LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Capital Letters |
by Hastings Wyman |
What the Candidates' Websites Reveal
Although the candidates have taken many pro-gay stands, especially when addressing gay groups, gay-related issues are often invisible or obscured in their campaign efforts intended for a widerand straighteraudience. It's like the potential lover you met at a bar who's dying to have sex, but doesn't want to introduce you to his or her friends. The more forthright a candidate is on gay issues when addressing the whole public, the more likely our issues will be exposed to a wider audienceand increase the prospects that gay and lesbian issues will get acted upon should the candidate win the White House. Three contenders for the Democratic presidential nominationDennis Kucinich, Carol Moseley Braun, and Al Sharptonhave endorsed same-sex marriage, drawing strong applause at the recent Human Rights Campaign (HRC) forum in Washington, D.C. But on their campaign websites, you won't find the issue mentioned at all. At www.Kucinich.us, this radical long shot notes that "Lesbians and gays will be afforded complete equality throughout society," but he avoids the "m" word. At www.CarolforPresident.com, Braun does not include her support for same-sex marriageor any other mention of gays and lesbians. And at www.al2004.org, the Sharpton platformdespite the New York civil rights activist's crowd-pleasing rhetoric before the HRC gatheringdoes not mention gays and lesbians. Three candidates give substantial prominence to gay issues on their websites, but they don't indicate the extent of their promises to the gay community. Joe Lieberman's campaignat www.Joe2004.comhas a "Gay and Lesbian Issues" section that touts the Connecticut lawmaker's record on a number of gay issues. This section makes no mention of civil unions, though there is a favorable reference to them in several of his speeches on the website. Similarly, if you go to www.DeanforAmerica.com, you'll find the Howard Dean campaign touting his well-known support for civil unions, employment rights, hate crimes legislation, and changing "don't ask, don't tell." But there's nary a word about his position that the United States should recognize same-sex marriages performed in Canada. And at www.DickGephardt2004.com, the congressman's support for hate crimes legislation and Employment Non-Discrimination are delineated under "New Ideas" in a "Gay and Lesbian" section, but there's no mention of civil unions, which Gephardt endorsed at the HRC event. The other candidates are closeted about their support for gay rights. At www.JohnEdwards2004.com, if you look under "Key Issues," you won't find the words "gay" or "lesbian" or any reference to our issues. At www.JohnKerry.com, you'll find that the Massachusetts senator supports hate crimes legislation and ENDA, but there is no mention that these proposals are concerned with gay and lesbian Americans. And at Florida Sen. Bob Graham's www.GrahamforPresident.com, you'll find that the candidate "has supported measures to end discrimination against the GLBT community," including ENDA and the hate crimes bill. The words "gay" and "lesbian," however, are not used, much less "bisexual" or "transgender." It is important to look not just at the gay promises of the candidates, but at the depth of their commitment. One indication of that is their willingness to get gay issues out of the campaign closet. Hastings Wyman publishes Southern Political Report, a nonpartisan biweekly political newsletter. He can be reached care of this publication or at HWymanSPR@aol.com. |
ETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 13, No. 10, July 25, 2003. |