Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Palin is Failin When it Comes to Queer Rights

Senator John McCain the Republican presumptive nominee for President has selected Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate.

Palin is an ardent conservative who will help McCain appeal to the right-wing Christian base while also possibly attracting some disenfranchised Hillary Clinton voters.

Palin has a strong position against equal rights for LGBT people.

She is quoted as saying:

"I am pro-life and I believe that marriage should only be between one man and a woman. I am opposed to any expansion of gambling in Alaska." (Nov 2006)
Palin however is more open to homosexuality than other republicans...
"Palin said she's not out to judge anyone and has good friends who are gay, but that she supported the 1998 constitutional amendment.

Elected officials can't defy the court when it comes to how rights are applied, she said, but she would support a ballot question that would deny benefits to homosexual couples.

"I believe that honoring the family structure is that important," Palin said.

She said she doesn't know if people choose to be gay."
(Anchorage Daily News)

The only positive thing Palin has done for LGBT rights was when she vetoed legislation that would have barred the state from granting benefits to partners of gay state employees. She did so because the court said it was the right to do and she did not want to defy the courts ruling.(Gay)

"She said,"So we may disagree with the foundation there, the rationale behind the ruling, but our responsibility is to proceed forward with the law and abide by the constitution."


NEW INFO: "A 2006 questionnaire completed by Sarah Palin during her race for the Alaska governorship sheds some light on her views of gay rights and other issues.

The questionnaire, sponsored by Eagle Forum Alaska, a conservative group, asked, “Will you support an effort to expand hate crime laws?”

She replied, “No, as I believe all heinous crime is based on hate.”

Palin also answered a question about extending spousal benefits to domestic partners.

The question read, “Do you support the Alaska Supreme Court’s ruling that spousal benefits for state employees should be given to same-sex couples? Why or why not?”

She replied, “No, I believe spousal benefits are reserved for married citizens as defined in our constitution.”

Another question asked for Palin’s priorities “in relationship to families.”

Her second priority listed was, “Preserving the definition of ‘marriage’ as defined in our constitution.”

The questionnaire also asked whether candidates would support funding for abstinence-until-marriage programs, an issue that hits close to home for Palin, whose 17-year-old daughter is five months pregnant.

Her response: “Yes, the explicit sex-ed programs will not find my support.” (Sovo)

Sarah Palin is on all accounts a right-wing Christian conservative, and Queers and anyone concerned about the future of this country should be dedicated to her defeat.

15 comments:

EMikeGarcia said...

What is it about conservatives and their ignorance towards the U.S. Constitution?

Also, I hope to be vegan, one day. It's a process. My tattoo was, initially, in regards to how I treated my fellow humans. I've managed to cut out red meat, chicken and pork from my diet (mostly).

Now I just have to stop killing the pretty (tastey) tuna fish.

Anonymous said...

I don't understand the family comments when it comes to gay and lesbians. We are apart of someones family. So we should be able to have a family of our own besides the one we belong to to begin with.

Did that make any sense?

C.

Anonymous said...

(AMEN Ceara!)
I am cringing a little today at this running mate... I sure hope for better than this in November!

Joie Mayfield said...

She wasn't very captivating, I don't think.

Anonymous said...

"The only positive thing Palin has done for LGBT rights was when she vetoed legislation that would have barred the state from granting benefits to partners of gay state employees".

Not True. She supported and promoted this legislation and only vetoed it when she was told by the supreme court and attorney general that it was unconstitutional and had no choice.

Laurie said...

That woman will not get my vote.
I believe it's the womans choice about
her body just so long as it isn't being
used as a form of birth control.

ALSO, I believe marriage is a union between
two people who love each other and are
willing to stay together through the good
the bad and the ugly. It shouldn't be about
what sex you are or aren't.

Maybe I should run for president...What do
ya think?haha!

HUGS!!!!!!!!

Mary said...

Did anyone actually expect her to be for same-sex marriage, really? It's not a surprise.

T. R Xands said...

I can't even add anything intelligent to this conversation unfortunately. I want to so badly. I was talking to my mother on the phone and I couldn't even articulate how baffled I am by this woman.

Really, all her questionable views aside, was this really the best McCain could do? Really? I know I tune politics out a lot but this literally just blindsided the hell out of me.

A Strange Boy said...

Somehow I think McCain wants to lose to Obama. Just a bad candidate all around...I mean, McCain picking a hand puppet as his running mate would have had less WTF-factor.

I hope there are enough people who were courted by the Republicans as part of the Southern Strategy who are just as opposed to a woman as a black man in office. Just so they split the vote and they prevent McCain from winning.

Anonymous said...

Eek. The "I'm not homophobic, I have gay friends"? Sounds an awful lot like people who say "I can't be racist, I have one black friend!"

Ick.

Anonymous said...

Her opinions on policy-making and marriage and the like wasn't really what got me.
It was the number of kids she had!
I spent all last night researching her and came across a bunch of really interesting stuff they failed to mention when she accepted her nomination.

1. She and McCain had only ever met once before he asked her to be his running mate.
2. Days before she was officially nominated, she was on CNBC and asked the news anchor, "What is it a VP does exactly?" The news anchor had to explain it to her. (The video's on youtube.)
3. She has five kids. The youngest of her children, the baby her daughter was carrying when Palin gave her speech in Ohio, has down syndrome. How is she going to take care of a baby, especially one that is going to need constant care due to an illness, and be second to the President?

I think this is all a big gimmick by McCain to try and get Hillary supporters but I doubt Hillary supporters are going to be the least bit interested in Palin with her stances the way they are. I thuroughly look forward to the Democratic Party political analysts to eat this woman for BREAKFAST.

Laurie said...

I thought I saw that picture before!
She looks psyco in it. YIKES!!! Watch out!


HUGS!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

My first impression of Sarah Palin is of someone who will say what she needs to say to appeal to her core voters.

As a soon to be grandmother, and parent of pregnant teenager, she can't honestly believe that abstinence programs are the most effective form preventing unplanned pregnancies. Let's face it her daughter didn't get pregnant by practising abstinence did she?

Honestly how can you support a program that's failed your daughter?

As for her record on gay rights, well that's mixed, but I don't see as an out and out homophobe, more a politician who doesn't really have a gay-agenda as she's not exposed to it on any real level. Consequently she panders to her core voters on this push-button issue.

As a Brit I don't get a vote in the US elections, but if I did, I'd support Obama, I'm a liberal so a natural democrat voter.

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Laurie said...

HEY! My son and I were talking about her
just now and he said that she deserved to die
and when I told him that we don't wish that
on people he reminded me that SHE IS ALLOWING
PEOPLE IN THE STATE OF ALASKA TO KILL WOLVES!
TO RUN THEM TILL THEY CAN'T GO ANY MORE AND
KILL THEM!!!!! I can't beleive I forgot that
and I look at the calender that has it on
there every day!!!

HUGS!!!!!!!

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