Op-ed: Keep Same-Sex Marriage OUT of Election

Much attention has been recently paid to the scant amount of attention both McCain and Obama are paying to gay issues. Indeed,with same-sex marriage amendments pending in three states (California, Florida and Arizona), the two candidates have been, for the most part, surprisingly mum.

I for one do not want gay marriage becoming the high-profile, lightning rod it was eight, and then again, four, years ago. And clearly after last night's Vice-Presidential debate, they don't want it to either. In a moment of awkward harmony both Palin and Biden were quick to say they supported civil unions but do not want and/or support a redefinition of marriage. There's enough mishigoss for them to discuss and debate (like, uh, the war, the economy); and without placing a moral value on which issue is more important than the other, gay marriage is simply reduced to an (un)welcome distraction that no one wants to deal with.

Why else would Tom Minnery, a senior vice president with the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family, say, "We wish it were a top issue - it seems not to be." The extremists on the right love to have "moral" issues at the forefront (family values anyone?) because they can't build consensus within their own party on other, more concrete issues...and because they love to dictate how we should all live.

Conversely, there are those among us who want the gay marriage issue to be front and center for both party's agendas. And I can appreciate the desire to have a candidate articulate his stance - and hopefully his support of gay marriage - once and for all. But let's face it: it's a loaded topic, and it's one that has the power to completely overshadow all other substantive issues because of the passion it incites from all sides.

Think about it: what is the best thing that could happen if one of the candidates came out and unequivocally supported gay marriage? This alone would dominate headlines for the next month, drowning out intelligent discourse on all other subjects (including gay rights) and would once again reduce the election to a race simply between us and them, blue and red, sinners and the saved. I say go with the guy that you believe has humanity's best interests at heart, and therein lays our best hope.

What do you think? Do you want gay marriage to be front-and-center for Obama and McCain, or are you like me - happy for it to take a backseat for now and trust that the right man will do the right thing at the right time?

(Images courtesy of Getty)

Comments

[Brian]

No, it should not be a focus. That's how we lost in '04.

[queerplanet]

"We" did not lose the election because of gay issues.

Bush stole both elections.

The first election the popular vote was counted and Gore won by a half million votes.

The second election, Diebold stole the votes, especially in Ohio and Florida.

However, gay marriage is a non issue. Gay people can get married in several states and many countries.

Futher, there are far more important things to deal with. Like melting ice caps, the largest national debt in history, endless war, and a population of a planet increasing at three people per second.

Now is the time to move beyond gay rights and into the area of questioning hetero normative behavior and consumer habits.

[queerplanet]

Check out the Radical Homosexual Agenda....

http://www.radicalhomosexualagenda.org/

[Bryan Lovsness]

One gets to the point where you have to pick the lesser of two evils - both in 2000 and 2004 the prominance of same sex marriage was "used" by the far right to elect "their" candidate. At the time, also America may not yet have caught up with the changing times. THE RESULT was the election of George W. Bush and the war in Iraq and the LOSS of over 4000 lives which undoubtedly included gay men and women too.

[xandra]

I don't think gay marriage should be a main issue. However I do think it should be as soon as the GOP uses it to win votes.

That said, at this point I just want a President who can handle the mess America is in now. Someone with common sense and intelligent enough to change things for the better.

[Terry]

My partner and I held a commitment ceremony in Connecticut. The law reads, "this affords all the priviledges and rights of marriage" Even though it's called a Domestic Union, it's all about semantics!

Leave "Marriage" for the conservatives. Don't let them use it has a club. We have more important issues still to focus on including ENDA.

[danamarie jones]

I just listened to the vice-president debate on t.v and the question was posed DO YOU SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE. Both parties said that THEY DO NOT SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE. Now for someone like myself who had a civil union two years ago,and is still fighting for the rights to allow my wife to be considered my equal in this marriage as hetro's have is exhausting.This is 2008 and we are going into 2009 almost 9years later still fighting and trying to make people who could care less because they are inhumane and SELF RIGHTOUS dictate what we can and cannot have.All the gay men and women who has made their transition from this life to the next who left behind loved ones,DID THEY, and ARE WE, going to allow their fights to be invain! When are we suppose to make them DEAL with this? The WAR has happened,and neither side has a clear picture as to how to fix it.Issue DONE! The ECONOMY is shot and neither side has a clear picture.ISSUE DONE! You say see who is more humane and vote in that direction. Well if you call LYING,BETRAYAL,AND COWARDNESS HUMANITY then we're all in the same place.Because giving up and believing that it's going to get better later, is being all the above.

[Sargon Bighorn]

The Religious Right coined the term "Gay-Marriage" to panic anti-Gay bigots into thinking Gay-Americans wanted something new, something special, something ONLY GAY PEOPLE could have. Why does the "Gay Community" use that loaded term? It seems petty but we know words have power: "Pro Life", "Freedom Fighter", "Gay Agenda". What Gay-Americans want is civil Marriage Equality. Use that term. Gay-Americans will have to fight for that right with or with out straight allies.

[Anthony N Kentucky]

As a Gay Man, I think that Marriage should be sent back to the church from whence it came. Marriage is a failed Religious Heterosexual Institution that I want no part of. Our Government should remove marriage from it and in its place make civil unions the legal and binding force (what marriage currently is). Make civil unions equal to what marriage is in the governments eyes now. Let everyone be protected equally under this new concept of Holy Partnership. If people want to be united under the church then let them go to thier church as they currently do. I just want my government to recognize me, because I pay taxes too D*^n it! As to answer the question: I hope that it is not a central issue in this election.

[joey]

First, of all, it would be political suicide for any Presidental candidate to endorse marriage equality for gays. Sorry, but as far as our movement has come, this country isn't ready for that. I do believe that Obama and Biden truely do support that but can't say it. So, if we expect advances in gay rights and equality, don't expect it from the Executive or Legislative branches of the Federal government. It will come from the Judical branch by upholding state and city marriage equality laws. If we want a Progressive Supreme Court for the next generation we need to get out and get Obama elected. Two or three, maybe 4 or 5 Supreme Court justices will retire in the next 4 to 8 years. That will swing the Supreme Court either decidedly Conservative or decidely Progressive for the next 20+ years. We can only trust Obama to appoint those Supreme Court Justices to the bench that will make Progressive decisions about Gay rights!!!

[Arthur]

Well we can blame both parties at least somewhat to the economic mess we're in. We all need to get out and vote, and I'm not telling you who to vote for, just do it. I believe that the whole "gay marriage" thing will eventually turn in our favor. We just got to remember one step at a time.

[bill]

I agree that this should not be the lightning rod issue in this race, but your comment that both VP candidates supported civil unions is incorrect. Although Biden did say he supported them, Palin quickly turned the issue back to the question of gay marrage, and would only say she did not support gay marriage. She did not say she supported civil unions, or equal rights for gay couples.

As for the amendment in Florida, it is NOT an amendment to ban gay marriage. Florida already has laws to ban gay marriage. This law says that no union of any kind should be recoginzed or offer the same benefits as marriage. This law would also outlaw civil unions, as well as any benefits given to non-gay couples. This amendment goes far beyone the issue of gay marriage.

[Sammy]

1)Get the black man in the office, make that step, he'll use history for equality.
a)) black man is President.

2)He will have ammunition to stop all of the discrimination.

[eastcoast]

Why should same-sex marriage even be an issue at this time? I hope the candidates continue to focus on the economy, the war, and other more pressing issues. I don't like that our struggle for equal rights became foder for the Republicans in the last election, and I don't want to see it used this election as a "moral" issue.

[Ralph]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you all for it to be an issue back in the Spring?????

The whole country consists of hypocrites! The straights think that their Vows are bullshit. "To love, honor, and respect 'till death do you part." Divorce rate, very high. Ours, low because we tend to stay together until death do we part.

The same-sex marriage issue "should" be third on the agenda to help decide the election. The one that makes office will probably put us on the back burner for the whole 4+ years they are in office. If it isn't decided now, it never will be!

You all think that "we" deserve the right to be married but forget the true reason for it. Not just to show them we are the same, but for the right to be legal when our partner has been injured or has died on a job and we need to sue for negligence. Or to be able to be on their medical benefits, to be relations to be in the ER with them. What is wrong with you people?

They are going to ef us without lube. Don't you know the saying, "Never trust politician?" So you are going to trust they will do what they can for us now. We are just as big a hypocrite as they are!

Shake up the populas!!

[Rob]

I think people complain about other's forcing their opinions on them when they want to force their opinions on the one's they're complaining about. Perhaps we should focus on peace. Obama during his debate practically said he wanted to start war with three other provenances. Does it matter if he is for gay marriage? People are upset about being in Iraq, but what happens IF we enter into Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Russia? With the current political and economic issues, do we really need to be so concerned with what the government's view of marriage is?

[Emerald]

I think there should be civil unions, gay and straight. Forget
the marriage stuff as we now see it.
Let's concentrate-at this time- on getting affordable heatlh care for
'all', get our economy back on track, and let's get the H out of that horrid mess in Iraq.

[William]

To learn about where the candidates stand on humane treatment of animals, go to The Humane Society Legislative Fund site at www.hslf.org.

[Adrian L]

I for one applauded Joe Biden's statement the he and Barak Obama would ensure equal rights for all under the constitution. This is really what we want, not the "Gay Marriage" thing that has been plaging this country now for the last 2 decades. I am a gay man and just want to be recongnized equally under the law. I dont want different rights. I dont want exclusionary practices to continue in this country of the free. The republicans have turned a equal rights issue into a "moral" issue and we all know how moral republicans are. I think that very fact that so many republicans have been found to engage in these same immoral acts they condemn others of doing goes to show how much a person in office would do to win votes even when it goes agaisnt their very lifestyles. We need a person who will defend the rights of all and not just those who contribute to campaigns and tithing baskets

[Sargon Bighorn]

A few have said "marriage" should be removed and "civil union" put in its place. With all due respect you guys are really dim. Now wait, why do I use such a mild term when so many of your friends call you worse? Well sugar it's like this. The word "marriage" is used every where in legal documents. It's used internationally everywhere, and its meaning is clear, the rights it bestows are clear, and everyone knows what's meant when the word "marriage" is used. The same can not be said for "Civil Union". I really think you should ask your friends not to call you a stupid bitch, cuz I know otherwise.

[Vincent]

Only one candidate has a proven track record of actively fighting FOR gay rights and civil equality. Only one candidate turned around an issue in which 60% of her constituency was opposed to equal civil rights for gays and lesbians and turned it into 60% of the population favoring civil union rights for gays and lesbians.

This was not a passive fight, it wasn't an under-the-radar fight. This candidate took a flawed idea, a flawed court decision and turned it into civil union rights for gays and lesbians. This LEADER changed the minds of 20% of her population. That's what mavericks do. They don't idly sit by the side, they change the status quo.

Only one candidate has done so. Only one candidate is enough of a maverick, enough of a shake-up to her own party to do this. Only one candidate had the strength and courage to take an ACTIVE role in helping civil rights for gays and lesbians.

It wasn't a Democrat.

Democrats brought you DOMA. The same Defense of Marriage Act that Democrat Bill Clinton signed into law in the middle 1990s. The same DOMA which ensures that no other state need recognize your union or marriage from another state. Bill Clinton could have refused to sign it and said "Look, you can try to override my veto but I am not going to sign DOMA!" He could have shown that courage but he did not.

Let's go back a few more years before that. Plank number ONE in Bill Clinton's presidential platform in 1992 was equality for gays and lesbians serving in the US military. He sure did talk a sweet talk on that one, didn't he? He cooed in your ear until he got what he wanted -- your vote. After he was elected, he rolled over in LESS THAN A MONTH.

There are any number of reasons why he dropped that issue but the leading reason is that his own party, OTHER DEMOCRATS, WOULD NOT ALLOW IT. The congress was in Democrat hands in 1993 and 1994. Senator Sam Nunn, a Democrat, was in charge of the senate committee with oversight of the US military. Nunn was the head of the powerful Senate Armed Services committee and Nunn vowed that if Clinton pressed the issue and signed an executive order allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly, Nunn would create and pass a law TOTALLY FORBIDDING GAYS AND LESBIANS from the military. TOTALLY forbidding gays and lesbians. Clinton had the Executive Order already typed up and ready to sign but Nunn, a Democrat, said no way will I let gays and lesbians serve.

Now you might wonder, what happened to Sam Nunn? Glad you asked. Sam Nunn is now in open support of Barack Obama and is an advisor to BARACK OBAMA on military and nuclear proliferation issues. Sam Nunn is the top prospect for Secretary of Defense in an OBAMA cabinet. What does that mean? It means that once Obama is president, NOTHING will stand in the way of Nunn executing gay and lesbian witch-hunts like you've never seen. It WILL become the policy of the Obama administration. Nunn has already quite vocally and quite actively not only SPOKEN how he views gays and lesbians but has BACKED IT UP by threatening to revert back and undo Don't Ask, Don't Tell into something far worse. HE IS ALREADY ON RECORD saying he would do so! Read that again, HIS ACTIONS HAVE ALREADY SHOWN US how he is. In spite of what you might HOPE, you won't get it under Obama. Hell, the Democrats have already taken two of your worst fears and enacted them into practice and into law! But they can and will do FAR WORSE under an Obama administration.

If you're reading this, you're a reasonable person and you know actions speak far louder than words.

On the one hand, you have a proven leader who has led the fight for gay and lesbian rights in her state. That's a proven fact and the facts are on the record. Only a fool would deny that a great thing happened in Alaska when Sarah Palin led the fight for our rights there.

On the other hand, you have Barack Obama, a man of occasional sweet words toward gays and lesbians (much like Bill Clinton in that regard) but who would CHANGE NOTHING. You could HOPE for CHANGE but nothing says you'd get it. Just the opposite. By ACCEPTING Nunn as an advisor and a public supporter, by NOT decrying Nunn's views and ACTIONS on gay and lesbian rights, Obama has shown his hand.

Like I said, you're smart people. You can vote for more of the same, lots of sweet talk but actions that are just the opposite or you can vote for PROVEN actions in support of the gay and lesbian communities.

Palin has said AND BACKED UP that she is FOR equal rights for gays and lesbians in civil unions. She has also made a rhetorical distinction on the word "marriage." Do you want equal rights NOW or do you want to quibble and fight over one word forever?

She will give us the keys to the kingdom, the same rights, just as long as the country gets to keep the word "marriage."

Compromise and real CHANGE tell us that we should and MUST accept the rights and allow the bigots to keep the word "marriage." Besides, once we get legal civil unions with equal rights and America sees we're no threat, the word "marriage" will come along sooner rather than later.

THINK, PEOPLE.

Do you want JUST WORDS or do you want a PROVEN ADVOCATE for us?

Words? Obama/Biden
ACTION? McCain/Palin

(P.S. I expect a small few ignorant haters will come in here and try to knock down what I've said but the facts are now out there and you can no longer remain igorant. It's not CHANGE if you stick to being taken for granted by national Democrats, you're just hanging on to a failed and abusive relationship in which you're promised it all but get NOTHING on a national level. Your state and local Democrats may no doubt differ, but on a national, Presidential level, Obama/Biden will just give you more of the same and WORSE.)

[Callie]

Vincent you won't make any friends in here unless you tow the democratic line.
Callie

[Josh McKee]

I agree that it should not be the fore front issue in this year's presidential election. Though it is a very important topic, there are even bigger issues they need to resolve. The war in Iraq, our economy, and the bailout. I by no means want them to ignore the issue until they overcome the others, but they need to have those issues be the main topic.

However, I strongly disagree with sitting back and hoping that the right man/woman will do the right thing at the right time. They may be the people leading our country, but the United States' officials are elected to represent the people (us). How are they supposed to represent us if we sit back and hope they do the right thing at the right time?

We need to write and make phone calls to our representatives and voice our opinions. How are they supposed to do what's right for us if we do not tell them what is wrong?

[PaWOOF]

After reading Vincent's comments it makes me wonder. I have been hiv poz for many years now. When I lived in Las Vegas, NV in 2005 I experienced a lot of hassles. I called Dem Harry Reid's office for some assistance I was treated very rudely....and basically told to F**K off.
In Orlando, Fla 2 black women at the ADAP ofc located in the Orange Co Health Dept did EVERYTHING to CUT me off and be inelligible for hiv meds.
I called Dem Bill Nelson's ofc....to put it nicely...his office was TOTALLY USELESS!
After going through some other issues with the HIV system in Republican Florida I finally called Dem Senator Hillary Clinton's ofc for information help.....THEY REFUSED TO HELP ME OR EVEN SPEAK TO ME IN ANY WAY! This was in April 07.
When Butt-head Bush wanted to basically get rid of The Ryan White Foundation and stop AIDS funding it was REPUBLICAN Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi who took on Bush and kept the Ryan White program.
I can honestly say that more REPUBS did more for hiv/aids then what I experienced w/ the DEMOS. Seems to me that the Demos do the "lip" service.
I personally feel that we are damned if we do and damned if we don't in these elections.
**Just an observation.

[ryan]

I don't understand why gays crave the ability to marry--which is a religious ceremony; "religious" being something many gays are not unless you equate Wicca with Christianity. Civil unions are not any different than marriage so the only reason I can see for gays wanting to marry is to spit at the Church and piss off Christians (and Jews, Muslims, Hindus,etc.)--I imagine also to anger the "religious right" who they detest so much...(I guess there's no religious LEFT?...) Neither candidate wants to deal with gay marriage or rights, but if you go by how Muslims treat gays vs. Christians you might want to fear Obama more than McCain since his upbringing was Islamic and he's associate with quite a few terrorists (Ayers, Khalidi,etc.)--his membership to that racist black Baptist church was only within the past 10 yrs or so-- and you probably know how well Baptists tolerate homosexuality...Throw in his inexperience as a newbee senator, his conversion from his homo/bi-sexual past (they're often the greatest condemners of anything gay...), that along with his other shady dealing in the past, drugs, ACORN/Fannie Mae/Fredy Mac, his overwhelming number of votes for raising taxes and general ineffectiveness as a senator (often not showing up in the senate...) I really don't see what the man offers in terms of "change" other than his skin color and age-- superficial qualities that would only appeal to ignorant voters with their own personal racist/biased agendas to fulfill. The Democrats are not your friends! They've done nothing for your party other than make hollow promises for your votes and create a witchhunt in the military. Gay marriage will NOT make you more accepted by straights, they will only despise you more for throwing your homosexuality in their faces and trying to force it down the throats of grade schoolers. I personally thing the best way to create acceptance in the community is to keep a low profile and not look like perverted clowns in pride festivals parading around naked and having sex in the streets--that's the real problem in the gay community-- it's just Sodom and Gommorah in the eyes of monotheists.

[ryan]

Vincent, PoWoof and some others have made good points; the Democrats are NOT your friends! They only use you for your votes and make false promises to get those votes as they've done to minority groups for years! When are you guys going to wake up and realize this?! Sarah Palin has done more for gays in her state than any of your Democratic candidates-- past or present! Please don't vote in this inexperienced candidate of dubious character who will only ruin this nation far more so than you think it's in now--the man is partially to blame for the Wall Street failures with his associations with ACORN who terrorized companies like Freddy Mac and Fanny Mae to give loans and mortgages to low income people who clearly could never afford it. yes I'm talking about Obama; he received dirty money from Fanny and Freddy and others for his candidacy before the economic collapse. If he had any decency he'd return this money but instead he prefers to deny and lie about his past involvement with ACORN distancing himself as much as possible from other controversial people (Ayers, Khadili, Wright, Farrakhan, etc.)

[Etyan]

Well I for one don't want any of these self righteous, homophobic jackasses to win. Michelle Obama said that she cared abut our lives & our issues. That’s all well & good, but last I heard, she isn't running for President of the United States her husband was. So far he has yet to talk about us.

I am getting married in January, or rather would like to get married in January. However if one of these dimwits wins its all over, not just for me, but for every lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered person who wanted to get married in the U.S.

If they don't talk about it now, when do you think it is exactly that they plan on talking about it? Do you think maybe when they are reelected? Hell no, then they need to fight to stay in the white house all over again.

None of these people are ever going to address our rights, not homosexuals but as fellow human beings because they do not care about our lives, or our happiness.

Its just the same as with the rich & the poor, they don't care about us as long as we keep moving their lawns, or serving their food, or washing their cars they could care less if we even existed.

Please, do something to MAKE these candidates talk about our issues as well. There are millions of us nationwide. A small group here a small group there are easy to overlook, but a couple million people is really hard to ignore when they can change the vote and decide who wins and who loses.

[Terry]

As far as I'm concerned, both parties have identical plans - "Marriage should be between one man and one woman". The Democrats like to sneak one line into their speeches, and then move on. That's all we get and we're supposed to go with Democrats? Two parties - same plan. Obama is expanding Bush's faith based initiatives. EXPANDING. And we gays prefer religion stays out of politics, because we always come up with the short end of the stick. As far as I'm concerned, gay and lesbians should vote Republican. If Democrats want our votes, they need to have the balls to step up and give us equality. Mincing words just isn't cutting it.

[JT]

As Will Shakespeare pointed out, "Would not a rose by any other name smell as sweet?" I don't care if they call it Civil Union, Marriage or Toast, so long as it provides us with equal rights... and it SEEMS Obama is in accord with us having equal rights.

Palin, on the other hand, would be even more dangerous if she wasn't so stupid, but would be a knee-jerk bigot in either case. We cannot afford a McCain administration.

I'm not in love with Obama, but the very speed with which McCain jumped on the economic non-solutions and into Georgia tell me that he IS the same as GWB, and that should never happen again.

I'll take the respect under whatever label they feel like giving it.

[JT]

Too much talk about how others will secure our rights. It's laughable. WE secure our rights... and no one can take them from us.

In a few matters, there are legal aspects which must be attended to. One thing is an aspect of guardianship, and another would be to put property into joint ownership. Yes, these are extra steps IN SOME STATES, but we CAN take it into our own hands in many things. We can also support companies that view same-sex partners as equal to hetero partnerships.

To expect others to protect us is as lame as them expecting the Law to impose their bigotry upon our lives.

If we want the government out of our bedrooms, then they should be ALL the way out of there, not just when it's convenient to us.

Meanwhile, the last thing we need is another excuse for the Republicans to rally the religious right under the homo-SEXual banner. Let's hope a few of them stay at home this time.

[psubetterthanever]

I think that it shouldn't be a big deal for this election, and luckily it won't with all the other crap that the candidates have to fix after Dumbya leaves office. Economy, healthcare, the war on terror, iraq, environmental issues, energy... the list goes on.

[Scott]

I don't think gay marriage should be on the front burner during this campaign. There are bigger fish to fry such as the crumbling economy, unemployment and the war in Iraq. With straight marriage having a less than 50% success rate, why do we want it so bad. As long as we all have the same rights, what does it matter what we call it; marriage/civil union. All semantics.

[kate]

In truth, reading all these comments just shows that there is a large amount of diversity even within the gay community. I like that--I think it takes the emphasis off the fact that we are gay and indicates that most of us consider ourselves Americans first, which in my opinion is as it should be. We have a long, long road to travel before we achieve equality. My translation of that word is that it means coming to a time when it is a non-issue, a time when we simply expect and receive the same treatment as any straight, white, black, brown, man or woman expects in this country. It may seem like we have waited a long time for this to come, but if you compare today to fifty years ago, we all know the change that has taken place. We cannot have all that we want today--all we can do is continue heading in that direction. I believe that we do this by living our lives in a manner that creates an ease with those who oppose us, allow them to say to themselves "Gay people, oh yeah, I have neighbors who are gay, they're ok". If we make this issue a hot topic, all it does is create a target for those who wish to not see that we are perfectly normal people in their neighborhoods. There will come a time when we can stand up and raise our voices, but making this an issue just polarizes those who want to hate us. I have a friend who is voting for McCain/Palin simply on moral issues. Abortion, same-sex marriage, those are the things that motivate her, not the reality of all the other more important issues. The sad thing is: she is only one of many. So--we can push after the election, but now is not the time for this battle.

[HT]

So the candidates giving constant coverage to civil unions is more important than trifling issues such as the economy?!

Why did Roseanne apologize? She was right.

[Lee]

I would like to be in support of anyone who wants gave marriage that isn't unable to get it to complete themselves.

For me, love does not have to include a wedding dress to make it special. Frankly if someone wants it for financial reasons, then I think that is fine but I think it is just as easy to leave money in a will for a spouse. Personally, I like the idea of not having to go through with the corny staight ceremony. Never did I get excited about going to a wedding.

[vern]

gays must be extremely active in every election, especially in any that invloves props that limit the life style in any way of anyone - as in anti marriage props that 'define' marriage. these props are intolerant, demeaning, and are designed at setting up a second class society by the very conservative people who don't care to try to understand anyone who is not in sync with their line of thinking. this line of 'thinking' by very conservative christians and others also gives those of us christians who fully support the gay community and their struggles for equality.

[Barry]

We gay people often in our struggle to stand up for what is right show a very un pragmatic grasp of politics. It would be lovely if someone could stand up and say all of the things that we think and still get elected. Maybe someday. Bill Clinton, Al Gore and even John Kerry were careful to take a moderate position on gay issues. This strategy was needed to HELP keep our issues from sabotaging the election. We all knew that they would likely do what was necessary to maintain influence with us in the end. All politics IS local. The lesser of evils may sound harsh, but it is all too often a political reality.

[charlie]

Many of the comments made here by those who think civil unions should be a satisfactory substitute for marriage are ill informed. Even those people who marry in states like Connecticut or Massachusetts will still not receive the same constitutional protections of heterosexual married couples because federal laws don't recognize marriage except between a man and a woman. Every American citizen is entitled to equal treatment under our system of constitutional law regardless of sexuality.

[Dale]

As a gay man who has voted in every presidential election for the last fourty years i believe this election may be one of the most important in my lifetime.the next president will walk into the oval office faceing an econamy in shambles,a war that has cost billions,and over five thousand american lives,as well as those returning home with lost limbs and brain injuries. we have lost all credability internationally,an the threat of terrorism is greater then post 911.

growing up in the 50s i remember how terrible the life of a ga man or lesbian was. the threat of looseing your job,being thrown out of your apartment,constant harrasement from the police.no protection at all. when i hear gay men and lesbians complain about how bad the situation is,and how they want to move to another country,i get so angry.sure there are issues,and a federal law would be wonderful.remember what a mess it was when Bill Clinton took on the military?
i urge every glbt voter to put the well being of all americans first and vote. thank you for listening. Dale

[dabadude]

It should not be a forerunner for either party. There are more important issues than a bunch or love struck idiots wanting to play house. Change it to a domestic partnership and I'll support it myself. I am Gay and have had a partner for ten years. Will I get married even if it is legal? NO!
Let the right wing holier than thou keep marriage. Don't reinvent the wheel here folks. This is an equality issue. Domestic partnership will entitle us to have the same rights as any hetro married couple.

[edav38]

You say:
".... happy for it to take a backseat for now and trust that the right man will do the right thing at the right time?"

Something you are IGNORING is the B.Hussein has stated unequivocally, Time and Again, that he is AGAINST Gay marriage, so what makes you think that he will "do the right thing at the right time"??

Get Real, there is Not One Democrat, and likely not Ever Barney Frank, who is willing to get out front and State that they are 100% for Gay marriage. That is called "Political Suicide" whether it is an election season or not.

[bonnie]

I do not think this election needs to dwell on the Gay marriage issue. My partner and I had a quiet committment ceremony a year ago. I am ok with that. I do not want a good candidate to go up in smoke because of the right wingers who will jump on a soap box. Let's get through this election and worry about other issues after the right man is in office.

[phillipe bojorquez]

I think with the polarized view points in our own movement we should at the very least hope for the acknowledgment of rights for every man and woman, none of this separate but equal crap. I also am disgusted with both candidates, it appears in the wake of the Mcain and palin train no one is willing to admit that Obama is a neo conservative that if elected will most certainly be similar to the current administration with sprinkling of differences that hopefully for Obama will win him an election. I am voting for a third party candidate in hopes that I will not have to suffer a fool as a new president who publically will shake my hand while privately make deals with multinational corporations who will rape us our economy as well as our rights to chose to live outside of this myopic range of human dramedy that the American political system has become. I will not contribute to the farce of a fair election between to candidates that appear but are most certainly not different. I am about choosing a future with the brightest possible outcome for me and those that come after me.

[Robert Don Meek, Jr.]

No, not at all. It should not! And here's the reason why: just as gays-in-the-military almost killed Bill Clinton's chances, this could kill Obama's chances.

And as tragic as that is, that is something we absolutely do not need, right now.

This country is far too sick, economically, infrastructure, international reputation, take your pick, it is VERY ILL, and with McCain/Padin having drawn and incited crowds who yell "kill him," "terrorist," "off with his head," "traitor," and people who hysterically cry they do not "trust" Obama and accuse him of being an "Arab," and say that they are "afraid" to being their child up in an Obama presidency....

We have sunk, socially, to the lowests of depths, and if we lose this now, we are all, regardless of sexual orientation, truly lost.

[James]

No I don't think that this subject of gay marriages should be front in the election. Let's face facts it is just another way of putting gays both men and women down.

[Sean]

Same-sex marriage shouldn't be a major focus in this election, simply because there's too much other shit to deal with. While Obama's "separate but equal" stance on the issue is grating, it still beats McCain's record to hell and back- and forcing the issue won't help anything.

Yes, same-sex marriage is a big issue, but it's not the only issue we face, nor is it the most far-reaching issue. Frankly, I'm more concerned about the ENDA than I am about marriage.

[Yuuki]

As of right now has neither party has promised anything. Most of what has been said in the debates was a bunch of balabalabala to skirt the issues. The samethings that they have both been saying the whole time that they have been running for office. Its been a bunch of pass the blame on both sides. I would feel more comfortable voting if I really knew where someone stood defiatively. And just because Obama is black does not mean that he is going to support "us". Just because he is a "minority", its crap to put my faith in that. And McCain is of a much older generation that was not as excepting of gays so I don't trust him either. I could see either one giving us the shaft, (and not in a good way) just to cover thier a**! I what to know that if I wanted to marry my boyfriend with in four years that I would not be treated like a less than human being for doing so. Right now that's how I feel about this election. The economy will come around, this happend in Japan about eight years ago and they recovered. I am most worried about our human rights! Who is really going to treat us with the dignatety and respect that we deserve!?

[Brent]

Our Government keeps telling us that everyone is created equal, yet when it comes to same sex marriage or gays it seems that our Government forget s what they said. I do feel it is time that all States adapt to their constitutions that same-sex marriages be allowed and give us equal rights. We are out of the dark ages and have moved onto a new century that is almost a decade old, how much longer is our Government going to keep lying and stop us from having equal rights?

[Jean]

Is'nt "marriage" a straight way of life? Why should gays do the same mistakes that straights do since hundreds of years? It seems to me that gays who want to marry suffer a low self confidence and hope to improve their self acceptance if they marry. Should'nt we find a better way to organize social, emotional and sexual needs in our community than to copy straight marriage? No doubts that we want equal rights. But marriage is a lifestyle. How about all of us who prefer not to live with only one partner? How about all of us who prefer to have several partners, several friends, be part of a group that supports each other rather than expecting from only 1 person to make us happy? The gay lobby for gay marriage takes us away from the chance to develop better ideas for better lifestyles. I hope that candidates will support all gay lifestyles but not gay marriage.

[peter]

yeah terry i agree....im canadian but i think what u said was right....those r done issues , all over cept the cleanup and the crying....we live in a time where a large segment of the population..(even larger when u consider all the dang bi-curious people... who have been bisexually active for the last 5 or 10 or 20 years and still think of themselves as bi curious( hahahahaaaaaha)..plus all the straight guys who say they're str8 but gits a bad cravin' for cock.. and the house wives who are diving in their bowling teammates pussy every other weekend) are lost in the flurry of all the time...one time we were ignored and abused for different reasons...now we take the back sear cause some " political glamorous" and juicy issues are discussed? ( and not well i might add)