News :: GLBT
Democratic Candidates Offer Answers on Gay Issuesby Kilian MelloyWednesday May 30, 2007 Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John Edwards have issued statements of support for GLBT families, though none of them has changed their previously articulated stance opposing marriage equality.
The Washington Blade reported on the story last Friday, saying that all three contenders for the Democratic nomination for the 2008 presidential election have indicated support for civil unions in recently released documents.
The Blade obtained a document from the Clinton camp titled "Fighting for the LGBT Community," which stated, "Hillary will work to ensure that all Americans in committed relationships have equal benefits-from health insurance and life insurance, property rights and more."
The Blade also quoted from a paper by the Obama campaign titled, "Barack Obama’s Support for the Gay and Lesbian Community," which included the passage, "Barack Obama supports civil unions that give gay couples full rights, including the right to assist their loved ones in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits currently extended to traditional married couples and the same property rights as anyone else."
John Edwards offered the most complete statement regarding marriage equality, including commentary on marriage equality that the other candidates did not address.In response to a questionnaire from the Human Rights Campaign, a lobbying organization concerned with GLBT equality, Edwards, according to the Blade article, said that same-sex couples ought to be afforded "the same rights, benefits and responsibilities" as their heterosexual counterparts, adding, "I support civil unions to guarantee gay and lesbian couples the same rights as straight couples, including inheritance rights, hospital visitation rights, equal pension and health care benefits, and all of the 1,100 other legal protections government affords married couples," though not calling that aggregation of rights by the term "marriage."
Edwards did, however, state that, "Gay marriage is an issue I feel internal conflict about and I continue to struggle with it. However, I believe the right president could lead the country toward consensus around equal rights and benefits for all couples in committed, long-term relationships." Edwards further specified that he would back a repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a federal measure that prevents national recognition of marriage equality even when a state recognizes same-sex marriage, as is uniquely the case in Masschusetts. DOMA was an issue that the other candidates skirted, according to the Blade.
Edwards also indicated support for the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), more funding for the Ryan White CARE Act, equal rights for GLBTs in the adoption and immigration arenas, and a repeal of the military ban on openly gay servicemembers. Clinton and Obama, by contrast, indicated support for ENDA and the Ryan White CARE Act and backed a repeal of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell," with Obama further expressing support for equality on the question of adoption.
Kilian Melloy reviews media, conducts interviews, and writes commentary for EDGEBoston, where he also serves as Assistant Arts Editor.
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