MAY 22 . 2004 • Q-NOTES
Politics
19
Who will Kerry choose?
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
(NGLTF) points to N.C. Sen. John
Edwards as possibility
by Sheri A. Lunn
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National
Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute
\
Sr
7 the first comprehensive analysis of the six
most frequently mentioned prospective
Picking someone like Sam Nunn
would send a terrible message to
the LGBT community, while Dick
Gephardt or John Edwards could
go a long way in healing the rift
between Kerry and queer voters.
released May
Democratic vice presidential candidates on
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
(LGBT) issues. The six discussed in the
report are Sen. John Edwards (N.C.), Rep.
Richard A. (Dick) Gephardt (Mo.); Sen. Bob
Graham (Fla.), former Sen. Sam Nunn of
Georgia, Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico
and Gov. Thomas J. Vilsack of Iowa.
The report is based on an analysis of
the voting records and public statements
of the prospective candidates in 13 key
issue areas, including: sexual orientation
and gender identity
non-discrimination
laws; HIV/AIDS pre
vention and treatment;
lifting the military’s ban
on openly gay and les
bian servicemembers;
marriage equality for
same-sex couples; and
education policy that
supports the right of
LGBT youth to attend
school in a safe and
affirming environment.
According to the
report, the most sup
portive prospective
V.P. candidate is Rep.
Dick Gephardt, who
has taken supportive
positions on II of the
13 issue areas (unclear in one area and
opposed in one area). He is followed by:
Sen. john Edwards (supportive in nine.
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unclear in three, opposed in one). Gov.
Richardson (supportive in eight, unclear in
four, opposed in one). Sen. Graham (sup
portive in four, unclear in six, opposed in
three) and Gov. Vilsack (supportive in five,
unclear in eightX Former Sen. Sam Nunn,
who led efforts to pass the much-reviled
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law, ranked last
(supportive in only two, opposed in four,
unclear in seven). None supports marriage
equality for same sex couples.
“To win in November, Sen. Kerry must
have the enthusiastic support of the LGBT
community and who he selects as his run
ning mate will have a lot to do with that,”
said Matt Foreman, National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force executive director. “Our
community needs to see a vice presidential
candidate on the Democratic side whose
record shows both a willingness and
capacity to fight head on the other side’s
ugly campaign to use same-sex marriage
to wedge the electorate.”
According to exit polls, the gay and les
bian vote comprises at least five percent of
the general election vote and traditionally
votes heavily (70 percent) Democratic,
making the gay community the party’s
third most loyal bloc of support behind the
African-American and Jewish communi
ties. With the electorate being so evenly
divided, both parties agree that turning out
their bases is critical. Many see President
George W. Bush’s public call for an anti
marriage U.S. constitutional amendment
as an overt play to energize and turn out
evangelical Christians who made up 40
percent of his vote in November 2000.
Foreman said that Sen. Kerry’s statement
that he — while opposing amending the U.S.
Constitution to forbid same-sex marriage —
might support amending the Massachusetts
Constitution to do just that, has caused con
sternation in the LGBT community and the
vice presidential nod could go a long way in
either healing or exacerbating the rift.
“Picking someone like Sam Nunn
would send a terrible message to lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender people,”
Foreman said.
Collectively, the prospective candidates
are most supportive of sexual orientation
non-discrimination laws, HIV/AIDS pre
vention and treatment, inclusive hate
crimes laws and, to a lesser degree, domes
tic partnership. Although they oppose mar
riage equality for same-sex couples, four
oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment (the
positions of Bob Graham and Sam Nunn on
the amendment are not clear).
The full report and a chart summarizing the posi
tions of the prospective V.P. candidates can be
downloaded from the' Task Force website at
www.TheTaskForce.org/electioncenter.
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