By Dawn Wolfe Gutterman
Despite what the mainstream media would have you believe, there are actually 6, not 2, political parties on Michigan's ballot this November. The following is a quick guide to the parties, their general stance on LGBT issues, and where you can find out more about them.
Democratic Party: Currently the party of Granholm and Stabenow (at least in Michigan), in 2006 the Dems finally came out against Proposal 2. The majority of Democratic candidates who answered BTL's 2006 Candidate Questionnaires did a respectable job, with the majority
receiving A's or B's. Visit http://www.michigandems.com or call (517) 371-5410 for more.
Green Party of Michigan: On the ballot since 2000 the Greens,formerly the party of Ralph Nader, unflinchingly field candidates fromthe left of the political spectrum, and occasionally from left field.However, only one GPMI candidate scored below an A, and the party raises valid questions about a country where one can choose from several dozens of types of toothpaste but only from two choices for President. Visit http://migreens.org or call (734) 663-3555.
NOTE: Dawn Wolfe Gutterman was the first state organizer for the Green Party of Michigan and helped put the party on the ballot in 2000.
Libertarian Party, a.k.a., 'Keep your laws off my…everything': Libertarians favor small government and are staunch supporters of civil rights, individual rights, and business' rights. Libertarians scored all over the spectrum on our questionnaire; however, in the case of Libertarians a low score may indicate that the candidate doesn't want the government supporting LGBTs – but doesn't want it discriminating against us, either. In other words, they wouldn't vote to extend employment non-discrimination to LGBTs, but many of them would do away
with such laws altogether, anyway. Visit http://www.mi.lp.org or call 1-888-FREENOW.
Natural Law Party: The Natural Law Party, which internationally was founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, leader of Transcendental Meditation, has four candidates on this November's ballot. As of the deadline for the Voter's Guide none of them had answered a questionnaire, but the party has been cited as recognizing the civil rights of LGBTs. Visit http://www.natural-law.org or call State Chair Doug Dern at (248) 889-0610.
Republican Party: Though widely a staunchly anti-LGBT party, especially in Michigan (Can you say Dick DeVos?), occasionally Michigan's Republican Party offers some surprises – like David Lawrence Malhalab, Republican candidate for Michigan's 5th Senate District, who earned an A on his BTL Candidate Questionnaire. Which means that, in Michigan, you can mostly judge a candidate by his party – but not all the time. Visit www.migop.org or call (517) 487-5413. Better yet, contact the Log Cabin Republicans, who are dedicated to injecting some common sense on LGBT rights into the GOP. Visit http://www.lcr-mi.org or call (202) 347-5306.
U.S. Taxpayer's Party: Michigan's U.S. Taxpayer's Party is a state affiliate of the Constitution Party. According to their Web site, "The goal of the Constitution Party is to restore American jurisprudence to its Biblical foundations and to limit the federal government to its Constitutional boundaries." In other words, a party of Bible-snorting Libertarians. Sort of. No UST candidates had responded to the BTL questionnaire as of press time. Visit http://www.constitutionparty.com for a platform quaranteed to make you grateful for the Republicans.
