Archive for the ‘LGBT issues’ Category

LGBT groups raise stakes in Chuck Hagel nomination

Tuesday, January 8, 2013 by:Carolyn Lochhead
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Despite the enthusiastic support of California gay activist Rick Jacobs, the Chuck Hagel nomination for Defense Secretary is getting more flack from LGBT groups Tuesday. On Monday, Jacobs called out the Log Cabin Republicans, saying the group’s hypocrisy on Hagel (after supporting Romney) is worthy of The Onion.

A sleeper issue is how Hagel would enforce Section 533(a)(1) of the new National Defense Authorization Act, which requires the military to accommodate the conscience, moral principles, or religious beliefs of all members of the military. Written by Rep. Todd “Legitimate Rape” Akin, R-Mo., the clause worries civil libertarians who worry it could be used to discriminate against gays and lesbians. President Obama singled it out in his signing statement, saying his “administration remains fully committed to continuing the successful implementation of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and to protecting the rights of gay and lesbian service members; Section 533 will not alter that.”

At a minimum, the consensus among gay groups seems to be to hold Hagel’s feet to the fire in his Senate confirmation hearings. Hagel cannot afford to lose any Democratic votes given the unease with the nomination on the pro-Israel left.

GetEqual came out against the nomination Tuesday, citing Hagel’s 4 percent rating with the Human Rights Campaign. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force demanded Monday that Hagel “fully explain his views during the confirmation process and what steps he intends to take as defense secretary to demonstrate his support for LGBT members of the military…”

Richard Socarides, former President Bill Clinton’s liason to the LGBT community, called Hagel’s comments during the James Hormel nomination fight “discouraging and damaging,” saying, “Hagel’s remarks signaled that the extreme anti-gay right wing was increasing the pressure on Republican senators to oppose the nomination because Hormel was gay, and that moderate Republicans were failing in line.”

That brought this riposte from Andrew Sullivan: “I recall no moment in his career in which Socarides apologized for selling out the gay community in every single possible way in order to stay comfortably ensconced in the Clinton White House.” Like Jacobs, Sullivan said if anyone should be held to account for the wave of anti-gay policies during the 1990′s, it’s Bill Clinton, who actually signed the Defense of Marriage Act and imposed Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, among other things, including the ban on persons with HIV entering the U.S.

Andrew Belkin, director of the pro-gay Palm Center think tank, laid out five things Hagel should promise to do for LGBT troops to demonstrate his new-found commitment, including addressing the issue of transgender troops.

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein supports the nomination; Sen. Barbara Boxer is neutral.

LGBT groups fight over Chuck Hagel nomination

Monday, January 7, 2013 by:Carolyn Lochhead
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Former Sen. Chuck Hagel and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta meet at Washington hotel last May in Defense Dept. photo

Log Cabin Republicans, a gay group, is running expensive full-page ads in the Washington Post and New York Times opposing Obama’s nomination former Nebraska GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense to replace Californian Leon Panetta.

Log Cabin cites a 1998 Hagel statement opposing Clinton-nominated Luxembourg ambassador James Hormel as “openly, aggressively, gay,” Hagel’s vote for the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, his support for Nebraska’s constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, his 1999 opposition to repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and his opposition to a judicial ruling in 2005 that the Nebraska marriage ban was unconstitutional.

California gay activist Rick Jacobs, head of the Courage Campaign, smells a rat.

In a telephone interview, Jacobs called Log Cabin a “self-loathing group” desperate to remain relevant and that the group “deserves a place in The Onion.”

Jacobs pointed out that Log Cabin backed Republican Mitt Romney for president as recently as two months ago, despite Romney’s support in the campaign for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, not to mention Romney’s support for DOMA.

Jacobs said former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, imposed Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and signed DOMA.

Asked about Hagel’s comments about Hormel, Jacobs replied, “You mean the comments Bill Clinton made? Because Bill Clinton is the one who gave us Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. It took us a generation and a half to dismantle what Bill Clinton gave us. Bill Clinton gave us DOMA. We are still fighting to dismantle that.”

Hagel is a decorated Vietnam veteran and was a rare vocal Republican foe of the Iraq War during the Bush administration, speaking frequently and forcefully against the war from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But while Democrat John Kerry’s nomination to be Secretary of State is expected to sail through the Senate with GOP support, Hagel is facing stiff resistance from pro-war Republicans.

Sen. Lindsey Graham told CNN Sunday Hagel would be “the most antagonistic secretary of defense towards the state of Israel in our nation’s history.” Them’s fighting words.

Jacobs a personal friend of Hagel, called him a man of “incredible integrity” whose appointment is critical “at a time when the future of the U.S. defense complex is on the table, or certainly should be. When we’re looking at cutting budgets and when the Defense Department clearly needs to be cut because the whole mission of the military complex needs to be redefined.”

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force weighed in with “concerns.” OutServe-SLDN, representing gay and lesbian military members, demanded that Hagel immediately extend full benefits to married LGBT military. The group took a slightly more pro-Hagel tone Monday, calling Hagel “exceptionally qualified,” but said he must address “significant challenges” that remain for LGBT service members.

Panetta strongly endorsed Hagel as “a man of complete integrity and deep patriotism.” Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-CA and Senate Intelligence Committee chair, endorsed Hagel Monday.

Feinstein said she found Hagel during his time on the Intelligence Committee from 2003-2008 “to be a knowledgeable and independent voice with a strong grasp of the pressing national security issues facing our country.”

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., sounds as if she has issues re Israel: “I will follow former Senator Hagel’s confirmation process very closely to ensure that he shares the president’s commitment to a secure Middle East, full equality for LGBT service members and their families, and equal opportunity for leadership roles and access to reproductive health care for women in the military.”

Update Tuesday: GetEqual, an LGBT group that pressures reluctant Democrats on gay issues, came out solidly against Hagel, saying his voting record is “more troubling” than his comments, with a 4 percent score by the Human Rights Campaign.

From abortion to pot, the ten most important ballot issues of 2012 election

Sunday, November 4, 2012 by:richard.dunham@chron.com (Richard Dunham)
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By KYLE CAMPBELL
Hearst Washington Bureau

Along with deciding the future of the presidency and the makeup of both houses in Congress, voters in some states will have the ability to act as lawmakers themselves during next week’s election.

Thirty-eight states have ballot measures that will be in play on Nov. 6 and though many deal with issues such as taxes and administrative issues, other states will decide on hot-button national topics.

Here are 10 ballot measure issues to look out for during this election season.

1. States reacting to ‘Obamacare’

Six states have ballot measures dealing with health care, likely a response to the passage and Supreme Court affirmation of the Affordable Care Act. Alabama, Florida, Missouri, Montana and Wyoming all have proposals countering the act known as Obamacare. Likewise, Louisiana has a proposal to protect the state Medicaid trust fund for the elderly from budget cuts. Arizona has a pending amendment that would allow voters to reject federal actions, such as an individual mandate on health insurance, via referendum.

2. Marijuana: Legalize it?

Washington, Oregon and Colorado all have proposed amendments to make marijuana legal for recreational use. All three states currently allow for the use of cannabis for medical purposes and Colorado and Oregon both have removed jail time for possessing small amounts of marijuana. Massachusetts and Arkansas have proposed amendments to allow marijuana use for medicinal purposes, which could add them to the other 17 states that allow the use of medical marijuana. Meanwhile Montana is seeking to repeal its medical marijuana law in exchange for a new system.

3. Same-sex marriage

Maine voters will have the opportunity to overturn the state’s ban on gay marriage. Maine has a referendum that would allow gay couple to obtain a civil marriage license and Washington has a similar referendum addressing gay marriage. Maryland has a question on its ballot to approve civil marriage licenses for gays. Minnesota has a proposed amendment banning gay marriage.

4. Swing states topics

All but four swing states (North Carolina, Iowa, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania) will have initiatives on their ballots on Nov. 6, but some could prove to be more influential in motivating voter turnout. As previously stated, Colorado has proposed amendments to legalize marijuana for recreational use, but it also has an amendment to prohibit corporate contributions and expenditures in elections, both of which could draw liberal voters.

Florida has proposed amendments to prevent penalties for not purchasing health care, to prevent public funding for abortions and to repeal the ban on public dollars for religious funding, appealing to Christian conservatives.

New Hampshire has a proposed amendment banning increases on income tax, which also could appeal to conservative voters.

5. Three strikes, you’re out

California has a proposal to modify it’s “Three Strikes” policy which requires repeat criminals to serve 25-years to life in prison after their third conviction. The initiative calls for the policy to be implemented only on criminals that have committed a “violent or serious” crime or for those who are previously convicted of rape, murder or child molestation.

California also has a measure calling for the end of the death penalty.

6. Sticking to their guns

A handful of solidly red states are attempting to bolster their second amendment rights through the use of ballot measures. Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska and Wyoming all have amendments solidifying hunting and fishing rights and/or gun rights.

7. Issues of race and immigration

The topics of race and immigration have manifested in a variety of ways on ballots across the country, some of which touch on the issues of immigration and voter identification that have been brought up time and again during the presidential campaign.

Maryland has a proposal to allow illegal immigrants to be charge in-state tuition for public universities.

Montana has a proposal that would require citizens to show proof of citizenship when seeking state services and Minnesota has a proposed voter identification law.

Oklahoma has a proposal to ban affirmative action in the state thus prohibiting special treatment based on race or sex in public employment, education and contracts.

8. Rules for redistricting

Three states are re-examining their redrawn congressional districts that were passed by their respective state legislatures after the 2010 Census report. California and Ohio are looking at the option outside groups drawing the new districts.

California already has this system and made use of it last year, the ballot measure is essentially asking voters if they want this format to stay intact. Meanwhile, Ohio voters will decide if they want the state to set up citizen’s commission to draw the districts.

Maryland voters will have the chance to approve or disapprove of their state’s redistricting plan.

9. Death with dignity

Massachusetts has a proposal to allow terminally ill patients to request their doctors to administer lethal drugs. The patient must be a mentally competent adult with a prognoses of six months or fewer to live by two doctors. Patients must make the request twice verbally and once through writing before the lethal medicine can be administered.

This is the eighth time a state has had an initiative for assisted suicide. Voters were in favor of death with dignity three out of the previous seven times.

10. Consent for abortion

Women’s health reproductive health issues have been another common theme in campaigns across the nation. Along with Florida’s proposal to ban the use of public dollars for abortions, Montana has a proposal that would require parental or legal guardian notification before girls under 16 can an abortion.

This is the tenth time a state has proposed a law such as this. Four out of the previous nine initiatives were passed.