Gays for Giuliani

A wonderfully sarcastic video made by some gay New Yorkers.

On Gay Marrrage and the Democrats

This was originally published at Oped News.

The Absurdity of Modern Discourse: The Democrats and Gay Marriage

By Michael Corcoran

Last year when an amendment to ban gay marriage was debated in the House, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) gave a passionate speech on the floor. “I take it personally when people decide to take political batting practice with my life,” he said.

It was a sharp retort to the Republicans in congress whose disdain for marriage equality, and their desire to have discrimination written into the constitution, has sadly become a staple of modern-day conservatism. It is not merely a position that legislators take, but a political tool used to scare the population into believing that gay marriage would destroy the "sanctity of marriage" and lead the country into a cesspool of moral chaos. Rick Santorum went so far as to say that homosexuality is a step towards bestiality.

(Being from Massachusetts where gays are allowed to marry, I can report that Santorum's bigoted projections have blissfully not come to fruition)

So now that the Democrats are in control of the legislative branch and look well poised to take the White House in 2008, one might hope that gays would be optimistic that the 14th amendment, which guarantees equal rights for all US citizens, will soon be applied to them.

Not so fast.

Sadly, most of the Democratic candidates, including the three frontrunners, oppose gay marriage. At the recent “You Tube” debate, a couple from Brooklyn named Mary and Jen asked the candidates if they would, should they be elected president, “allow us to be married to each other?" Barack Obama, John Edwards and Hillary Clinton – all seemingly too concerned about the political consequences of taking that stance – had to find a way to say no to the couple. Only Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) could pointedly say “"Mary and Jen, the answer to your question is yes."

Edwards, whose wife Elizabeth has come out in favor of gay marriage, has said he has yet "to cross that bridge yet," Obama observes that "his Christian beliefs dictate that marriage should be between a man and a woman." Clinton "firmly" opposes gay marriage.

The Democratic frontrunner’s refusal to support equality for gays, while disappointing, is hardly a surprise. In 2004, both John Kerry and John Edwards opposed gay marriage, instead giving their support to consolation prize that is the “civil union.”

In 1996, when Bill Clinton passed the Defense of Marriage Amendment, a law that, according to the New York Times, says states and the federal government do not have to recognize gay marriages and unions from other states, Hillary Clinton supported it “without exception.”

This moral paralysis was on display earlier this year when General Peter Pace said that "homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral.” Reporters quickly asked the Democratic frontrunners for their thoughts on the issue. "I am going to leave that to others to conclude," said Sen. Clinton, who clearly didn’t feel she could answer the question without consulting her political advisors first. Obama was likewise frozen, and simply refused to respond to repeated questions about his position on the issue. After a couple days of angry letters, both candidates made statements expressing their disagreements with Pace, but the message was not lost on the public. “[W]hat's a little bigotry in the name of campaign season moderation?" asked Jonathan Stein of Mother Jones.

When the Democrats act with such cowardly trepidation they only serve in helping the anti-gay undercurrent of the modern conservative movement. But there is good news: the young people of this country have shown a tolerance towards gays that is unprecedented. A poll released by Pew earlier this year which surveyed people born between 1981 and 1988 showed that more people supported gay marriage than opposed it, with more than 60 percent believing that gays should be able to adopt children. Both of these numbers are substantially higher than older demographics, and show a sea change in thinking on the issue of gay rights. (It is also worth noting young people are also by far the most tolerant of immigrants, interracial marriage and atheists.)

There was a time in this country when there was so-called serious debate over whether or not women should have the right to vote, or if blacks should subjugated and enslaved. The fact that these issues were once debatable in America is now universally understood as a national embarrassment. And there is every reason to believe, that as young people grow up to become the power brokers of this country, the debate over whether or not gays should be allowed to marry will be viewed in much the same way.

When this day comes, the Democrats who today oppose equal rights for gays will be remembered through the lens of history as enablers of discrimination—from a time when “playing batting practice with people lives” was, sadly, a bipartisan phenomenon.

The Republican Debate

Listening to the Republicans talk about gays in the military was nothing short of offensive, both morally and intellectually.

The Absurdity of 'Modern' Discourse

Over at the BOB, Jeff Hudecek laments the homophobia that not only exists in our country, but is legitimized by our governmental and military policies. He writes:

This Chicago Tribune article makes me ashamed to be an American. This type of homophobia is disgusting. Our illogical policy of disallowing gays in the military has gone on long enough.

The Tribune piece is worth reading, but to summarize, it is a back-and-forth between a gay man and a recruiter, who makes many statements such as this.

OH I FORGOT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YES YOU MIGHT TO TRY TO KISS A SOLDIER IN THE FOXHOLE SO THAT IS A NO NO. WE ONLY TAKE STRAIGHT UP MALE AND FEMALES WHO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE WHEN TI[sic] COMES TO GENDER.WE TAKE PEOPLE WITH HIGH MORALES IN THE MILITARY NOT GAY PEOPLE. BYE HAVE A NICE DAY

Aside from his clever use of CAPS for every word, and his wonderful "HAVE A NICE DAY" pleasantry to end the e-mail, this e-mail is at at the height of repugnance.


I agree with Mr. Hudecek's sentiments. Gay rights--including marriage, which some, such as our friend Phil Primeau argues is not a "gay right"--is one of the great no-brainers of our time: treat people equally.

It is one of those things two generations from now we will look back at with great embarrassment, and disgust as we do now about segregation, racism, slavery, witch trials. To me this is like the "torture debate." Back in 2005 I wrote the following:

There once was a time, not very long ago, when our country engaged in "serious debate" over whether or not it should be legal to enslave human beings or allow women to vote. Thankfully, due to the hard work of rational, humane people, these issues are no longer controversial.

The good news: I can assure you this effort to discriminate against gays which as we know is spearheaded by the Jesus Camp types is a losing one. Societal progress almost always takes shape in the form of liberalism and acceptance.

According to a recent and very detailed PEW report, young people--described as "Generation Next"--are by far the most tolerant generation ever. When it comes to gay rights, secularism, immigrants, interracial relationships, and even recreational drug use, young people are historically accepting of others compared to older generations, and young people polled generations ago.

About half of Gen Nexters say the growing number of immigrants to the U.S. strengthens the country ­ more than any generation. And they also lead the way in their support for gay marriage and acceptance of interracial dating.

I don't find this to be terrible surprising. Young people have now grown up around gays to the extent where the behavior seems entirely normal to most. Compare this to to how older generations viewed homosexuality--as a social taboo punishable by an eternity in hell.

By the time today's young people make up the countries power brokers, gay marriage will likely be accepted in most states, and attempts to legislate discrimination of them into law, will be met with contempt not currently seen.