Kerry is the right choice for the LGBT community

Imagine you are standing before two doors. The first door is covered in barbed wire, surrounded by armed guards, and is rigged to shock you should you touch it. For fun, let's add snakes and insects writhing across its surface.
The second door is unremarkable at first glance. It's solid wood, sturdy, with a tastefully simple welcome mat in front.
Which would you rather open?
These are the two doors LGBT voters have to choose from Nov. 2 when choosing between George W. Bush and John Kerry.
Behind door number one is George W. Bush and other anti-gay candidates. Their America includes a Supreme Court stacked with right-wing appointments determined to stop the "homosexual agenda" and roll back any civil rights our community has won. Their America includes writing discrimination into the U.S. Constitution and the constitutions of every state. Their America is one where LGBT people are seen as political scapegoats, not full-fledged citizens. Even the Log Cabin Republicans did not endorse Bush for President this time around (see p. 18).
Behind the second door is John Kerry and other candidates who support equal rights for LGBT Americans. He may not have the charisma and swagger of George W. – but after four years of right-wing cowboy recklessness, perhaps it's time America choose its leader using criteria other than who they'd most like to have a beer with.
In this issue we have an interview with John Kerry done exclusively for the regional LGBT press. BTL is one of the first papers in the country to run it.
Although Kerry is on record as not supporting marriage for same-sex couples, he does support civil unions and equal rights for our families. He's against the Federal Marriage Amendment and in this interview says he would not support state amendments that go beyond simply banning "gay marriage" – like Michigan's current proposal which would ban marriage, and civil unions and domestic partnership benefits as well.
Kerry is, by far, the most LGBT-friendly candidate for President this country has ever seen. When Kerry talks about basic fairness and the common sense nature of equality compared to Bush's continued attacks on LGBT families, it is as if the candidates are speaking two different languages.
On Nov. 2 the LGBT community has the chance to help usher in Kerry's vision of fairness and equality and send the fear and division of Bush back to Texas.
This is, after all, the most important election of our lifetimes. Choose wisely.