Keen on the trail
By Lisa Keen
Keen News Service
HRC LAUNCHES MAC ATTACK: The Human Rights Campaign is wasting no time in taking sides in the November general election. On Tuesday morning, even before the end of the June 2 final primaries in Montana and South Dakota,
HRC held a telephone conference call with reporters to say Republican John McCain has "consistently decided against our interests." He opposes the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and has voted against hate crimes legislation three times, among other things, said HRC Legal Director Laura Schwartz. Log Cabin Republicans have focused on a different aspect of McCain's record: noting that he has consistently opposed a federal constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Asked to comment on the organizational point of view, HRC Vice President David Smith said McCain has "made clear he would change his position" on a federal marriage amendment should more states begin licensing same-sex marriages. The press conference was held in conjunction with the release of a report on McCain by HRC, available at http://www.hrc.org/mccain.
McCAIN ON ELLEN: Appearing on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Republican presidential candidate John McCain said that, while he doesn't support gay marriage, he believes gay couples should be able to enter "legal agreements" to share insurance and other needs. But HRC's Laura Schwartz said McCain's statement simply parrots that of various right-wing anti-gay organizations and that "This is what people say when they don't want to sound mean." Also commenting on McCain's appearance, Arizona legislator Kyrsten Sinema said gay couples cannot secure insurance coverage through independent legal agreements. In the May 22 appearance, DeGeneres called opposition to same-sex marriage an "old way of thinking," and McCain replied "we just have a disagreement."
A NOMINEE CHOSEN: The Libertarian Party has chosen its nominee for president: former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, who was a Republican from Georgia. Barr was also the author of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which blocks federal recognition of same-sex marriage and allows states to ignore each other's same-sex marriage licenses. Barr is still an opponent of same-sex marriage but, four years ago, he testified against a federal constitutional amendment to ban them. Barr was selected after six rounds of voting by 650 party delegates May 25 in Denver to lead the party's bid for the White House in 2008.
NO-NUNN SENSE: Gay politicos have been quick to diss one rumored vice presidential possibility for Barack Obama: Former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn, who was a Democrat from Georgia. Nunn led the charge in the Senate in 1993 for codifying the military's exclusion of gays.
GAY 4 OBAMA: There's a new video in town, rivaling the Obama Girl video of last year. The latest, "Gay 4 Obama," depicts a straight married man falling in love with Barack Obama. Performed by "Danny Zuker and Matter," and viewable on YouTube, this "regular guy" out mowing his lawn confesses to being "hot for Barack." Among other things, he wants to "buy antiques with Obama."
BLOG S IN, AND OUT: Some gay bloggers made the cut, some not. The Democratic National Convention boasted in a recent e-mail to reporters that it had given convention press credentials to "a record number of blogs" to "help ensure that communities across the country are connected…through the eyes and ears of a growing, diverse group of online voices." Bilerico.com did not get credentials; Towleroad.com, oriented to gay men, and Pam's House Blend did.
ROSEN SPEAKS OUT: Longtime lesbian Democratic activist Hilary Rosen was recently named editor-at-large for the HuffingtonPost.com political Web site, and tackled an explanation for why Sen. Hillary Clinton has stayed in the Democratic presidential race despite a deafening clamor for her to leave it. "I don't really buy into this notion of the campaign is faltering because Hillary is a victim of sexism," writes Rosen. "…There has been lots of sexism in this race, but this campaign is losing because of choices and strategies of its own making." Rosen said Clinton has continued her campaign and Rosen continues to support her, "for every woman who has spoken up in a meeting and was greeted with silence only to have a man say the same thing and be praised."
BANNING PROTESTS: In a statement released Memorial Day, Democrat Barack Obama praised the sacrifices of military veterans and said the country must do more to make sure veterans are cared for. He also added, "And it means treating the graves of veterans like the hallowed ground it is and banning protests near funerals." The statement was an apparent reference to demonstrations staged by anti-gay Kansas man, Fred Phelps, and his associates, to claim that various service members were killed in Iraq to show God's wrath toward gays.
