Democrats' gay legacy

[kweerwolf]

From The Washington Blade:

In 1993, Democrats caved to a promise made to gay voters to allow gay Americans the right to serve their nation in the military without having to hide who they are. Despite being the majority party in both the House and the Senate, and having a Democratic president for the first time in 12 years, they instituted the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy that has led to more discharges than before it was enacted.

In 1996, 32 Democratic Senators joined all the Republicans in voting for the Defense of Marriage Act. Only 14 Senate Democrats opposed it. In the House of Representatives, 118 Democrats voted with most Republicans to pass it. Only 65 Democrats opposed it. It was a Democratic president, Bill Clinton, who signed it into law.

In the 2004 Democratic primary campaign, only three of the 10 candidates for the nomination supported full marriage equality for gay Americans. Those three, Dennis Kucinich, Al Sharpton and Carol Moseley Braun, were not considered contenders for the nomination, but issue candidates. John Kerry, Howard Dean, John Edwards, Dick Gephardt, Wesley Clark, Joe Lieberman and Bob Graham would not go on the record supporting marriage equality for gays.

<snip>

Gay Americans are the first to be compromised by Democrats, because they figure we have no place else to go. The Republicans are worse, so we can play the role of the abused spouse who keeps taking the beatings because life might be worse if we were to leave. It's time to send a message to Democrats (and their apologists at the Human Rights Campaign, which LOVED the nuclear option compromise). Don't come knocking on the door of gay Americans seeking dollars or votes until you can show us some accomplishments instead of a long history of disappointing defeats.


http://www.washblade.com/blog/index.cfm?type=blog&start=6/4/05&end=6/11/05#1054

[Q3JR4]

1. Exactly!

I still favor a type of scorched earth policy where we withdraw support (time and money) from ALL politicians and then only support those democrats who support us.

I say democrats because more republican legislators will be bad for the planet, middle class, and the extreme poor.

[mitchtv]

2. Calif Dems are mostly pretty cool

Dianne's post election comments notwithstanding.

[davidinalameda]

3. bullshit

the Democratic controlled state assembly could have made history last week by approving the same sex marriage bill but something like nine cowards didn't vote

and has anything happened to them--no

did they lose committee assignments or any power--no

the bill needed 41 votes to pass but only received 36

of course, all the Repukes voted against it but at least they took a stand on it

[Dark]

4. Uh, I know Clark supports gay marriage. n/t

[dsc]

5. Clinton lost, he didn't cave, on Don't Ask Don't Tell

I agree that Clinton messed up in many respects toward gay issues. I am most angry at the lack of hate crimes protection and employment protection. But on Don't Ask Don't Tell he was just plain beaten and frankly the LGBT community deserves some of the blame on that defeat. We were divided and our opponents were united. It is as simple as that.