CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS
July 8, 2009 – 1:12 p.m.
Gay Rights Groups Ask Congress to Step Up
By Bennett Roth, CQ Staff
Gay leaders and activists are following up their White House lobbying with a push toward congressional Democrats, urging them to move on legislation that is important to an increasingly restive constituency.
Gay rights activists believe that at least in the House — which passed a bill (
A House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee will hold a hearing Wednesday on a measure (
There will also be a push to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, with an Iraq War veteran, Rep. Patrick J. Murphy , D-Pa., leading the effort.
Murphy is scheduled to hold a press conference Wednesday with gay and straight military veterans to discuss the legislation. With military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said, “we need every able-bodied individual” who wants to serve. But Murphy also admitted: “I have a lot of work to do. I understand change takes time.”
The House’s three openly gay lawmakers — Frank, Tammy Baldwin , D-Wis., and Jared Polis , D-Colo. — met with House Democratic leaders on June 24 to discuss gay initiatives. The 45-minute meeting was held in Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’s annex office off of the House floor and included Pelosi of California, Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, Majority Whip James E. Clyburn of South Carolina and several other House leaders.
Baldwin said the leaders were “100 percent supportive” of the legislative initiatives and the meeting was largely focused on timing and strategy. Baldwin said there was consensus that domestic-partnership legislation, which she’s sponsoring, and an employment non-discrimination bill could come up for House votes as soon as this fall, while the gays-in-the-military legislation would not be taken up until next year.
President Obama has drawn criticism from gay activists for not being supportive enough in backing their agenda. Leaders in the gay community were particularly irate that the Justice Department submitted a brief supporting the Defense of Marriage Act (PL 104-199), which bars federal recognition of same-sex marriage.
Baldwin said the timing of the meeting and the criticism of Obama was coincidental, and Polis said the meeting was part of the House leadership’s practice of keeping in touch with various caucuses. The three lawmakers are co-chairs of the Equality Caucus, which has 80 members.
“The leadership has always been supportive of the equality agenda,” said Polis. “It is a matter of what we can secure a majority of the vote for on the House floor.”
Gay rights issues have been a touchy subject for some Democrats, particularly since President Bill Clinton, facing criticism from military leaders, backtracked on a promise to lift the ban on gays in the military and settled instead for the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
Steven Elmendorf, a lobbyist and former top adviser to Missouri Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (1977-2005), who is working on behalf of the Human Rights Campaign, said that attitudes among politicians have lagged behind public opinion on gay issues such as service in the military.
A Pew Research poll conducted in March found that 59 percent approved allowing gays to serve openly in the military, compared to 52 percent in 1994.
Pelosi, who represents San Francisco’s Castro community, one of the oldest and best-known gay neighborhoods in the country, has long been supportive of gay causes. But one activist said she needs to play a more active role.
“ Nancy Pelosi has been a champion in our community. But at times even a champion needs to be reminded to stand up and fight,” said Kate Kendell, executive director of the San Francisco-based National Center for Lesbian Rights.
Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill responded that the Speaker “has never been anything but out front” on gay issues. He also e-mailed a June 26 statement by Pelosi saying passage of employment non-discrimination and domestic partnership measures were a priority. Pelosi added that “we are working for repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’ ”
And while Pelosi has voiced support for “marriage equality” at the state level and other gay rights measures, she has said her priority remains the economy.
“Where we have prospects of success, we always want to expand to a place of more opportunity and more freedom for all — for all — Americans,” Pelosi said at a May 6 news conference. “But right now, our agenda is jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs.”
In the Senate. Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev. has promised to bring up the hate crimes legislation. However, the measure is expected to be attached to the defense authorization bill (
Alison Herwitt, a lobbyist for the Human Rights Campaign, said some of the legislation, such as employment non-discrimination, is being slowed down in the Senate because of the absence of the ailing Sen. Edward M. Kennedy , D-Mass., who has sponsored the measure in the past.
And despite gains by Democrats at the polls, many Republicans still stand ready to fight. “We should not be extending benefits based on sexual orientation or lifestyle choices,” said Jason Chaffetz , R-Utah, the top Republican on the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia, which will consider the domestic partnership measure.
Comments
Yes, if Obama is too gutless to follow through on a promise, Democrats should initiate what the majority (72%) want--repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
I agree. Now that Obama has destroyed America's free enterprise system, it is time for him to emasculate our military as well.
1992 Bill Clinton promised to end discrimination against gays in the military and democrats controlled all of Congress. Result: Don't ask don't tell. 17 years later? Obama and the democrats promise to end discrimination against gays in the military and support gay civil rights in regard to civil unions if not marriage itself. Result: Obama is still the Discriminator in Chief and he compares gay marriage to incest before the Supreme Court. The Democrats can pass bills in 24 hours without reading them, but gay men and women get sent to the back of the bus. Until every gay man and woman in this country decides to punish Obama and teh democrats by withholding money and defeating them at the polls if they don't deliver we will remain at the back of the bus. Its time to end the fag jokes in the Democratic cloakrooms of Congress. Democrats need to be afraid of not supporting civil rights for gay men and women and lying and betraying the gay community. Every gay man and woman willing to let the Democrats keep them at the back of the bus any longer is betraying themselves and every gay man and woman in the country.
If the gay community wants to get married so be it and if they want benefits then so be it. But, it is against my personal belief system and I don't feel that I should be forced to support by default because of my tax dollars. If legislation wants to be passed to allow marriage and benefits to the gay communities that is fine as long as I am not being forced to fund it! By forcing me to support something I don't believe in is discrimination towards me. If the government would simply do away with marriage legislation and if they would allow health provider's to choose on their own whether or not they will or will not provide benefits then this would allow everyone to do what they choose to do with discrimination towards anyone. We need to stop creating hate crime legislation. Every time we create another hate crime bill it discriminates against another demographic. If a crime is committed then there are already enough laws in place to find the guilty party behind bars. One crime is not any more worse than another and all crimes are done either out of passion hate.
Sir Walter - I am being forced to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that I am strongly against. What do you suggest I do about it? I agree with you on the idea that the government get out of ALL (opposite and same sex) marriages. Let marriage remain with the churches and have no legal standing. Then heterosexuals would understand what it is like to have zero recognition of your primary relationship.
Freedom Fan - You show an incredible lack of confidence in our military if you really think allowing gays to serve openly can effectively "emasculate" it (which, since you imply that is similar to "destroying" it must also mean you think that women are incapable of effective military service). It's entertaining that you think a bunch of gays can defeat the military that Hitler never could. If only we had known that back in the 1940's we could have brought Germany down much more quickly and cheaply by airdropping rainbow flags and blasting them with Broadway showtunes. The reality of the matter is that you're probably just insecure about the fact that there are a lot of butch gays and women - many in the military - that could kick your ass. Let me alleviate that concern: That doesn't make you any less of a man. Your bigotry and insecurity does, though. Sir Walter - You're entitled to believe whatever you want. But you seem to expect gay taxpayers to subsidize and endorse YOUR hetero lifestyle however they feel about what you do in the bedroom... unless you're in agreement with Val (and me) that marriage should be purely a religious matter and the government should not take a position on who people should partner or have sex with. Val - You are right on. Neither the Republicans nor the Democrats have done anything on a national level except to continue to endorse bigotry against gay people. On a state level, blue state Republicans have often been equally or more supportive of gay rights than red state Democrats. It doesn't make me feel any better that one party does it because they hate gays and the other because they consider us politically expendable. Callous indifference is just as hurtful as open hatred, and more insidious. It's time to stop allowing the Democrats to treat the gay community as the party's ATM and stop giving to them until they back up words with actions.
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