Wed. November 5, 2003
Boston, Massachusetts -
The Democratic candidates for the 2004 presidential nomination rocked the vote Tuesday night in Boston, hoping to energize young people, and their own campaigns at the same time.
The candidates exchanged jibes over subjects as diverse as the Red Sox, the Confederate flag and gay issues. The only candidate who did not appear in the 90 program telecast on CNN was Dick Gephardt.
Responding to a question about same-sex unions, all of the candidates said their were in favor of domestic partner legislation, but, only Rep. Dennis Kucinich was prepared to endorse gay marriage.
"Gays, lesbians, bisexual, transgender people under my administration would have full participation, and they would also have the right to marry," he said.
Sen. John Kerry said if he were in the white House, he would push for the passage of legislation covering gays and lesbians in hate-crimes law.
General Wesley Clark was asked about gays in the military.
"I think everybody deserves the right to serve. And when I'm president, I'm going to make sure that we treat every man, woman and child in America with dignity and respect."
Gen. Clark then called on military leaders to review 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' "I get a lot of reports where it doesn't work," Clark said, adding "I think the policy . . . needs to be reviewed because there are so many indications that it's not working. I think you start with a review with the presumption that it isn't. And let the armed forces leadership go back through it and give us a better policy so that every American who desires to serve can."
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), when presented with a similar question, invoked the name of Leonard Matlovich. "There is a cemetery, the congressional cemetery in Washington, D.C., where there is a tombstone. And the tombstone says, 'My country gave me a medal for killing a man and gave me a dishonorable discharge for loving one,'" Kerry told the audience.
He then went on to note that, "I was one of only four people who testified before . . . the Armed Services Committee on the right and ability of anybody to serve in the armed forces of the United States."
All of the Democratic presidential candidates have indicated that they support repealing the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual service members. President Bush indicated in 2000 that he supports the current ban.
by Michael J. Meade
365Gay.com Newscenter
Boston Bureau
©365Gay.com® 2003
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