Gay Rights Lead To Success At The Ballot Box

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By Richard Socarides


Richard Socarides says politicians will recognize that their embrace of us is not only the right thing to do, but leads to success at the ballot box.

Photo by M. Sharkey

Probably the best thing about the election, for me, was how many “how far we've come” moments it provided. We won our first marriage equality ballot initiatives -- in fact, winning all four of them: in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington State. We elected our first openly gay or lesbian member of the U.S. Senate, a club historically restricted unlike any other in Washington. We added new openly gay members of the House of Representatives. (I am particularly proud of my friend Sean Maloney, who I worked with in the Clinton White House, who beat a one-term incumbent tea party-er, who had no business representing the people of her district in the first place.)

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Dear Sharron Angle: What Is Your Position On Gay Constituents?

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There are two extreme positions that Sharron Angle has not tried to walk back as she has the comments she made about MediCare and Social Security. I am referring to her position on banning gay adoption, and her most recently discovered proclamation that she would refuse any campaign contributions from a company that supports gay rights.

Angle answered on a candidate questionnaire that she would refuse political contributions from a private company that backs equal rights for gays and extends benefits to partners of gay employees. Angle laid out this position in a candidate questionnaire that she filled out for the Washington-based Government is not God PAC.

In question 35A of the questionnaire, Angle was asked:

Would you refuse PAC money from those who are fundamentally opposed to your views on social issues?

Angle checked the Yes box. The questionnaire then asked:

In reference to question 35A, Intel Corporation supports "equal rights for gays" and offers benefits to "partners" of homosexual employees. Would you refuse funds from this corporate PAC?

Angle again checked the Yes box.

The questionnaire was first obtained by the Associated Press, which did a story here about it without noting this question and answer from Angle.

The AP noted other eyebrow-raising answers in the questionnaire, such as her support for clergy making political endorsements. A copy of the full questionnaire is right here. The answer to the question on gays was first noted by Nevada Journalist Jon Ralston.

Perhaps someone in the media should ask Angle that in light of her firm opposition to gay issues and homosexuality itself, to what extent would her religiously rooted bigotry effect gay constituents seeking her assistance as their elected leader?

Newt Gingrich: U.S. Citizenship Starts With Our Creator

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On Friday, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, and Oliver North visited Rock Church in Hampton Roads, Virginia to take part in a three-hour long tent revival that focused on "Rediscovering God in America." The speakers warned the audience about the "continuing availability of abortion, the spread of gay rights, and attempts to remove religion from American public life and school history books. What a slap in the face it was for some spectators to hear the most divisive speech coming from Newt Gingrich, a womanizing adulterer in his own right. Gingrich did take the time to point out that through the grace of God, there was at least "one less outlet" for abortion while not mentioning anyone by name, but obviously referring to the recent murder of Dr. George Tiller.

" The Virginia-Pilot

reported that Gingrich argued that, while Christianity is the foundation of American citizenship, Americans are experiencing a period where they are being "surrounded by paganism":

GINGRICH: I am not a citizen of the world. I am a citizen of the United States because only in the United States does citizenship start with our creator. [...] I think this is one of the most critical moments in American history. We are living in a period where we are surrounded by paganism.

I'm not sure what Gingrich means by "only in the United States does citizenship start with our creator." I've looked at the documentation for U.S. citizenship and there is no mention of God, Jesus, Allah, Christ, Religion, a Creator or anything of the sort. However, if one was of the belief that a "Creator" was responsible for men and the earth, wouldn't he or she also be responsible for the gay ones as well? - According to Gingrich, besides cutting hair and decorating living rooms, gays have no redeeming value.

GINGRICH: "Even those who make claims of redemption will not be welcomed into the kingdom of heaven."

Huckabee also equated America’s victory against the British in the Revolutionary War with the right-wing’s success in the Proposition 8 fight in California as being miracles "from God’s

hand."