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Democrats quizzed at LA gay-rights forum »

Posted by: gamahuche 2 years, 6 months ago

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Most of the Democratic party's presidential hopefuls gathered in L.A. on Thursday night for a televised forum on gay-rights issues. Six candidates including Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards were jockeying to firm up support among gay and lesbian voters, one of the party's more active and reliable voting blocs.

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gamahuche

"I would rather be a square peg than fit in a pigeon hole" -
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gamahuche
Aug. 10, 2007, 9:56 a.m.
Throughout the two-hour event, sponsored by Human Rights Campaign, a national gay rights group, the candidates at turns spoke confidently but also stepped gingerly around the edges of charged topics such as same-sex marriage.
...
The panelists tried to draw out Clinton, Obama, Edwards and Richardson on their opposition to expanding the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples.
None of them budged, all saying instead that they think gays and lesbians should be afforded the rights of married couples through civil unions.
Etheridge and the other panelists were at pains to challenge long-shot contenders Ohio Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel, who both spoke strongly in favor of gay marriage.
Clinton, like the other candidates, reaffirmed her strong opposition to the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy and called for gays and lesbians to be allowed to serve openly in the armed forces.
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gamahuche
Aug. 10, 2007, 9:57 a.m.
Indeed, none of the candidates made any notable departures from the well-established and nearly identical positions they have carved out.
The positions of the Democrats stand in stark contrast to those of most of their Republican counterparts, who largely have staked out far more conservative territory on gay issues. Organizers of Thursday's forum said Republican candidates had either ignored or declined invitations to a similar event.
Indeed, some political analysts questioned whether Republicans would try to use Democrats' support for gay issues against them later in the presidential campaign.
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gamahuche
Aug. 10, 2007, 10:06 a.m.
Well it didn't exactly sound like a love-in but of course its great that the "gay community" was acknowledged.
I would have liked to see something like this take place in San Francisco c. 1973 with the Cockettes making an outrageous surprise appearance..
Apparently only Bill Richardson was brave enough to chance his arm, as it were, and then found he'd taken a step too far and had to retract:
"when he was asked whether he believes people are born gay or whether it is a choice.
"It's a choice," he said.
When pressed, the governor stumbled over his words but didn't clearly change his answer, offering only, "I'm not a scientist. I don't see this as an issue of science or definition. I see gays and lesbians as people as a matter of human decency."
Richardson released a statement moments after the event, saying that he had misunderstood the question and that he does not believe people choose to be gay."
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crespi
Aug. 10, 2007, 11:11 a.m.
It's about time. Democrats are SUPPOSED to stand up for the oppressed or the underdog.
Funny thing is the Republicans turn out to be the "real" gay party, since so many of them are.
They just hate themselves for it...
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tehranchik
Aug. 10, 2007, 11:18 a.m.
Kucinich and Gravel---ahead of the pack once again.
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old-squid
Aug. 10, 2007, 11:27 a.m.
Richardson stepping all over his pecker, and Tidy Bowl recanting that it wasn't his Church - but rather 'environment' - that initially made him "Skeered of Kweers..."
Right, Yell Sooie! Sooie!
But Crespi's right. Them Republicans have a bigger tent then they want to admit to, and they're a lot more interested in the placement of the tent poles then they want to let on to...
;-@
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Hobe
Aug. 10, 2007, 12:46 p.m.

Democrats quizzed at LA HOMOsexual rights forum....
HOMOsexuals Should and Must have the Same Rights as awarded to All Ameicans....
Bill Richardson seem's to be a very Misguided individual???
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walden3
Aug. 10, 2007, 12:54 p.m.
civil unions are not equal rights.
what business is it of anyone's what two consenting adults do in private?
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Daylight
Aug. 10, 2007, 2:37 p.m.
Everyone of them need their votes. Gays will be better of in a far away Island on their own, they can have their own rules, why bother politicians?
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Harbeas
Aug. 10, 2007, 5:08 p.m.
Richardson has revealed himself as a complete idiot. People choosing to be gay? You have to be kidding me! I haven't seen one scientific article that has said homosexuality is a choice.
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jumpmaster
Aug. 10, 2007, 6:32 p.m.
"Unlike the testy attacks...."
Did someone drop trou at this show? Now they are attacking someone's testys?
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KYRed
Aug. 10, 2007, 11:23 p.m.
What is it about gays that they have to be recognized as being "married"? I thought it was all about legal rights not semantics.
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2sidestoeverything
Aug. 11, 2007, 12:12 a.m.
I don't personally understand the big deal with adults getting married whether they be gay or not. In there hearts they are already married what does it do to heterosexual marriage if gays get married. Me and my husband have been married for 24 years and I don't think gays getting married will change the meaning of marriage at all.
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KingOfTruth
Aug. 11, 2007, 1:29 a.m.
2sidestoeverything says:
I don't personally understand the big deal with adults getting married whether they be gay or not.
.
.
Well many years ago, the US actually fought a war over marriage rights and the one man, one woman marriage side won...now this war was against the State of Utah and was over the one man, many women laws that they had passed and were practicing. Now, either everyone follows the same laws or they don't, correct?
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Asshely
May 7, 2008, 8:29 a.m.
As we know, many countries are forbidding the same-sex marriage. However, I think it's really great. I have a friend getting married with the same sex under the help of the site http://www.BiLoves.com. And they live happily and wonderfully.