HRC Debate - Tonight; followed by a conversation with Obama

Catch the article on Obama’s post-forum teleconference here.

I’ll be watching the HRC Presidential Debate tonight via visiblevote08.logoonline.com (we don’t get LOGO here in North Carolina).

I’ll definitely be writing up my responses.

I think it will be interesting to see how all the candidates respond to the various issues. This is the first time in history that the LGBT community has been able to have a debate specifically and totally centered on our issues - the issues that we have to live with day in and day out. It will be one of the first times in history that candidates will have to face an audience primarily made up by those people who are consistently and intentionally placed within a rank of second class citizenship and who deal with all the legal, systematic discrimination and denial that goes hand-in-hand with their membership in such a group.

I have a bet that Edwards will continue to do his “non-answer” answers, even though I can appreciate and respect the journey he says he’s been on. I have a feeling that Clinton will, once again (as always), use her usual, coined and pre-written statements on how she is against the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. As for Obama… let’s just hope his performance on the marriage question isn’t as bad as it was during the CNN/YouTube debate.

And that, my friends, is the crux - the very catalyst - for why this HRC/LOGO debate even exists: As a friend of mine said in an email to me earlier, this debate would not even be a possibility if not for the one LGBT issue on the minds of so many people during this current election season.

What issue, you ask?

Marriage.

If not for this issue - an issue so firmly recognizable to so many Americans - we would not have this debate.

The debate over marriage equality is one that brings up a lot of emotions and sometimes raises some tempers, but it is this issue that has become so large that it has enabled our community to come to the forefront.

And even after all this, all the major candidates remain on the side of those who push a “Separate, But Equal” philosophy. If the situation in New Jersey isn’t enough to show us that “civil unions” do not work, then I guess we are all lost. Except us gays, of course. We know what works and what won’t work. But we are the minority.

Expect much more commentary later tonight and into tomorrow.

And for what might really be the reason why you chose to read this particular post: A conversation with Barack Obama. I’ll be listening in on a conference call with Obama and others following the debate. I’ll write down what I hear, what I liked, what I didn’t like and what maybe rubbed me the wrong way. More for later… for sure.

Catch the article on Obama’s post-forum teleconference here.

Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, LGBT, Human Rights Campaign, HRC, LOGO, Presidential Debate, election, 2008

Posted in Civil Rights, Dont Ask Dont Tell, LGBT, LGBT Families, Marriage Equality, Politics, United States |