Kerry SHOULD NOT support Bush's Ban on Gay Marriages

[kerryistheanswer]

He needs to speak out against this fascist pig. This is the time for JK to prove to progressives that he's willing to stand up for civil rights.
I will be extremely dissapointed if he agrees with the president OR even hints towards favoring a constitutional ban.

[mrgorth]

1. He doesn't agree with him

but he should keep his mouth shut for now. Speak against the amendment but not FOR gay marriage.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

3. Agreed

We may want to put up flame shields now though.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. It doesn't make sense at all..

how can anyone support something which would clearly make the Constitution contradict itself?

[Paulie]

4. He's already hinted that he's willing to look at THE WORDING

[slinkerwink]

5. that is what I am concerned about...

[mrgorth]

8. I agree

favoring it would be fucking spineless.

[BL_Zebub]

19. Well, that's Kerry for you

fucking spineless for three years running....

[PVnRT]

21. I really wish he would backtrack on that

Or at least explain what he means by "examining the wording of it." What wording would there be to examine? It would ban gay marriage and define marriage as that between a man and a woman. What would be there to support it?

[emanymton]

6. It's Equal Rights Or No Vote

The Democratic Nominee MUST be for equal rights or the people should secede from the union!

[Meldread]

7. I agree, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

He's already hinted that he might favor it in the past. It was around the time that everyone first started talking about him being a Massachusetts Liberal, and right around when the Massachusetts Congress started debating on how to do Gay Marriage.

He's never come out in favor of it, but he hinted toward favoring it. (Although I think it was more of a ploy to try and make him seem "less supportive" on gay issues. Still it's disappointing.)

I don't see him coming out and condemning it, and if he does it'll probably be in front of an audience that agrees with him or in a email to his supporters. He's not going to make a big issue of it or come out strongly condemning it as we'd like.

[nickinSTL]

11. Kerry/amendment

I've supported Kerry from the beginning, but if he supports the amendment, I'll drop him.

'Course my primary's already over, but...

I can understand him only supporting civil unions, but to support a Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage...that's going too far.

I will not vote for any candidate that would support a Constitutional amendment. Period.

[Robrexus]

9. Gay Marriage and Mr. Kerry

Today, after the "president's" public support for a ban on Gay Marriage, CNN reported that Mr. Kerry has said that he would support some restrictions when it comes to The Marriage Ammendment. I have decided that if no Candidate comes out in support for this, I will be voting for Ralph Nader. I did not support Ralph in his original bid for the Presidency (I voted for Gore) but I cannot in any form, and for no reason, give my vote to someone who stands against my rights for equality in this country. With a few million Gay and Lesbian TG voters, we can make a difference. I am tired of the Democratic Party, supporting partial rights and not getting of their asses and supporting equal rights. They depend on the GLBT voters to win the elections, yet sell us out at every opportunity. This Queer vote is going somewhere else, and will actively be promoting a third candidate.

[newyawker99]

23. Hi Robrexus!!

welcome to DU!! :toast:

[no_hypocrisy]

10. Kerry should endorse the Constitution and the Equal Protection Clause

in the 14th Amendment. No need to tinker with the Constitution except to PROTECT liberties, not remove them.

[nickinSTL]

12. Kerry/Nader

I probably won't vote Nader, I didn't vote for him when he was the Green Party nominee, but him being with the Greens was the only reason I considered him.

If Kerry supports this amendment drive, I will vote for the Green nominee or do a write-in. Anything but a supporter of this type of measure.

[slinkerwink]

13. kick

[MurikanDemocrat]

14. Kerry has already issued a statement about gay marriage

This issue was hashed out 3 weeks ago

Here's the statement

"Well, it depends entirely on the language of whether it permits civil union and partnership or not. I'm for civil union. I'm for partnership rights.

"I think what ought to condition this debate is not the term marriage as much as the rights that people are afforded," Kerry continued. "Obviously under the Constitution of the United States you need equal protection under the law. And I think equal protection means the rights that go with it. I think the word marriage kind of gets in the way of the whole debate, to be honest with you, because marriage to many people is obviously what is sanctified by a church. It's sacramental. Or by a synagogue or by a mosque or by whatever religious connotation it has. Clearly there's a separation of church and state here. ... Marriage is a separate institution. I think marriage is under the church, between a man and a woman, and I think there's a separate meaning to it."

A Record of Working on Behalf of Gay and Lesbian Americans

With a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign since 1995, John Kerry is a powerful voice in the ongoing fight for civil rights for gay and lesbian Americans.

Ending Discrimination
One of John Kerry’s first acts as a U.S. Senator, in 1985, was to introduce a bill prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. He supports passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and has adopted a nondiscrimination policy for his Congressional offices based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

HIV/AIDS Funding
John Kerry cosponsored the first Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act (CARE) - which represents the largest discretionary federal investment in treating individuals with HIV and AIDS. Kerry also sponsored the Vaccines for the New Millennium Act, aimed at boosting contributions to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, a non-profit group working to promote development of an HIV vaccine in 2000. Kerry introduced the U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria Act, which would increase the U.S. government’s funding of international HIV/AIDS efforts from approximately $1.7 billion in 2003 to $1.9 billion in 2004. This effort led to the unanimous passage in May 2003 the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria Act of 2003. AIDS activists characterized Kerry as one of Congress’s top leaders on HIV/AIDS policy.

Preventing Hate Crimes
John Kerry is an original cosponsor of the Hate Crimes Prevention bill, which would extend federal jurisdiction over serious, violent hate crimes. These would include crimes motivated by sexual orientation. Hate crimes rose a disturbing 3.5% from 1999 to 2000.

Protecting Gay and Lesbian Families
John Kerry believes that same-sex couples should be granted rights, including access to pensions, health insurance, family medical leave, bereavement leave, hospital visitation, survivor benefits, and other basic legal protections that all families and children need. He has supported legislation to provide domestic partners of federal employees the benefits available to spouses of federal employees. He was one of 14 Senators -- and the only one up for reelection in 1996 -- to oppose the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Lifting the Ban on Gays in the Military
John Kerry opposed the Clinton Administration’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy” He was one of a few senators to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee and call on the President to rescind the ban on gay and lesbian service members.

Support for Civil Unions
John Kerry supports same-sex civil unions so that gay couples can benefit from the the health benefits, inheritance rights, or Social Security survivor benefits guaranteed for heterosexual couples.


http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/glbt

[sangh0]

15. clueless

I don't know what Kerry has said, so I'll just assume my ignorance is Kerry's fault.

[nickinSTL]

16. Kerry/amendment

'Well, it depends entirely on the language of whether it permits civil union and partnership or not. I'm for civil union. I'm for partnership rights'

So, he'll support a Constitutional amendment if it doesn't prevent civil unions?

Not good enough.

He needs to OPPOSE a change to the Constitution. Period.

[sangh0]

18. Misleading

You left out the part where Kerry requires that gay couples receive all of the rights, benefits, and protections that married couples get from the govt.

IOW, Kerry supports giving gays everything BUT the word marriage. What's more important:

a) equal rights
b) the word "marriage"

[PVnRT]

22. Do you really think

that a Bush-sponsored amendment would say anything other than marriage is between a man and a woman only? And that it wouldn't be used to eliminate all of those equal rights that you talk about?

[Forkboy]

17. Well,even I wont blame Kerry for that

[BL_Zebub]

20. We need a nominee who not only says he will support progress on the issue.

...but who acts on it. Maybe one who signed a civil unions bill into law. Too bad there's not such a candidate, huh?

Oh yeah, that's right.... there was :evilfrown:

[Scottie72]

24. John Kerry can gain my support very easily..

He needs to denounce the FMA and state that he supports gay marriage. (it cannot be civil unions.. it has to be gay marriage.)