Thursday, March 15, 2007

Hillary and Obama: Homosexuality is Not Immoral

Apparently, this little blog wasn't the only one ranting about Hillary and Obama yesterday. Many other blogs (like Americablog) did so as well and the Southern Nevada Stonewall Democrats Chair posted two comments to my post. Significantly, the Human Rights Campaign was irked as well. From Americablog:

I hear that the gay civil rights group the Human Rights Campaign had a come-to-Jesus (come-to-Mary?) chat with the Clinton and Obama campaigns this morning over the candidates' seeming inability to give a straight answer yesterday to the question of whether they think homosexuality is immoral. (Lots of background on the issue here.)

HRC reportedly told both campaigns that they were not happy, and that the campaigns' various and ever-changing answers to the question were evasive and unacceptable, and that both needed to issue forceful and unequivocal statements saying that they don't think homosexuality is immoral.

Will Hillary and Obama respond? Stay tuned.

That must have done the trick, as both Hillary and Obama came out with statements today, saying that homosexuality is not immoral. Hillary:

"Well I've heard from a number of my friends and I've certainly clarified with them any misunderstanding that anyone had, because I disagree with General Pace completely. I do not think homosexuality is immoral. But the point I was trying to make is that this policy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell is not working. I have been against it for many years because I think it does a grave injustice to patriotic Americans who want to serve their country. And so I have called for its repeal and I'd like to follow the lead of our allies like, Great Britain and Israel and let people who wish to serve their country be able to join and do so. And then let the uniform code of military justice determine if conduct is inappropriate or unbecoming. That's fine. That's what we do with everybody. But let's not be eliminating people because of who they are or who they love."

And here's Obama's statement via a spokesperson:

"As the New York Times reported today, I do not agree with General Pace that homosexuality is immoral. Attempts to divide people like this have consumed too much of our politics over the past six years."

I still wish they would have done this right away. Ducking this issue like they both did just did not look good.

PS: Interesting in this regard is an article by the New York Observer how presidential candidates are courting "pink cash".

2 comments:

Billy Howard said...

Sheesh. If Senator Warner can come out and say GLBT's are not immoral, what are the DemCands waiting for? Though Barack makes it very clear in "Audacity" that he would oppose any leg. that did not allow homosexual couples to marry. Lots of mention of gay rights in his book. A very good read.

Billy Howard said...

Yah, sheesh, if Senator Warner can say gay is OK, so can everyone else in the world. But Barack makes it clear in "Audacity" that he would not vote for legislation that doesn not include that gay can marry. He's been very clear. Hillary seems to posture.