We're going to have some good election night coverage, and I'll be here Tuesday night updating you on what's going on in elections around the country.
I'm working on my list of races that are important to LGBTQ news to follow, and that's after the jump. What races do you think are important on queer issues?
My list:
- Presidential race
- Arizona's Proposition 102
- Arkansas's Unmarried Couple Adoption Ban
- California's Proposition 8
- Connecticut's Constitutional Convention question
- Colorado's Fourth District (Marilyn Musgrave's seat)
- Florida's Amendment 2
- Idaho Senate (Larry Craig's seat)
- Minnesota's 3rd district (Ashwin Madia's race)
- Minnesota's 6th district (Michelle Bachmann's seat)
- Colorado's 2nd district (Jared Polis's race)
Am I forgetting anything?
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20 Comments
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Yes, you did. Here in Georgia, the Senate race is absolutely critical to LGBT people. Jim Martin is a good friend to LGBT people, and many of us have worked on his campaign. HRC and Stonewall Dems have endorsed him. Whenever I see him, he and his wife give me a hug. Yeah, he will be a friend we will be able count on.
And as a veteran, he will support the repeal of DADT.
MonicaHelms | November 1, 2008 11:04 AM
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Yes, you are forgetting some.
Linda Ketner, the lesbian Congressional candidate from South Carolina;
Al Franken - US Senate candidate - MN;
Chris Gregoire - WA governor. She's a Democratic incumbent in a Democratic state in a Democratic year, but it's a nasty grudge re-match from four years ago against a real fuckwad who she beat by like 350 votes.
Elizabeth Dole - US Senate - NC.
I'm sure I'm forgetting some, too.
Rory | November 1, 2008 11:06 AM
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More on why Gregoire needs to re-elected governor in Washington, over Dino Rossi. This is from Seattle Gay News, Sept. 19th, 2008:
In the Times article, Rossi is quoted as saying he would veto a marriage equality bill if it were passed by the Legislature. He added that he would favor rolling back some domestic partnership rights passed this year.
Jill Strait, media spokesperson for the Dino Rossi campaign confirmed, "Yes, he would veto a marriage bill. People can pass an initiative if they disagree."
As a State Senator, Rossi consistently opposed the Anderson-Murray Civil Rights Bill, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. He left the legislature before domestic partnership legislation was introduced, and therefore had no opportunity to vote for or against it.
On other issues of interest to the LGBT community, Rossi favors allowing individual school districts to decide if they want to offer abstinence-only sex education. He also says local school districts should decide "whether or not to teach creationism along with evolution." Gregoire opposes abstinence-only education, and insists "I want science-based education in our schools."
http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews36_38/page4.cfm
crescentdave | November 1, 2008 4:18 PM
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US House: Pennsylvania
Kathy Dahlkepmer against Phil English(Bush Lackey)
Some local races in Peekskill/Westchester
MauraHennessey | November 1, 2008 11:56 AM
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Al Franken as Rory suggests.
Also I hope you can include Presidential candidates from the so called minor parties. They may be small but their voices need to be heard. thanks.
null | November 1, 2008 12:04 PM
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Here's our follow list for Sirius OutQ News:
US President (Popular Vote)
FL President These four are swing states
MO President with gay populations
NC President large enough to make
NV President a difference
CO US House, 2nd Dist (Boulder) -- Polis
CO US House, 4th Dist (E Colo.) -- Musgrave
MN US House, 6th Dist (St. Cloud) -- Bachmann
SC US House, 1st Dist (Rock Hill) -- Ketner
MI State House, Dist 98 (Midland) -- Lewis
SD State House, Dist 12 (TOP 2) -- Kniffen
TX Dallas County Sheriff -- Lupe Valdez
CA Proposition 8 (Gay Marriage)
FL Amendment 2 (Gay Marriage)
AZ Proposition 102 (Gay Marriage)
AR Initiative 1 (Gay Adoption)
CT Question 1 (Const. Convention)
I may add the Ashwin Madia race. Thanks for the suggestion!
Tim Curran
news director
Sirius OutQ
Sirius OutQ News | November 1, 2008 12:38 PM
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If you're going to get specific about following individual states in the presidential race, everyone should keep their eyes on VA.
The polls close there at 7 PM EST, among the earliest in the nation. It's a must-win state for McCain. If it is called for Obama, we should be able to breathe easy for the rest of the night.
Rory | November 1, 2008 1:08 PM
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I will be following Signorile should he have his blog open.
Charles Merrill | November 1, 2008 9:25 PM
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Here is a new development in Prop 8.
Last night I came home and found this ad in my mail box. It is a Yes on 8 ad featuring Barack Obama saying "I'm not in favor of gay marriage..."
The ad can be seen here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gol...lux/2990069811/
It is being discussed here:
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/ sh...ryId=7927#90369
Is Obama still too afraid to be caught actually voicing his opposition to Prop 8? Will the LGBT cheerleaders continue to enable him to be a cowardly African American President that can't defend equal protections?
patrick | November 1, 2008 2:24 PM
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Patrick,
Would you rather have ideological purity or a progressive president in the White House picking the next three to four progressive Supreme Court justices?
Monica Roberts | November 1, 2008 2:48 PM
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Ideological purity has nothing to do with this.
How is Obama progressive (whatever that means) if he can't find a way to rebut the statements made in this ad?
I'd rather have a President that believes in the Constitutional rights of all Americans.
Is that too much to ask?
I'm not very interested in voting for a coward that can't risk taking a position in support of my citizenship - especially when his words are being used to strip me of my rights.
Why are you so willing to allow yourself to be sacrificed on his behalf?
Better links, hopefully:
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=7927
http://www.flickr.com/photos/golux/2990069811/
There is no excuse for accepting this treatment from his campaign.
patrick | November 1, 2008 2:59 PM
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So, marriage equality is the ONLY way you'll consider yourself "equal?" You'll be able to get married, but you'll still get your ass fired for being gay? Sounds like a good plan.
MonicaHelms | November 1, 2008 3:49 PM
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Did you read my comment or are you just determined to deny what Prop 8 is and hide behind your opinion of marriage to cling to your candidate?
In fact, did I even say the word marriage in my comment?
Nope...I didn't.
But you go right ahead and tell yourself what it's all about...dont read that supreme court decision or anything...just hold your breath and click your heels and Obama will give you ENDA.
He can't talk about it right now because it is too difficult for him. Just write him a check and help get out the vote and don't look behind the curtain.
Hey I'm sure that since he can't defend equal protections than I'm sure he's gonna do everything he can to give you ENDA.
Good luck!
patrick | November 1, 2008 7:00 PM
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You don't get it, do you? EVERY LGBT issue is equally important. EVERY LGBT issue. We will NEVER be equal as long as one of our issues is not resolved. Employment protection, hate crimes legislation, imigration of LGBT love ones and partners, DADT . . . and yes, even marriage equality. What good is the right to get married if you don't have a job because of being gay. What good is it to get married if as a military person, your career is ruined. "Hey, at least I can get married."
Obama can get us closer to full citizenship then any person in the past, and far better than McIdiot and Palin-in-the-Ass can. There is always room for improvement, but you want to waste time chastizing him for one issue, then you go right ahead and focus on one pixel in the HD big picture. Amazingly enough, there are far bigger issues in this country then gay issues. (Wow, what a revelation!) I know, that's a sacrilegious statement on an LGBTQ blog.
I hate to break it to you, Patrick, but you're not the center of the universe, and gay issues aren't the centerpiece of Obama's campaign. And yet, as a lesbian and a trans person, I still support him and I voted for him already. But, he still doesn't support same-sex "marriage." How do I ever live with myself???
MonicaHelms | November 1, 2008 8:44 PM
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Well once the constitution is shit all over I'm sure it will still be conceivable to help you get a job.
Sorry I'm being so selfish.
I must be very silly to think there is something important about constitutional integrity, but hey, Monica...who needs the constitution?
Rip it up. Piss on it.
Then when Obama is in office working hard on your job bill we'll see how that goes.
I'm sure that all of the people willing to vote Yes on 8 are going to sit back and allow you to find work.
I promise to be standing right by your side when ENDA comes back up for the next round of disintegration. I'm sure it's all going to work out...especially after the religious zealots see how easily we folded on 8 by not demanding support from Obama.
patrick | November 1, 2008 9:51 PM
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I have a job, for 19 years now, thank you very much. I transitioned on it 11.5 years ago. So, why do I care about ENDA so much? Why do I care about all the other LGBT issues so much? Because it's the right thing to do. I guess I'm not selfish.
MonicaHelms | November 1, 2008 10:02 PM
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oh no....you aren't selfish...it's me right:
"Both sides agree that what happens here will have a major impact on the same-sex marriage debate across the nation," said David Cruz, a constitutional law expert at the University of Southern California School of Law. "It's not only California's size, but the influence it has on other states and other courts."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/01/MNRV13S2MU.DTL&tsp=1
But I should just sit silently like you and let Obama help Prop 8 pass. I'm selfish and you, my dear are just a sucker.
And as this campaign has proven they are born every minute. You keep holding your breath and pretend it's all about marriage.
patrick | November 1, 2008 11:41 PM
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This is what the Obama/Biden campaign put out on 10/31/08 ... less than 24 hours after the mailer was delivered:
What else do you want? A personal message/advertisement from Obama that will be mailed out Monday and reach Californians Wednesday? Or maybe he should just magically shoot a special advertisement somewhere between today and tomorrow and air it on Monday?
The mailer, the issue, was addressed immediately and specifically.
Finally, here is the thread at The Bilerico Project which specifically addresses this issue:
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/11/obama_takes_gay_rights_stand_four_days_b.php
crescentdave | November 1, 2008 8:59 PM
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At stake in NY are two key State Senate races: Rick Dollinger (D), former Senator who stepped down some years back to pursue other professional goals, is challenging incumbent Joe Robach (R) in the 56th District. In the 55th District, David Nachbar (D) challenges Jim Alesia (R) for that district's state senate seat. With wins in these two districts, the Democrats win a majority in the State Senate and the marriage equality bill has a chance of being passed in the State Senate after having been passed in the assembly in June. The Republican majority leader, Joe Bruno, called the measure "Dead on arrival" when it reached the Senate and vowed it would never make it out of committee. It didn't. So, keep your fingers crossed and say a prayer or whatever you do along those lines so that the Democrats with the day nationally and at those state levels where LGBTQ issues are at risk or in the doorway.
Pat | November 1, 2008 5:22 PM
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Sally Kern is up for re-election in Oklahoma, though I'll be durned if I can find any news since October 10th.
Matt Algren | November 3, 2008 9:39 AM
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