Thursday, June 5, 2008

The Real McCain By Mark R. Kerr

For those Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT), Log Cabin Republicans, straight supportive, open minded or for that matter, readers of this column and publication who are, for any reason considering voting for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Arizona Senator John McCain on Tuesday, November 4:

In a press release, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) PAC, the federal political action committee of the nation’s largest LGBT civil rights organization, has announced the release of a comprehensive report – “Senator John McCain: A Record of Opposing the Interests of LGBT Americans.”

As the general election nears, Sen. John McCain and his “supporters” in the corporate hack media will tout his reputation as a maverick, an independent and a moderate, but a review of Sen. McCain’s record paints a different picture.

HRC-PAC’s report provides an in-depth view of Sen. John McCain’s record on LGBT issues and the likelihood that a McCain presidency would be similar to that of President George W. Bush and which can be viewed online at hrc.org/McCain.

“We’ve witnessed President Bush over the last seven years repeatedly side with ultra-conservatives and the religious right at the expense of protections for LGBT Americans. Judging by his record, a McCain presidency would be another four years of more of the same,” said Human Rights Campaign Vice President David Smith in the press release.

“Similar to Bush, Sen. John McCain opposes equal benefits for same-sex couples; opposes the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to prohibit discrimination against LGBT Americans in the workplace; opposes expanding the hate crimes act to include sexual orientation and gender identity, and supports the military’s discriminatory Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.”

“Sen. McCain voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA), which would have rewritten discrimination into our Constitution, but his position on equality for same-sex couples is no different than that of President Bush and the conservative right,” said Arizona State Representative Kyrsten Sinema (D-Phoenix), who serves on the HRC Arizona Steering Committee and previously directed Arizona Together, the group responsible for defeating the 2006 Arizona constitutional amendment against marriage equality. “The same year Sen. McCain voted against the FMA, he worked to oppose equal rights in his home state of Arizona by appearing in a television advertisement in support of a constitutional amendment that not only would have banned same-sex marriage, but also would have taken away existing benefits and legal protections for unmarried families.”

From the report, some examples of McCain’s maverick, moderate votes on issues of concern.

Senator McCain cast a deciding vote against the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act;

Voted three times against expanding the federal hate crimes law to include sexual orientation and gender identity;

Supports Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and does not believe that Gays should serve in the military;

Voted for the Defense of Marriage Act which prohibits same-sex couples from receiving federal rights and benefits in any state;

Voted to confirm President Bush’s judicial nominees who had taken anti-LGBT positions and has pointed to Justice Samuel Alito as a role model for future Supreme Court appointments;

Supported a strategy to cut off funding for prevention efforts aimed at the G/B community and voted to prohibit foreign nationals with HIV from immigrating to the United States.

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