X-Posted to various Comms.

[melssexysecret]

I was reading that Obama wants to pass the Matthew Shepard Act. No, he is opposed to gay marriage, but this does not make him homophobic. Most candidates do not approve of gay marriage, and that is fine. But, this act will be historical and something a lot of people have been waiting for. I cannot begin to even explain how important this act is to

Comments

[juanoclock]

I'm sure the Catholic and Mormon churches will both find something wrong with preventing GLBT violence and will spend millions of dollars to see it fail.

Like this?

[guruburu]

James Dobson, founder of socially conservative lobbying group Focus on the Family, opposed the Act, arguing that it would effectively "muzzle people of faith who dare to express their moral and biblical concerns about homosexuality."[8]

Re: Like this?

[juanoclock]

Bingo.

[friendofjack]

I hope it passes. We should get hate crimes protection, employment non-discrimination, and the right to openly serve in the military without a doubt. My fear is that the Democratic Party will do to gay and lesbian Americans what it has done in the past, which is to cower away from taking any action on our behalf

[zimzat]

Obama has never said he supports gay marriage. In point of fact he has said he doesn't. What he does support, though, is civil unions for gays and equal rights for all people with civil unions compared to married couples. That has always been his stance and we elected him. He owes us nothing more than that.

[friendofjack]

Like any politician, he has been very calculating in his positions on marriage. He does not support gay marriage, but he is also against amending state constitutions to ban them.

Only after his position had been misconstrued this past week by the Yes on 8 campaign in California did he bother to issue anything other than a mild statement against the anti-gay amendment.

Right now, his position on gay marriage is very Clintonian in that he is attempting to have both contradictory positions at the same time. He does not support making gay marriage legal, but he does not support making it illegal, either.

One of the things I worry about is that Obama is like Bill Clinton and that we're just another constituency to throw under the bus when we're no longer useful.

[artkouros]

In Texas anyway, the Republican Party Platform specifically protects hate speech against gays.

Cute skirt.

[hardoncollider]

No, it's not "fine" that "most candidates do not approve of gay marriage."

It's unfortunate, and reality, but it is certainly NOT fine.

[andrew_jp_reyes]

Ditto.

I pay taxes just like the str8 folks, I deserve the same civil liberties.

[friendofjack]

I agree. It is not fine. It is patently unacceptable. I supported Obama in spite of his less-than-ideal position on marriage equality.

[dsign]

> Most candidates do not approve of gay marriage, and that is fine.

No it's not!