2008 Presidential Election: February 2008 Archives

Presidential candidate Barack Obama has stepped up his outreach to the LGBT community. Obama announced yesterday that he would be placing LGBT-focused advertisements in four major LGBT papers in Texas and Ohio, leading up to the March 4 primaries in those states.

Obama has also published an open letter to the LGBT community, which blogs have reported will be reprinted as an op-ed in Ohio LGBT newspapers. In his letter, Obama outlined his work for and with the LGBT community in the past, present and future. With various print and online outlets picking up Obama’s letter, the spotlight is once again on the LGBT community. It seemed early on that all of the Democratic candidates had similar stances on the issues: civil unions are okay, but marriage for gay and lesbian couples is too much; 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' should be repealed, and people should not face discrimination on the job. These positions were pioneering in many ways, but Obama is now attempting to break out and present himself as the gay-friendly candidate.  He cites pro-LGBT co-sponsored Illinois legislation and talks about plans to fund HIV prevention programs and ban workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Just yesterday, he told a group of supporters at a rally in Beaumont, Texas, “I hear people saying things that I don’t think are very Christian with respect to people who are gay and lesbian.”

It will be interesting to see if Obama’s ads and op-ed are successful in making inroads into the community, especially considering that LGBT voters have traditionally been identified as staunch supporters of the Clintons. Early in the campaign season, a poll by Hunter College found that 63 percent of lesbian, gay and bisexual likely voters supported Clinton.  But part of Obama’s strategy has been to go after Hillary’s base rather than just focusing on independent and undecided voters.  Clinton got a solid majority of the gay vote in New York and California, but Obama has had a string of impressive wins since Super Tuesday and other demographic groups that have traditionally supported Clinton, including women, have swung to Obama in recent primaries. The Federal Elections Committee confirmed that Obama has a small advantage, with folks in Texas’ gay neighborhoods split at 52 and 48 percent. The March 4 primaries will be an interesting measure of whether or not Senator Obama’s outreach to the LGBT community through the media will tip the scales in his favor.

Read Obama’s letter (PDF).

Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy

The past few months of presidential campaigning have been unprecedented for the LGBT community, and our concerns have been taken more seriously than ever before by presidential candidates. All major Democratic candidates participated in the 2008 Visible Vote Presidential Forum on LOGO last year, which brought LGBT issues to the forefront in the presidential election for the first time. Community members and bloggers alike said Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton did well with the questions asked at the forum. And on multiple occasions since, candidates have spoken about the LGBT community in speeches and at forums.

Now Obama is charting new territory—he’s specifically targeting the LGBT community with ads in Texas and Ohio, just in time for the March 4 primaries. The Obama campaign has purchased full-page advertisements in local LGBT press outlets. The ads will provide information on how people can get involved locally in the campaign.

In Texas, the Obama camp is targeting Houston and Dallas, which are the two largest LGBT markets in the state. The ad will appear in the Dallas Voice and OutSmart, which are based in Houston. Latest opinion polls show that Obama and Clinton are in a statistical dead heat in Texas; reaching out to groups with traditional ties to the Clintons, such as the LGBT community, can be what puts Obama over the top. We have already seen Obama make inroads into Clinton’s base through increasing his votes among women and working class men.

In Ohio, Obama’s ads will appear in Outlook Weekly in Columbus and the Gay People’s Chronicle in Cleveland. Obama is going a step further in Ohio by writing an op-ed to be placed in Ohio LGBT papers as well. Right now reports say that Obama is gaining on Clinton’s numbers in Ohio. It’s tough to say whether Obama’s ads will bring out enough LGBT voters in his favor, but so far Clinton has not campaigned directly to LGBT voters in either Texas or Ohio.

Keep an eye out in the Texas and Ohio papers for Obama’s ads and op-ed.

Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy

The Washington Times, a newspaper recognized for its political conservatism, recently had a shakeup in newsroom protocol thanks to the installation of John Solomon, a former editor with the Associated Press and The Washington Post.  The Washington City Paper reports that Solomon has instructed his staff to refer to presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as 'Clinton' rather than 'Hillary' in headlines in order to identify her in the same way that they identify other candidates.

Solomon’s recommendation is especially significant in light of the other changes he has proposed – he has also instructed his staff to prefer the term 'gay' over 'homosexual' and to stop using quotation marks, also known as "scare quotes," around the term gay marriage. According to the City Paper, Solomon is immediately instituting these much needed style changes.

These terminology changes are significant, since they impact the way that readers perceive candidates and issues based on the connotations of the words. For example, because the term 'homosexual' carries pejorative connotations, the style guides of The Washington Post and The New York Times already instruct reporters to prefer the term 'gay' over it in most contexts.  In 2005, we held meetings with the AP to make recommendations about LGBT related terminology in their stylebook.

The changes at The Washington Times highlight the ways that terminology and language can play a role in shaping the discussion of candidates and LGBT issues in 2008.

Cindi Creager is the Director of National News

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton recently underscored the need for LGBT-inclusive federal hate crime legislation in the wake of the tragic shooting death of openly gay California junior high student Lawrence King (left). On Feb. 12, a classmate shot King in what prosecutors have called a premeditated hate crime based on King’s perceived sexual orientation and gender identity.

“I was deeply saddened by the recent death of 15-year-old Lawrence King who was killed at his school in Oxnard, CA,” Hillary Clinton said in a statement. “No one should face intimidation or violence, particularly at school, because of their sexual orientation or the way they express their gender identity.”

“We must finally enact a federal hate crimes law to ensure that gay, lesbian and transgender Americans are protected against violent, bias-motivated crimes,” Clinton went on to say. “We must send a unified message that hate-based crime will not be tolerated.”

In a statement, Barack Obama also called for hate crime legislation that equally protects LGBT people:

It was heartbreaking to learn about Lawrence King's death, and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family. King's senseless death is a tragic example of the corrosive effect that bigotry and fear can have in our society. It's also an urgent reminder that we need to do more in our schools to foster tolerance and an acceptance of diversity; that we must enact a federal hate crimes law that protects all LGBT Americans; and that we must recommit ourselves to becoming active and engaged parents, citizens and neighbors, so that bias and bigotry cannot take hold in the first place.  We all have a responsibility to help this nation live up to its founding promise of equality for all.

Although the Los Angeles Times, CNN and The New York Times have covered the many vigils honoring King, the Democratic candidates' discussion of inclusive hate crime legislation has yet to garner national media attention.

We will continue working with the media to call attention to the broader issues of hate crimes and bullying and will continue urging the press to question the candidates on their positions concerning these issues.

Cindi Creager is the Director of National News

With Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama fiercely vying for the Democratic presidential nomination, the votes of superdelegates may matter more than ever in 2008.  As opposed to regular delegates, superdelegates are people
automatically selected to vote for a candidate at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) because they are current or former elected office holders or party leaders. And, unlike most delegates, superdelegates enjoy the freedom to support a candidate regardless of the results of primaries or caucuses in their home states. With the tightness of the race between Clinton and Obama, the votes of the 796 Democratic superdelegates may carry immense weight at the DNC's August convention.

With these superdelegates holding significant power in the Democratic nomination process this year, what's particularly newsworthy is the number of self-identified LGBT people who count themselves amongst this select group. San Francisco's Bay Area Reporter recently reported that—according to the National Stonewall Democrats—22 LGBT people rank as superdelegates this year because of their status as elected officials or party officials. The Bay Area Reporter argued that, with Clinton and Obama running so close in the polls and primaries, the votes of these LGBT superdelegates could help make the difference in determining the Democratic nominee. Of the 22 openly LGBT superdelegates, 13 have pledged their vote to Clinton, 2 have pledged their vote to Obama, and 7—along with about 300 other superdelegates—remain undecided.

Additionally, the Bay Area Reporter noted that votes from congressional districts with large LGBT populations may help tip the scales in favor of Obama or Clinton in the upcoming Texas and Ohio primaries.

As the Democratic nomination process grows more intense, we encourage the media to pay attention to the significance of LGBT superdelegate votes and LGBT voters in general during this unpredictable and exciting election year.

Cindi Creager is the Director of National News

Throughout this election season, most presidential candidates have rarely elected to talk specifically about LGBT people during their stump speeches and media appearances. Yet, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has briefly mentioned gay people during several of his public appearances--most recently during yesterday's televised speech following his wins in the Wisconsin and Hawaii primaries.

While discussing his vision of a political culture that doesn't thrive on division and prejudice, Obama said, "I know how easy it is for politicians to turn us on each other, to use immigrants or gay people or folks who aren’t like us as scapegoats for what they do." 

While Obama has yet to speak substantively about his proposed policies regarding LGBT Americans, it's significant that a leading contender for the Democratic nomination has begun a conversation about the inclusion of gay people. Obama's inclusive speeches reflect the historic visibility of the LGBT community in this election--most notably illustrated by the decision of all Democratic candidates to discuss LGBT issues during August 2007's historic Human Rights Campaign/Logo Presidential Forum.

As election coverage continues, GLAAD will be encouraging the media to watch for more instances of leading political candidates choosing to highlight the lives of LGBT Americans when they address the public.

Cindi Creager is the Director of National News

Last week, Arizona’s legislative leadership submitted a bill that would once-again ask Arizona voters to decide on an anti-gay constitutional amendment – something voters there rejected in 2006. Now, the conversation about this legislation and the legislation that preceded it seems to taking center stage both locally and nationally.

The new legislation has some Arizona politicians nervous, and has brought new attention to a candidate currently running for Congress. In an article in The Arizona Daily Star, Senate President Tim Bee, who is also a candidate for Congress in 2008, avoided questions asked by the reporter, and tried to downplay the importance of this legislation. Meanwhile, in another part of Arizona, Steve May, an openly gay former Republican state legislator and a leader in the effort to defeat the anti-gay constitutional amendment in 2006, has announced his intention to seek his party’s nomination for Congress in an open seat.

The presence of the new legislation also figures into the presidential race, since Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is the likely Republican nominee for president.  Throughout the primary season, his conservative credentials have been called into question.  McCain voted against the anti-gay federal marriage amendment, but supported the 2006 effort to amend Arizona’s state constitution.  In 2008, McCain will be prominent in a year when his home state might be the epicenter of conversations about LGBT issues throughout election 2008.

The media attention to LGBT-related issues – from the anti-gay constitutional amendment to the possibility of an openly gay Republican congressional candidate – will be intense in Arizona this year. Check back here for updates on Arizona and other local races and ballot measures.

Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy

In election coverage, the media too often wield a broad and fuzzy brush to paint the candidates' positions on legislation affecting the LGBT community. Pundit Tucker Carlson was using such a brush when discussing Republican candidate John McCain's position on civil unions during Thursday's episode of MSNBC's Live with Dan Abrams.  During a debate about whether McCain "flip-flopped" on his support of relationship recognition for gay and lesbian couples, Carlson asserted that McCain "has the same absurd position" as those politicians who support civil unions but not marriage equality.

Unfortunately, host Dan Abrams did not challenge Carlson with the reality that McCain has never clearly voiced support for civil unions. In fact, in April 2007, McCain told The New York Sun that he did not support New Hampshire's civil unions legislation. Furthermore, McCain backed Arizona's unsuccessful 2006 ballot initiative to deny gay residents the ability to marry and to block unmarried couples, gay and straight alike, from receiving government benefits.

Carlson's inaccurate and unchallenged contention that McCain supports civil unions reflects the tendency of some pundits and journalists to cursorily examine candidates' positions on issues affecting the LGBT community and make claims that don’t match up to the facts.

Throughout the election season, GLAAD will be reaching out to journalists to ensure that they employ accurate and thorough—rather than broad-brush—coverage of each candidate's stance on issues facing LGBT Americans.

Cindi Creager is the Director of National News.

As Barack Obama swept the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. primaries yesterday, openly gay Reverend Irene Monroe provocatively weighed in on the sincerity of the candidate's commitment to LGBT equality with a posting on The Bilerico Project. 
 
While Obama supports civil unions, federal employment non-discrimination protections and inclusive hate crimes legislation, Rev. Monroe questioned his unwillingness to make LGBT equality a visible cornerstone of his campaign.  Pointing to Obama's request to not be photographed with San Francisco mayor and marriage equality advocate Gavin Newsom in 2004, Rev. Monroe expressed concern that Obama's "big tent" strategy of bringing together diverse voters--even those who hold anti-gay views—suggests that he will end up neglecting the LGBT community if he is elected president.
 
Despite considerable enthusiasm among many Democratic LGBT voters about the prospective candidates, there is still a great deal of hesitation about how the candidates will work to meet the needs of the LGBT community if elected.  Though many mainstream media outlets are touting the support that Clinton and Obama have from the LGBT community, a lot of LGBT bloggers continue to question whether the candidates will still be as supportive after the primary season is over.
 
Overall, Rev. Monroe remained optimistic about Obama's long-term commitment to equality.  However, she said that Obama's LGBT supporters and their allies must remain visible and politically engaged in order to maintain his commitment.  She says, "If we neither hold him to his promises to us nor have him expound on them we will then have participated in the closeting of ourselves and the disenfranchisement of our full and equal rights when he's elected.”

At 21, Jason Rae (left) is already making a name for himself in the world of politics. The Marquette University junior, a former Victory Fund intern, has just become the youngest “superdelegate” in US history – and he is also openly gay.

Jason’s appointment marks an exciting time in history for young adults, and specifically LGBT young adults, who are taking a more visible and vocal role in politics than ever before. News of Jason’s role as the superdelegate has made several blogs (including Joe. My. God.), and Rae also appeared on CBS News yesterday to talk about his newfound influence.

In a posting on The Victory Fund’s blog, Gay Politics, Victory Fund Vice President Denis Dison spoke about Jason’s groundbreaking achievement, and the historic moment LGBT young people find themselves in.
 
“Jason’s work for the Victory Fund, and now his star turn as superdelegate, shows the gay community has a lot to offer in terms of political leadership. Who’d have thought a 21 year-old gay man would be at the center of the fight for the Democratic nomination.”

Just recently, presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton spoke specifically about the importance of recognizing the needs of LGBT youth and young adults in a widely circulated clip.  With Jason’s exciting nomination, it is clear that LGBT youth and young adults have the opportunity to play a greater role in national politics than ever before.

Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy

Yesterday, the Associated Press reported that Gary Bauer, an anti-gay activist and former head of the Family Research Council, threw his support behind Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

Bauer’s decision runs counter to the endorsements of other anti-gay leaders.  James Dobson, the head of Focus on the Family, one of the largest and most prominent anti-gay organizations in the country, announced on Super Tuesday that he would never vote for McCain and instead endorsed Mike Huckabee. 

Unlike Huckabee, McCain has never voiced support for the Federal Marriage Amendment.  The proposed amendment, backed by President Bush in 2004, would go beyond the Defense of Marriage Act to create a constitutional ban on marriage for gay and lesbian couples. 

Earlier in this election season, anti-gay leader Pat Robertson made headlines for supporting Rudy Giuliani's now-defunct presidential bid. Back in 2004, George W. Bush received overwhelming support from leaders of anti-gay groups.  

This time around, the conversation about our issues is playing out differently in the media, with the divisions among opponents to gay and lesbian equality becoming increasingly apparent as the election season goes on.

Cindi Creager is the Director of National News