Thursday, January 15, 2004

If you didn't know already: this year the whole issue of gay marriage is going to be exploited by Bush & Co. to undermine Democrats (none of whom, by the way, support gay marriage, though some support civil unions). First there's support of the anti-gay marriage Const. amendment, which is nasty, discrimantory and overkill (gay marriage is already explicitly illegal). Today's news is that Bush will launch a $1.5B campaign to promote "healthy" marriages. That money won't be spent creating jobs or providing health care but promoting marriage. (Why is the government being used to promote marriage? Isn't that the kind of thing the LDS do best? Why should my tax $$ be spent on this?) Bush will be visiting African-American churches to talk about marriage in ways that don't *sound* like nasty attacks but that still raise people's anxiety levels enough to affect their behavior on election day. It's a nasty way to try and get reelected, and I hope it doesn't work. Still, I don't think the Democratic candidate should fall into this trap, and I approvingly quote a piece of advice from the oft-wise Dan Savage:


"In 1992, Bill Clinton slapped down a minor rap star in order to demonstrate to white Americans that, despite being their favorite candidate, he could stand up to African-Americans. Since the Republicans are going to make gay marriage an issue in the presidential election, and since Dean is vulnerable on the subject, thanks to the civil unions law he signed in Vermont, I hereby invite Dean to pull a "Sister Souljah" on us. My suggestion, Howard: In a speech in San Francisco, slap down all those irresponsible gay men who are spreading HIV, whether through malice or negligence, which would play to your strengths as a doc and get you condemned by most of the gay media. Gay voters don't read the gay media, so you don't need to worry."

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