Voters should repudiate anti-gay bias
By Deb Price, The Detroit News, October 25, 2004
The gay-rights genie is out of her bottle.
And like those of us who can't imagine returning to the closet after enjoying the freedom of openly gay lives, she's not going back in -- regardless of who wins the White House or other contests on Nov. 2.
We can count on the genie to keep performing her magic: Every day, more and more heterosexual Americans come to know openly gay people, come to like us and come to see there's no reason to keep stumbling blocks in our paths as we attempt to lead happy, productive lives.
That tidal wave of acceptance will continue to spread no matter how many politicians refuse to play magician's assistant.
Yet the stakes of Election 2004 are huge: The outcome will affect how quickly America ends yet another shameful chapter of discrimination against a group of citizens.
We need more elected officials with the courage to surf that gay-friendly wave.
And we need to keep anti-gay bias out of state constitutions, which are far harder to change later than mere laws to keep up with evolving public attitudes.
As we watch on Election Night, here's a scorecard to keep handy:
White House: After courting gay support, George W. Bush won office in 2000 with 25 percent of the gay vote.
In a truly sad turn, he's pinned his re-election hopes on firing up the religious right by backing an anti-gay amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
That cost him the endorsement of the gay Log Cabin Republicans. A new OpusComm Group poll found just 3 percent of gay voters saying they'll back Bush this time.
Sen. John Kerry, meanwhile, shares the view of most Americans that gay couples should have protections, wants to outlaw anti-gay job discrimination, including in the military, and backs hate-crimes laws.
He supports civil unions, though not same-sex marriage, and opposes amending the U.S. Constitution to tell states what they can do.
Supreme Court: Four years ago, 14 states still had sodomy laws, which stigmatized gay Americans nationwide.
Last year, the high court struck them down as an unconstitutional invasion of privacy.
How the court rules on its next gay cases might well depend on who's elected president, because several retirements are likely.
(All but one justice is over 65.) Bush says he'd appoint justices like Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas
-- consistent opponents of gay rights. Kerry says he'd appoint "judges who know that 'Equal justice under law' isn't just an inscription -- it's a promise."
Initiatives: Of the 11 anti-gay marriage measures on state ballots -- most of which, like Michigan's, would also ban partner benefits -- the gay side has little chance of winning.
Congress: Democrats, who overall are far more gay-supportive than Republicans, have a slim chance to take control of the Senate, but aren't likely to regain the House.
While we can expect political setbacks, gay rights progress will move along in courts and among the public.
"Leaders" eventually follow.
In 2000, for example, I believed the choice of the next president would dramatically affect the pace of progress for gay Americans.
Well, I've taken that particular crystal ball into the shop for repairs.
When voters were deciding between Al Gore and Bush, civil unions were new, offered just four months earlier by Vermont to extend state-level rights of marriage to same-sex couples.
Now, many gay American couples, like Joyce and I, are legally married, thanks to Massachusetts and Canada.
What's more, our country has moved at lightning speed to a wonderful consensus:
Gay couples ought to enjoy the protections that marriage confers. Polls show most voters favor either civil unions or full marriage for gay couples.
A July 2004 Los Angeles Times poll, for example, found 62 percent favored one of those options while just 34 percent opposed them both.
All of this happened, of course, without a White House ally. But Election Day magic can speed things up.
And the gay-rights genie needs all the help she can get.
You can contact Deb Price at (202) 906-8205 or dprice@detnews.com.
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