Clinton, Obama do N.C., Ind., gay media

The LGBT press logged its most active week to date in terms of accessing the presidential candidates, as local outlets in North Carolina and Indiana published interviews with Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama ahead of the May 6 primaries. The interviews with Obama were his first with the local gay media.

Q-Notes, which has distribution in both North and South Carolina, has an interview with Clinton in which she says, "I can not only survive but win."

Obama tells Q-Notes in his interview, "Change comes from the bottom up."

A coalition of Indiana's LGBT media outlets interviewed the two senators and their answers -- read them here -- are posted by Reality Magazine. (The Advocate)

http://www.planetout.com/news/article.html?date=2008/05/02/1

You can read their answers (13) here: http://www.realitymagazineonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=99&Itemid=2

I never really realized that Indiana had a *real* LBGT media, live and learn, huh?

(or at least she used to be if I'm not mistaken)

Good for both of them for doing this.

The answers are very encouraging considering that one of the people will be president of the United States.

I am biased, but I thought Obama's proposals for the future of LGBT rights were more detailed and mapped out.

I'm sick of the threads that keep popping to the top, so I wanted to start a positive thread. I even included Clinton in it, which I never do.

And I may be biased, but I think so too. :D

... didn't seem canned at all. I'm not suggesting that Senator Clinton's comments seemed canned, I just wish she would have elaborated more in her answers. "Safe and brief" is how I would describe her comments, designed to not say too much, imho. Good answers, though.

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Good work, guys!

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This thread could use more recs. Actual policy discussed. Remember policy?

I'm waiting for this one to be debunked: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ioHqgf4moI

When, oh when, will they speak to this outrage?

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1) While certainly not single issue voters most of us in the gay community are concerned with our own personal welfare and that of our families. What legislation would you be willing to support to improve life for us, especially with regard to national health insurance with coverage for all — single, married and domestic partners alike? Also, do you see companies that do offer healthcare and other benefits to same-sex partners as contributing positively to the current economic situation in the United States? If so, what will you do to encourage more of this private sector positive behavior?

Clinton:
I am a proud original cosponsor of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligation Act, which would grant the same benefits (including health insurance) to domestic partners of federal employees that are currently offered to employees’ legal spouses. As president, I will push to pass this into law.

The best evidence of what I would do to improve the lives of LGBT Americans is what I have already done. As a United States Senator, I have proudly co-sponsored the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, in addition to the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligation Act. We will also put an end to the failed policy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Courage, honor, patriotism and sacrifice – the traits that define our men and women in uniform – have nothing to do with sexual orientation. I have also championed the Early Treatment for HIV Act, which expands access to vital treatment options for low-income individuals living with HIV, and fought to fully fund the Ryan White CARE Act. I also push for the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) in New York, which was signed into law.

We have so much work to do. When I am President, we will work together to make sure that all Americans in committed relationships have equal benefits and that loving same sex couples are not automatically disqualified from adopting children in need.

Finally, as President, I will use the bully pulpit to encourage the fair and equal treatment of all Americans no matter who they are or who they love.

Obama:
I have proposed a universal health care plan that would prohibit excluding people based on pre-existing conditions and would drive down the cost of health care by $2,500 for the typical family.
I am a co-sponsor of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act. This bill provides domestic partnership benefits – including health insurance benefits – to all federal civilian employees on the same basis as spousal benefits. With more than half of the Fortune 500 offering health care benefits to their employees, it is long past time for the federal government to do the same with respect to its employees. By acting as a model employer, the federal government can set an example that displays to businesses across the country that a policy of non-discrimination in the provision of health benefits is not only the right thing to do, but also good for productivity and employee satisfaction. I have also co-sponsored legislation that would end unequal federal tax treatment of employer-provided health benefits to domestic partners.

2) Do you see a repeal to the mis-named Defense of Marriage Act in the next 20 years and would you support or work for such a repeal? Do you support marriage or civil unions with all the benefits of marriage for our community? Should this issue be dealt with on a federal level or do you believe these are state's rights issues the federal government should stay out of?

Clinton:
I support full equality of benefits, rights, and responsibilities for individuals in loving, stable, same sex relationships, and believe that civil unions are the best way to achieve that goal. As president, I will work to ensure that all Americans in committed relationships have equal benefits – from health insurance and life insurance, property rights, and more. I support repealing the provision of DOMA that may prohibit the federal government from providing benefits to people in states that recognize same sex marriage. I strongly support ensuring people in stable, long-term same sex relationships have full equality of benefits, rights, and responsibilities. The DOMA was helpful in defeating the Federal Marriage Amendment because it enabled us to build a bi-partisan coalition that believed this issue ought to be left to the states and that discrimination did not belong in our constitution.

Obama:
My personal view is that it makes more sense for states to implement equal rights for gay couples through civil unions. Marriage has always been an issue that has been left to the states, and I’d leave it to the states to decide whether to call it a “civil union” or a “civil marriage.” Whichever path they choose, states should be treating gay and lesbian couples equally. And I’d leave it to religions to decide, as they always have, whether or not to recognize such unions. My denomination – the United Church of Christ – has chosen to recognize same-sex unions, but I respect the rights of other religions to make a different choice.

What’s important to me – and what should be important to any president – is making sure that the federal government is not discriminating against anyone. Right now, it doesn’t matter if a lesbian or gay couple is married, in a civil union, or a domestic partnership. Federal law discriminates against all of them, across the board, treating gay couples as if their relationships didn’t exist and didn’t matter. The federal government does not create marriage or civil unions — that’s a job for states — but we must give committed same-sex couples equal rights under federal law. Thousands of employers, including half of the Fortune 500, have figured out how to treat gay couples equally, and the federal government can, too. That’s why I oppose DOMA and support its full repeal. As president, I will work with national and local LGBT groups, members of Congress, and others to put in place a strategy to finally do just that. It’s important to remember, as I mentioned earlier, that we can’t ignore the public awareness/education task that will also be at hand. We are going to have to have a national conversation to try to show the American public what happens to LGBT couples who are trying to adopt, who are struggling with a heavy tax burden, and who are being denied hospital visitation as a result of this discriminatory law; and we will similarly have to ensure them that, as a matter of well-settled law, no state will be required to recognize another state’s marriage if DOMA is repealed. I think if we do those things, we will have enough support to erase this discriminatory law from the books in the next 20 years.

So is he dissing tops?

Kidding.

I'm glad both candidates are doing LOCAL gay media now. That's great news for everyone involved.

Thanks for posting this.

I'm glad too.

3) The issue of gender identity is one some in the gay community feel needs to be addressed. Would this group also be covered by plans you would propose?

Clinton:
I support the fair and equal treatment of transgender Americans, including a Hate Crimes law and ENDA that are fully inclusive. I do not believe anyone should be victimized or discriminated against because of who they are or who they love.

Obama:
Throughout my eleven years in public office, I have fought to secure inclusion of LGBT Americans in our laws. I co-sponsored as a freshman legislator and repeatedly through my tenure in the Illinois State Senate a fully inclusive bill that prohibited discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity, extending protection to the workplace, to housing, and to places of public accommodation. In the U.S. Senate, I have publically called for a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act to outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. And my own campaign reflects my commitment to fully-inclusive nondiscrimination policies – our workplace nondiscrimination policy includes both sexual orientation and gender identity.

Rec'd ... going back to read more ...

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