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8
Positions on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
Issues, and its accompanying chart are based on an
analysis of the voting records and public statements
of the candidates in eight key queer issue areas,
including sexual orientation and gender identity
nondiscrimination and hate crimes laws; HIV/AIDS
prevention and treatment; lifting the military’s ban
on openly queer servicemembers; and partnership
recognition for same-sex couples.
According to the report, all Democratic candi­
dates are supportive of the majority of queer issues,
including transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination
and hate crimes laws. Only two Democratic candi­
dates support marriage equality for same-sex
couples, however, yet all of them are in support of
other partnership recognition rights, such as civil
unions.
Across the board, Republican candidates were
in opposition to the majority of queer issues, with
most publicly opposing lifting the military’s ban
on openly queer servicemembers. Ten of 11
Republican candidates also oppose any partner­
ship recognition for same-sex couples, including
marriage equality, civil unions or domestic
partnerships.
U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, is the only
candidate who has publicly supported all eight
queer issues. Romney is the only candidate who has
publicly opposed all eight issues.
tion against and harassment of queer military
personnel—announced June 27 the publication of
an article in The Duke Journal of Gender Lau> and
Policy that examines the impact of the federal
“don’t ask, don’t tell” law on the families of queer
servicemembers.
The article, “Silent Sacrifices: The Impact of
‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ on Lesbian and Gay
Military Families,” highlights the experiences of
three SLDN clients—former Air Force Maj. Scott
Hines, retired Army Lt. Colonel Peggy Laneri and
retired Army Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Schmalz—and the
obstacles their families faced while they were
serving in the U.S. military.
“As civilian law expands to embrace same-sex
families, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
military personnel find themselves unable to take
advantage of those new opportunities because of
the ban on open service,” said Steve Ralls, SLDN
communications director. “ ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’
jeopardizes the careers of service personnel who
seek to honor their relationships and families by
entering into civil unions, domestic partnerships or
marriage. Adoption, health benefits and other
important areas of family law are also made more
difficult for same-sex military families. No
American who serves our country should have to
face such murky legal waters in order to have a lov­
ing family.”
According to the Duke article—authored by
Rebecca Sawyer, SLDN senior communications
associate, and Kathi Westcott, the organization’s
deputy law director—the plight of queer military
families “has garnered little public attention
because few families headed by a same-sex couple,
in which one partner is currently serving in the
armed forces, are willing to risk a career-ending
move to tell their story, let alone face the loss of
familial privacy by making such a public
statement.”
To read the complete article, visit www.sldn.org.
Article Examines
Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
FLORIDA
'Free Speech Zone' Challenged
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
released the first comprehensive analysis of the top
19 candidates for the 2008 presidency on queer
issues June 27. Democrats discussed in this report
were U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.; John
Edwards, D-N.C.; and Barack Obama, D-Ill.
Republicans included former New York Mayor
Rudy Giuliani; U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.;
and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
I
The report, The 2008 Presidential Candidates'
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network—
a national nonprofit legal services, watchdog and
policy organization dedicated to ending discrimina­
œ
siuexj eK^
The American Civil Liberties Union of
Florida sent a letter June 25 to St. Petersburg
Mayor Rick Baker and Police Chief Charles
“Chuck” Harmon calling for
changes to the city’s controver­
sial ordinance regarding “free
speech zones” and event permit
enforcement.
The ordinance allows the
city to create prior restraints of
speech on an event-by-event
basis. It also criminalizes certain
free speech behavior around
public events while limiting the
rights of organizers to promote
their own messages by imposing
forced “free speech zones” for
opponents. The city also author­
izes the police to enforce
breaches of permits. The penal­
ty is arrest.
The city debuted its new
“signing statement" power at the
St. Pete’s Pride event. As a con­
dition of granting the permit,
the city required the organizers
to dedicate a special area to
U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, is the only presidential
candidate to support a full slate of gey i»*ues.
allow opposition to Pride.