Recently in 2008 State Ballot Initiatives Category

This November, voters in various states will not only be voting for president; they may also be voting for ballot initiatives that seek to prevent marriage for gay and lesbian couples or adoption by gay families.  However, as the Associated Press reports, such ballot measures are failing to gain as much traction as they had in the 2004 and 2006 elections.  At least five proposed initiatives have not received sufficient signatures to be placed on the November ballot.  And, though Florida will have an initiative to prohibit marriage for gay and lesbian residents on its ballot and similar measures may still be placed on the Arizona and California ballots, the AP notes that political experts believe these efforts will not be as successful in 2008. “The right wing is organizing around the same old bag of tricks on social issues, but I don’t think that they’ll deliver as much as they expect,” said Kristina Wilfore of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center. 

The AP article illustrates how media coverage of these ballot initiatives has changed substantially since the 2004 and 2006 elections. Rather than play up the idea of a “culture war,” journalists are reporting on the reality that in 2008, many people across the country are not supporting divisive ballot initiatives that prevent Americans from being able to take care of and protect their families.

Too often politicians use the LGBT community as a “wedge issue” in political campaigns, but it is inexcusable when the media assists politicians in this task.

A proposed constitutional amendment in Arizona would forever prohibit loving, committed couples in that state from achieving their hopes and dreams and the basic freedoms and protections their families need.   The proposal cleared the state house on Monday, May 12. 

Rather than focusing on the impact of such legislation, and the harm it will cause to gay and lesbian people in Arizona, the media turned the conversation into one about political gamesmanship, partisanship, and talked of legislative maneuverings. One columnist, Amanda Crawford, went so far as to turn the argument around and imply that trying to stop this legislation was actually an attack on straight couples.  Instead, it was an attempt to try and stop a constitutional amendment aimed at forever limiting the ability of gay couples to protect themselves (and maintain the status quo in the state).  This columnist along with the news media throughout the state dropped the ball on really highlighting the news story here.  GLAAD will continue to challenge the media to do a better job of telling the real news stories behind this political gamesmanship.

Paul Karr is Director of Media Field Strategy

An April 17^th article published in the Florida Sun-Sentinel provided a rather one-sided story on Florida marriage ban supporters' new campaign, Yes2Marriage, which is bussing seniors around the state to hold press events and speak with voters. The piece talks to a couple that is supportive of the ban, but provides no viewpoint from those who might lose basic rights if the amendment is passed. There are seniors in Florida who are deeply concerned that a constitutional amendment barring legal unions other than marriage between one man and one woman could jeopardize their domestic partnership. Many older couples enter into this type of union because they do want to remarry after the loss of their husband or wife. Unfortunately, their voices are silent in this article.

The only statement opposing the amendment is from a Florida Red and Blue spokesperson. It is certainly important that the other perspective is included, but again, it is not a quote from someone directly impacted by what’s being discussed in the story.

It is essential the media include the stories of those affected by amendments like the Florida ballot initiative. Readers need to hear about the real world consequences of anti-gay legislation, which can break up families and deny couples the right to raise children with love and responsibility.

Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy 

The Associated Press reported that anti-gay groups claim to have collected enough signatures to place a constitutional amendment banning marriage for gay and lesbian couples on California’s November ballot.

Proponents of the measure say they have exceeded the 1.1 million signatures needed to qualify for the ballot, however, they haven’t revealed the exact amount of signatures they’ve actually gathered. They are expected to deliver the petitions this week ahead of the April 28 deadline with the Secretary of State’s signature verification process to follow.

Oftentimes when the media covers anti-gay ballot campaigns, anti-gay extremists tend to dominate the coverage with their controversial, sensational positions. But in California the coverage seems more nuanced. Rather than simply allowing ballot measure proponents to claim their victory unchallenged, the story presents a more complicated picture.

And the story didn’t relegate LGBT advocacy groups to the standard one quote response. Instead, they were able to deliver powerful messages suggesting that despite the potentially successful signature drive, anti-gay groups are likely out of step with mainstream California voters. Hopefully if the ballot measure does, in fact, appear on the November ballot, the media will continue to provide a thorough analysis of where Californians stand on this issue and look at how the amendment would have an impact on LGBT families. 

The Associated Press is reporting that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vowed to oppose a proposed ballot initiative that would amend the state’s constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman. The governor made the announcement Friday at the Log Cabin Republican convention in San Diego. Although he has twice vetoed legislation that would’ve legalized marriage, the governor said he believes the initiative is a waste of time, and he wants the courts to decide the matter.

Anti-gay groups must gather almost 1.1 million signatures by late April to qualify for the November election and have reportedly already collected more than 900,000. If the proposed measure qualifies and passes, the legislature would be prohibited from passing another pro-marriage bill in the future and current cases that might lead to marriage would be stopped or reversed.

Both the San Diego Union Tribune and the Sacramento Bee spoke to conservatives who criticize Schwarzenegger for inconsistency on the issue, but the media has also noted a significant shift in public opinion with opposition to marriage decreasing from 61 to 51 percent of California voters.

Media coverage of this hot-button issue shows just how complicated the social and political landscape remains in California, especially in such cities as San Diego where Republican mayor Jerry Sanders reversed his position and voiced support for marriage as did the City Council. As the political battle unfolds, it’ll be critical for the media to go beyond covering this issue as a partisan fight, especially considering that Republican leaders are bucking the conventional party stances.    

Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy 

LGBT issues continue to make headlines in Arizona, and shifting political winds have led to big updates to stories that we first mentioned on Read Between the Lines back in February.

News coverage has indicated that former openly gay state legislator Steve May is no longer running for Congress, and had also highlighted the landmark decision which means that Arizona will begin to offer state employees domestic partnership benefits.

There was more good news out of Arizona last week.  Despite the fact that a lot of folks thought it was a done deal, a November ballot constitutional initiative on marriage was amended to include basic protections for domestic partners.  With this amendment, it’s likely that the constitutional amendment proposal is pretty much dead in that state.

Certainly the fair media coverage of these issues, which took a close look at the lack of security gay families have in the state (a handful of those articles can be found here, here and here), likely helped to influence this debate in the legislature and in communities throughout the state.

The media has been doing a responsible job up to this point of documenting the shifting winds around these bills and other topics of importance to folks in Arizona. The dynamic of LGBT issues in the state, and the ways that they are discussed in the media, have played a role in the changes we’ve seen in Arizona in just one month.    

Paul Karr is Director of Media Field Strategy

In contrast to the 2004 election, these types of ballot initiatives may not have the same power to mobilize anti-gay voters to support Republican candidate John McCain. Reuters pointed out that these voters may already view McCain's political platform as insufficiently anti-gay. "I have a hard time envisioning social conservatives who want to ban gay marriage in Florida getting excited about John McCain at the polls," said Daniel Smith, a political science professor at the University of Florida at Gainesville. "McCain doesn't have the credibility on the issue that Bush had and so people who come out to vote on it may not vote for McCain." As ballot initiatives develop in Florida and other states, it seems that McCain's past opposition to the Federal Marriage Amendment – which President Bush had championed – may prevent him from reaping the spoils of the anti-gay vote.

Cindi Creager is Director of National News  

Social conservatives in California are trying to appeal directly to voters in an effort to push through measures that have been stifled by the legislature’s Democratic majority. If they succeed, the LBGT community could suffer enormous setbacks. The San Jose Mercury News reported last week that conservatives have raised almost $9 million for a set of ballot measures, including a constitutional ban on marriage for LGBT couples.

Anti-gay activists behind the campaign must gather almost 700,000 signatures by late April to qualify for the November election. Because the proposed ballot initiative would change the state constitution, the legislature would be prohibited from passing another bill in the future despite the passage of a marriage bill in 2005 and 2007, erasing years of progress. And since constitutional amendments take precedence over legislation and limit the authority of courts, current cases that might lead to marriage would be stopped or reversed.

Although the media has not covered the proposed ballot initiative extensively, newspapers have discussed local business owners’ financial contributions to the campaign.

Whether or not anti-gay groups succeed in their signature gathering efforts, the media should go beyond framing the issue simply as a political fight, “wedge issue” or tactic to advance anti-gay efforts, and instead take a deeper look at how this initiative would harm LGBT couples and their families for years to come. Media will play a key role in educating voters on the constitutional amendment, and it will be more crucial than ever for the state’s LGBT community to speak out and ensure their voices are heard.

 Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy

The media has recently focused more attention on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues in Florida, which are playing an increasingly important role in the state’s contradictory political climate. Florida has one of the most vibrant LGBT communities in the country, while also continuing to have some of the most restrictive laws; Florida is one of a few states that still explicitly bans adoption by gay and lesbian couples.

An article published in Sunday’s Miami Herald talks about growing LGBT political clout in Florida and its importance in a presidential election year. The piece highlights the campaign responding to Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle’s anti-gay remarks, the increasing number of openly gay candidates currently vying for office, and recent legislative victories for the LGBT community – including protections for transgender residents of Gainesville. Also drawing a lot of attention is Florida’s upcoming ballot initiative on marriage, which could take away domestic partner benefits for any unmarried couple, straight or gay.

It is heartening to see that the media is focusing on more openly gay people running for office in a fair, accurate and inclusive way by depicting them in terms of their commitment to a broad range of policy issues. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel recently featured an article on Bryan Caletka, who is running for Broward County Commissioner. The piece quotes Caletka as saying it wasn’t just his work around LGBT issues that motivated him to run for office, but also his desire to lower crime in his district.

Caletka’s story is just one example of the many ways that media outlets in Florida are talking about the role of LGBT people and politicians during this significant election year.  The complexity of Florida’s political climate, in addition to its position as a swing state in the presidential election, creates an opportunity for media to analyze the unique role of the LGBT community in both statewide and national politics throughout the country.

 Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy