Barney Frank Speaks OUT on Sarah Palin

Barney Frank, who has represented the 4th District of Massachusetts since 1981, and is one of two out gay people in the House of Representatives. Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Congresswoman, is the only lesbian in the House.

Frank, a Harvard graduate, who has long stood as an outsider in congress because of his sexual orientatin, came out in 1987.  Since, his political adversaries have attempted time and time again to unseat him, but to no avail.

In a Boston Globe article, Congressman Frank stated;

“Governor Palin’s daughter is entitled to be treated with compassion. But that is precisely the point that makes this a relevant political issue. Palin was selected by McCain in substantial part because of her high standing as a leading advocate of the socially conservative wing of the Republican Party.”

On the way to becoming a grandmother to an illegitimate child her underage daughter is carrying, Palin, 44, stated:

“We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us. Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. We’re proud of Bristol’s decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents.”

Congressman Frank’s general reply:

“The glaring inconsistency between the social philosophy that blames liberalism for divorce and teen pregnancy and the facts of Palin’s family life further underlines the serious shortcomings of that philosophy. This does not mean that family members are “fair game,” a view that some have inaccurately attributed to me. People are not “game,” fair or unfair. They are human beings who often face difficult personal decisions. The relevant political point about the existence of these incidents in Palin’s family is not that they reflect badly on her or her relatives, but that they further reveal the central flaw of the harshly judgmental and intolerant philosophy she exemplifies. That is why the questions of divorce and teen pregnancy are relevant in discussions of the McCain/Palin ticket. The individuals involved in these cases deserve to be treated with compassion, but so do millions of other Americans who find themselves in similar situations. But, sadly, they are often met with criticism and hostile public policy formulated by those who now claim Palin as their political champion. Too often, people on the right seek to impose strict standards on others, and blame them for falling short, while making exceptions for those close to them. Respect and compassion should extend to all who find themselves in similar situations.”

While Palin claims to have gay friends, and is receptive to arguments about discrimination, she also stated she would support a statewide ballot proposal in Alaska that would deny benefits to homosexual couples.

I wonder if listening to Stevie Wonder makes her a sensitive to African-American issues?

Michelle Obama Speaks to GLBT Community

Michelle Obama addressed GLBT delegates including Tammy Baldwin, Barney Frank, and other GLBT leaders from around the country.
“We want to make our nation a place where everyone gets a shot regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation,” she said. “You in this room are setting the tone for everything we’re doing this week.”
Obama spoke about the progress the GLBT community has made. She noted that 88 years ago this week, women won the right to vote, and 45 years ago this week, Martin Luther King, Jr. made his famous “I have a Dream” speech.  “It’s been five years since Lawrence v. Texas and 39 since Stonewall, and we’ve still got work to do before we achieve equality,” she said.

Michelle and her husband, Presidential hopeful Barack Obama have certainly stepped up to the plate for the GLBT Community

GLBT Community Making a Mark at the DNC

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Community will be well-represented at the Democratic National Convention and many GLBT Leaders and Organizations will play a role in convention events.

There will be a ground-breaking number of GLBT delegates at this year’s convention. The Stonewall Democrats estimate that When final number counts are released in Denver, more than 350 GLBT participants will attend the convention. This represents approximately 6% of total convention attendees and is 27% increase from the 282 LGBT participants who attended the Democratic National Convention in Boston in 2004.

The Stonewall Democrats National Convention will be held the weekend of August 21-24 prior to the Democratic National Convention.

Openly gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, along with the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and The Human Rights Campaign will host a GLBT Delegate Lunch at the Convention. Guests will include another openly gay U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, who will also speak at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night.

Gay Candidate Advances to General Election

Jared Polis has made history by advancing to a general election to represent Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.  As the Democratic nominee in an overwhelmingly Democratic district, Polis is nearly certain to win the seat in November.  He would join Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Barney Frank (D-Mass.) as the only openly gay or lesbian members of Congress.

“Jared’s election is a victory for democracy.  Gay Americans are woefully underrepresented in our government,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund, which endorsed Polis.  “Jared’s victory brings us one step closer to fulfilling America’s promise of a truly representative government.”

Polis, who was previously elected statewide to the Colorado State Board of Education, would fill the seat of Rep. Mark Udall, who is running to represent Colorado in the U.S. Senate.  The Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute, the Victory Fund’s affiliated organization, supported Polis when he came out publicly while serving on the Board of Education.  Polis is also a graduate of GLLI’s Advanced Candidate and Campaign Training.

Polis would become the sixth openly gay person to serve in the House of Representatives.  Rep. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat elected from Wisconsin in 1998, was the first openly gay person to be elected to the U.S. House as a non-incumbent.  Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, also a Democrat, announced he was gay in 1987 after having served several terms in the House.  Frank is now the powerful chairman of the House Financial Services Committee.

Solo Gay Congresswoman Joins Obama Committee

The only openly gay Congresswoman, Tammy Baldwin (Dem. Wisconsin) has joined Barack Obama’s national gay leadership and policy committee. She will co-chair the committee with Tobias Wolff, a University of Pennsylvania law professor. Baldwin’s previous GLBT service includes being the head of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s gay leadership team.

“I am proud to support Barack Obama for president and work hard for his election because we share a commitment to equality for all Americans,” she said in a statement. “This is our quest and our common goal.”

Baldwin also stated she was not supporting Obama only because he is a Democrat but because of the differences between the candidates. She listed issues ranging from the Iraq war to health care to gay issues.

She mentioned Obama’s desire to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” policy which would allow gays and lesbians to serve in the military without discrimination or discharge due to their sexual orientation. Republican John McCain wants the current policy to stay in place.

Obama also supports expanding the federal employment non-discrimination laws and federal hate crime laws to protect the GLBT community. McCain does not, she noted.

Now maybe she can do something with Juliane Appling.

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