America’s first queer-centric presidential debates are set to kick off on Thursday in California, offering voters a closer look at where the democratic presidential hopefuls stand on homo issues.
By all accounts, the debates will go down as a historic moment. Never before in American history have gay people and their issues been given such an official platform.
Whether there’s need for such a platform, well, remains open for debate.
In a press release announcing the event, Human Rights Campaign’s Joe Solmonese, who will also be acting as one of the debate’s four moderators, wrote:
These candidates have expressed a unified belief and echoed the majority of the American people by stating that same-sex couples deserve federal recognition. It is extremely encouraging to finally see the focus of the debate around the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans center around extending the American value of equality to all people. 2008 is not 2004, and the American people have already put out the warning that divisive, wedge politics that pit neighbor against neighbor will not be tolerated.
Joe’s absolutely right: 2008 ain’t 2004, when the GOP paraded gays as a national scapegoat. Some voters choose to believe gay people cost Kerry the election. As we’ve seen, however, gay marriage may not been that divisive in 2004. In fact, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s Dr. Kenneth Sherill wrote a detail report aimed at shattering that myth:
Despite claims to the contrary, same-sex marriage did not cost John Kerry the presidential election. Data from the 2004 national exit polls indicate that same-sex marriage had little net effect on the outcome of the election.
Regardless of whether or not the gays have positive, negative or no political influence, it’s nice to see Democrats coming out for the queer cause. But, again, does it mean anything?
Some people, such as Chris Rovzar, seem to think Hillary, Barack and Richardson qualify as social and cultural heroes. The Democrats are nothing less than a queer justice league, minus the queerness.
If the Dems are confident enough to tackle gay issues head-on for a full hour, it means they’re no longer worried that the Republicans will throw it back in their faces. They’re not afraid, and more importantly, they’re betting voters aren’t afraid either.
In his Huffington Post piece, Rovzar also explains how “gay issues” have lost some of their fearful steam. Gay marriage in Spain, South Africa and parts of America have not led to a massive hellraising. In fact, things to be going be pretty well on that front. Barring an appearance from Satan himself, the anti-gay Republicans don’t have a leg to stand on:
As real-life experiments with equal gay rights are carried out federally and locally all over the world, the GOP can no longer count on the issue to scare voters to the ballot box.
That said, one can’t help but wonder if the Democrats really are taking a chance. Does bravery without the threat of death really count as brave. Does a battle without a war make any difference? As Rovzar writes:
As real-life experiments with equal gay rights are carried out federally and locally all over the world, the GOP can no longer count on the issue to scare voters to the ballot box. It may be that the long-term results in those places are not what gay activists would hope for, but in the short term, growing familiarity with the issue is working in their favor. The Democratic presidential candidates, sensing this change, have come out of their shells to talk about the issue openly and comfortably.
Perhaps too comfortably?
beckettboo
Being gay is like buying weed. I don’t want the government to know, and I like doing it illegally. How about equal-citizensip rights for every (wo)man, and not categorize Equality. But, I’m a Cat Blogger what do I know? VOTE 2008!
bb
Beckett Boo, esq. Cat Blogger Extraordiniare!
http://www.beckettboo.blogspot.com
Gregg
It’s not a debate, though. It’s a “forum.”
Leland Frances
Jesus Fucking Christ of the Andes!!!! What powerful psychodelic is Chris Rovzar on? Better yet, could he please tell us, like Pat Robertson naming the date and hour that Jesus will cum, when exactly Mr. & Mrs. Joe Schmo America started giving a flying fuck about what people in Spain, South Africa, or anywhere else beyond their backyard thought? And in what other “partS” of America is gay marriage legal beside Massachusetts???
As for NGLTF’s Sherill and other tea reading dumb fucks: 1. when the subject is so controversial there’s no way to know exactly how many voted against/for what or why regardless of what exit polls allegedly reveal. 2. He WANTS to believe what he says is true because that turns the gun away from the heads of gay groups who TOTALLY FAILED at defusing the issue of gay marriage in the election. You know, that election in which, what, 18 states banned gay marriage and we’re supposed to believe that it was just a coincidence that the candidate who was demonizing gays won?????!!!!
And, with all due respect, unless something has changed, Thursday’s event is NOT a debate. The candidates won’t even be on stage at the same time. Regardless, it DOES matter in that it will win more voters to the Repugs than the Dems. If a voter is already gay-friendly and doesn’t already realize that any Dem is better than any Repug, then God fucking help us. It will also serve to give Joe Solmonese [and the other clueless pricks at the Human Rights Champagne Fund] such a roaring hardon that I expect him to pass out on stage. As there will be nothing of substance affirmed by the candidates that we don’t already know, this is nothimg more than a circle jerk for HRC, and another angle for them to launder money from the gay community, little of which will go anywhere useful, and move from having crowned themselves as our only gay organization to complete canonization. Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna to Joe in the highest!
Our only hope is that voter antipathy about the war in Iraq will deny the Repugs another 8 years in the White House.
allstarecho
It’s amazing that ANY ONE is calling this a “debate” because it is NOT a debate.
The candidates come out, alone, say what they believe, and leave. No one on one, no face to face, NO DEBATE.
This is nothing but a media whore grab by HRC!
I want real debate, where all candidates are present together and DEBATE.. not where they appear alone and spill a rehearsed script!
pakipoptart
Its about time! I wish I had a tv so I could watch this historic event.
Qjersey
I hope the audience raises the roof with BOOING!!!
Make them all SQUIRM.