NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–It’s no secret that the homosexual community forms part of Barack Obama’s base, and a new Harris Interactive poll shows the presumptive Democratic nominee holding a 46-point lead over Republican John McCain among that group.
Obama, who has gone further than any previous major presidential candidate in making pledges to the homosexual community, leads McCain 60-14 percent among homosexuals, The Advocate reported. Three percent chose Libertarian Bob Barr, 1 percent Ralph Nader and 17 percent were undecided. The online poll of 2,690 adults (homosexual and non-homosexual) was conducted July 3-11.
Even though Obama hasn’t publicly stated his support for “gay marriage,” his comments on the issue have resulted in enthusiastic support from homosexuals. For instance, he opposes proposed constitutional marriage amendments in California, Arizona and Florida — a position that even John Kerry, from left-leaning Massachusetts, did not take when he was the 2004 nominee. Kerry publicly criticized his state’s high court for legalizing “gay marriage” and backed a proposed marriage amendment that would have overturned the Massachusetts ruling. Recently, when California’s high court legalized “gay marriage,” Obama released a statement saying he respected the decision.
Obama also has pledged to overturn the military’s don’t ask, don’t tell policy, which prevents homosexuals from serving openly, and the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which was passed in 1996 with the goal of giving states the option of not recognizing another state’s “gay marriages.” Kerry voted against DOMA in 1996 but when running for president in 2004 did not support its repeal.
Obama also has written letters spelling out his support for the homosexual community.
“As the Democratic nominee for President,” he wrote this year to the Alice B. Toklas Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Democratic Club, “I am proud to join with and support the LGBT community in an effort to set our nation on a course that recognizes LGBT Americans with full equality under the law. That is why I support extending fully equal rights and benefits to same sex couples under both state and federal law…. I look forward to working with you in the coming months and years, and I wish you all continued success.”
CENSUS WON’T RECOGNIZE ‘GAY MARRIAGES’ — Massachusetts and California recognize “gay marriage,” but the 2010 census won’t record such relationships, The San Jose Mercury News reported.
The Census Bureau says the federal Defense of Marriage Act prevents it from recording “gay marriages” in the count, which takes place every 10 years. DOMA prohibits the federal government from recognizing “gay marriage” and gives states the option to do the same.
Couples who are “married” will be classified as unmarried, same-sex partners, the newspaper said.
‘GAY MARRIAGE’ IN NEW YORK? — The fight against “gay marriage” legalization in New York state took a hit in June when Senate majority leader Joseph Bruno, a popular Republican and an opponent of “gay marriage,” announced he won’t seek re-election this November. The GOP holds a slim two-seat majority over Democrats.
When a “gay marriage” bill passed the Democratic-controlled state Assembly last year, Bruno publicly said it wouldn’t get a vote in the Senate. It didn’t.
But all that could change if Democrats take control of the Senate this fall. Democrat Gov. David Paterson is on record as saying he would sign the bill.
“It’s over. That’s it. We win [the Senate],” one Democratic lawmaker said after Bruno’s announcement, the New York Daily News reported.
Alan Van Capelle, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, a New York homosexual organization, told The Advocate, “I think that we were in very good shape before any of this happened (Bruno leaving). Our prospects for winning a pro-LGBT leadership in the senate were extraordinarily good, and I’m even more hopeful now.”
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Michael Foust is an assistant editor of Baptist Press.
