Tuesday morning MSNBC's Alex Seitz-Wald tweeted "Another big endorsement: @HRC for HRC. Not huge surprise, but helps undercut Sanders' claim that he's been strong on gay rights longer." No, not much of a surprise at all-- the least grassroots, most Beltway Establishment gay insider group endorses the Establishment candidate! As for undercutting Bernie's claim that he's been strong on gay rights longer, well, only in the minds of shallow, lazy corporate media hacks who missed the journalism class on context.HRC, a gay white male lobbying group in Washington, never does anything to ruffle the feathers of the Democratic establishment. Like Hillary Clinton, they even backed Joe Lieberman against Ned Lamont. Last cycle they backed Republican Susan Collins against same-sex marriage campaigner Shenna Bellows. When I was president of Reprise Records, HRC gave me an award for "Workplace Equality Innovation," which I chopped up with an ax when they endorsed Lieberman.In endorsing her Monday, HRC noted that "She has stood with us, and now it's our turn." Except she didn't. Always the good little careerist, she wasn't only not a leader on contentious LGBT issues, she was an opponent. How many times did she mouth the right wing bromide about how "marriage is for one man and one woman?" She aggressively and opportunistically opposed same-sex marriage until the end of 2013. What a leader! Last June, PolitiFact looked at Hillary's record of opposition to marriage equality.
Hillary Clinton would face questions about same-sex marriage starting with her 2000 campaign for Senate. Let’s look at the highlights of her statements between 1999 and 2015 in a timeline:December 1999: Clinton told a group of gay contributors at a fundraiser that she was against the "don't ask, don't tell" military policy signed by her husband.The New York Times reported that Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said she supported the Defense of Marriage Act but added that "same-sex unions should be recognized and that same-sex unions should be entitled to all the rights and privileges that every other American gets."January 2000: At a news conference in White Plains, Clinton said, "Marriage has got historic, religious and moral content that goes back to the beginning of time, and I think a marriage is as a marriage has always been, between a man and a woman. But I also believe that people in committed gay marriages, as they believe them to be, should be given rights under the law that recognize and respect their relationship."April 2000: Clinton again expressed support for civil unions. "I have supported the kind of rights and responsibilities that are being extended to gay couples in Vermont," she said.July 2004: Clinton spoke on the Senate floor against a proposed federal amendment to ban same-sex marriage. (The amendment ultimately failed.) Though she opposed it, she said that she believed that marriage was "a sacred bond between a man and a woman."However, she said she took "umbrage at anyone who might suggest that those of us who worry about amending the Constitution are less committed to the sanctity of marriage, or to the fundamental bedrock principle that exists between a man and a woman."October 2006: Clinton told a group of gay elected officials that she would support same-sex marriage in New York if a future governor and Legislature chose to enact such a law."I support states making the decision," she said.As a 2008 presidential candidateIn 2007, all the presidential contenders except for longshot candidates-- both Democrats and GOP-- were against same-sex marriage, the New York Times reported. So were the majority of Americans, polls showed.May 2007: In a questionnaire for the Human Rights Campaign in 2007, Clinton backed away from the Defense of Marriage Act:"I support repealing the provision of DOMA that may prohibit the federal government from providing benefits to people in states that recognize same-sex marriage."In response to a question about whether marriage should be made legally available to two committed adults of the same sex, Clinton marked that she was "opposed" though she stated she supported civil unions.August 2007: In a Democratic primary debate sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign and LOGO Network (a gay-oriented TV station) Clinton was asked "What is at the heart of your opposition to same-sex marriage?"Clinton replied: "Well, I prefer to think of it as being very positive about civil unions. You know, it’s a personal position. How we get to full equality is the debate we’re having, and I am absolutely in favor of civil unions with full equality of benefits, rights, and privileges."As a 2016 presidential candidateAs Clinton got ready for her second presidential bid, she again modified her position.March 2013: After leaving her position as secretary of state, she announced her support for same-sex marriage in a video with the Human Rights Campaign on March 18, 2013....Our conclusionClinton opposed same-sex marriage as a candidate for the Senate, while in office as a senator, and while running for president in 2008. She expressed her support for civil unions starting in 2000 and for the rights’ of states to set their own laws in favor of same-sex marriage in 2006.As polls showed that a majority of Americans supported same-sex marriage, Clinton’s views changed, too. She announced her support for same-sex marriage in March 2013.It’s up to voters to decide how they feel about her changed stance, but on same-sex marriage we give Clinton a Full Flop.
So... much better than Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee or Marco Rubio, who are competing for the homophobe of the year? Of course she is-- much better. But right now we should be comparing her to Bernie. And his record on LGBT equality is not really something that had to evolve or be poll-tested. Right after being elected mayor of Burlington he backed the city's first-ever Pride Parade (1983) and then signed the city's first ordinance banning housing discrimination. In 1996 when Hillary was pushing the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act, only 67 congressman voted against it, Sanders being one of them. It's good that Hillary has evolved-- on LBGT issues and almost every other progressive issue-- but she followed, dragging her feet, while Bernie led. It makes a difference.And on another topic, this was nice to see when I woke up this morning. Please share it with anyone you know in Iowa, South Carolina, Nevada and... well anyone who votes in Democratic primaries.
