Damning Report on John McCain's LGBT Rights Support
Thursday 5th June 2008
The US Presidential race is now well and truly started with John McCain finally learning that he will definitely square off against Barack Obama.
The US Presidential race is a matter that has consequences that reach far outside the United States. The US President is sometimes called the most powerful man in the world, and with good reason.
So it would be remiss of us to go merrily on our way without at least taking a brief look at the candidates’ views on LGBT rights. After all, the next president will preside over an era in which California has legalized gay marriage, and with it forced other states to either recognize these marriages or fight them in court.
Unfortunately, it only takes a brief look at one candidate to realize that he does not support LGBT rights. On the issue of gay marriage, McCain pandered to a conservative crowd in Tennessee saying he believed "in the sanctity and unique status of marriage between man and woman. That’s what I believe, that’s what I support, and that’s what I will fight for."
This is a flip from the man who voted against the 2004 Federal Marriage Amendment Act, but according to a report by Human Rights Campaign (HRC) that’s not surprising from the Arizona Senator. Their report paints a picture of a man far more like Bush than he would like you to believe.
HRC Vice President David Smith said: "We’ve witnessed President Bush over the last seven years repeatedly side with ultra-conservatives and the religious right at the expense of protections for GLBT Americans. Judging by his record, a McCain presidency would be another four years of more of the same.”
He added: "Similar to Bush, Sen. John McCain opposes equal benefits for same-sex couples; opposes the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to prohibit discrimination against GLBT Americans in the workplace; opposes expanding the hate crimes act to include sexual orientation and gender identity, and supports the military’s discriminatory Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy."
According to HRC’s Kyrsten Sinema: "The same year Sen. McCain voted against the FMA, he worked to oppose equal rights in his home state of Arizona by appearing in a television advertisement in support of a constitutional amendment that not only would have banned same-sex marriage, but also would have taken away existing benefits and legal protections for unmarried families."
One can only hope that, given his previous flip flopping on the matter, John McCain will flop back to the right side of the gay marriage debate.
*Pinke.biz does not condemn or endorse any US Presidential candidate. The views expressed in this piece are the views of the author only.
by Robert Knox
The US Presidential race is a matter that has consequences that reach far outside the United States. The US President is sometimes called the most powerful man in the world, and with good reason.
So it would be remiss of us to go merrily on our way without at least taking a brief look at the candidates’ views on LGBT rights. After all, the next president will preside over an era in which California has legalized gay marriage, and with it forced other states to either recognize these marriages or fight them in court.
Unfortunately, it only takes a brief look at one candidate to realize that he does not support LGBT rights. On the issue of gay marriage, McCain pandered to a conservative crowd in Tennessee saying he believed "in the sanctity and unique status of marriage between man and woman. That’s what I believe, that’s what I support, and that’s what I will fight for."
This is a flip from the man who voted against the 2004 Federal Marriage Amendment Act, but according to a report by Human Rights Campaign (HRC) that’s not surprising from the Arizona Senator. Their report paints a picture of a man far more like Bush than he would like you to believe.
HRC Vice President David Smith said: "We’ve witnessed President Bush over the last seven years repeatedly side with ultra-conservatives and the religious right at the expense of protections for GLBT Americans. Judging by his record, a McCain presidency would be another four years of more of the same.”
He added: "Similar to Bush, Sen. John McCain opposes equal benefits for same-sex couples; opposes the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to prohibit discrimination against GLBT Americans in the workplace; opposes expanding the hate crimes act to include sexual orientation and gender identity, and supports the military’s discriminatory Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy."
According to HRC’s Kyrsten Sinema: "The same year Sen. McCain voted against the FMA, he worked to oppose equal rights in his home state of Arizona by appearing in a television advertisement in support of a constitutional amendment that not only would have banned same-sex marriage, but also would have taken away existing benefits and legal protections for unmarried families."
One can only hope that, given his previous flip flopping on the matter, John McCain will flop back to the right side of the gay marriage debate.
*Pinke.biz does not condemn or endorse any US Presidential candidate. The views expressed in this piece are the views of the author only.
by Robert Knox
