights?
