Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Politics / Homo Bill Clinton Backs Marriage Equality
Posted by Dan Savage on Tue, Jul 14, 2009 at 9:38 AM
It's a little late—a lot late—and his endorsement of marriage equality is something less than ringing:
Former President Bill Clinton has come out in support of same-sex marriage. After speaking at the Campus Progress National Conference in Washington, DC, on July 8, the former president was asked if he supported same-sex marriage. Clinton, in a departure from past statements, replied in the affirmative.... Asked if he would commit his support for same-sex marriage, Clinton responded, "I'm basically in support."
Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996 and ran commercials on Christian radio stations in the Bible Belt boasting about it during his reelection campaign later that same year. Here's hoping Clinton "commits" to campaigning for a repeal of DOMA—and DADT. Obama could use the political cover.
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2
"Obama could use the political cover."
That's a far more reasonable and insightful observation than the usual screeching.
That's a far more reasonable and insightful observation than the usual screeching.
3
He's a fuckin weathervane which points in whatever direction the wind blows.
Thanks for 8 years of Bush you son of a biotch!
And to think how happy and optimistic I was getting shitfaced during your inauguration at my High School kegger under the Washington Monument. Blissfully swimming in the Reflecting Pool like a drunken koi under Abe's stern gaze....
Thanks for 8 years of Bush you son of a biotch!
And to think how happy and optimistic I was getting shitfaced during your inauguration at my High School kegger under the Washington Monument. Blissfully swimming in the Reflecting Pool like a drunken koi under Abe's stern gaze....
4
@3 Yes, yes... and your parents never loved you. Go write about it on your MySpace page. You're too old for that kind of emo crap.
5
He's such a douche...with every passing year, I hate him more and more and his "historical legacy" is going down the toilet...He's going in the Mediocre Presidents Hall of Fame with Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce and Rutherford B Hayes...
7
Right what a douche bag for not committing to marriage equality until now! God damn that Balldawg! How dare he not commit to marriage equality back in 1996! What a moron.
Why's he sooooo late, huh? He should have done it ten-'leben years earlier.
Fucking asshole.
However, President Obama who's still not for marriage equality is okey-dokey! LEt's go kiss his ass some more as he continues to break campaign promises about DADT.
Bill Clinton: told you he was for DOMA, campaigned on it, and kept his word.
Obama: told you he would change Obama, campaigned on it, and broke his word.
God damn that Billdawg! Aaaaargggg@!!@ You just can't trust him! What a typical slithering politician!!!
Why's he sooooo late, huh? He should have done it ten-'leben years earlier.
Fucking asshole.
However, President Obama who's still not for marriage equality is okey-dokey! LEt's go kiss his ass some more as he continues to break campaign promises about DADT.
Bill Clinton: told you he was for DOMA, campaigned on it, and kept his word.
Obama: told you he would change Obama, campaigned on it, and broke his word.
God damn that Billdawg! Aaaaargggg@!!@ You just can't trust him! What a typical slithering politician!!!
8
I really don't know the difference between the 8 years of Bill Clinton and the 8 years of George Bush. I suppose there was less death with Clinton but beyond that not much else.
9
Yeah it would have been nice if he had said this 15 years ago, but I think we should be rather welcoming of people who change their positions, whether public or private, and for whatever motive.
Either we can wait for lots of people to die or we can change peoples minds. Doing that through requires forgiving people who were on the wrong side and letting people come to the right side slowly.
Either we can wait for lots of people to die or we can change peoples minds. Doing that through requires forgiving people who were on the wrong side and letting people come to the right side slowly.
10
Don't be so ignorantly disgusting, you guys.
No difference between Clinton and Bush save for some deaths? ARE YOU SRS?
That in and of itself is telling. However, how much did Clinton attempt to expand his powers?
Have you forgotten about the $122,700,000,000 surplus we had in 2000? That's 122 BILLION
And Bush?
482 billion in deficit
You haters are so angry and skewed.
No difference between Clinton and Bush save for some deaths? ARE YOU SRS?
That in and of itself is telling. However, how much did Clinton attempt to expand his powers?
Have you forgotten about the $122,700,000,000 surplus we had in 2000? That's 122 BILLION
And Bush?
482 billion in deficit
You haters are so angry and skewed.
11
I'm no Clinton fan, but he was never remotely like Bush. For one thing, he took governance seriously.
12
@7: Clinton made overtures to the GLBT community repeatedly and then changed horses mid-stream at the end of his first term. Then he campaigned on that new pony.
Obama is looking bland and unremarkable by comparison. Maybe he'll have to enact a FMA to outdo Clinton.
Clinton, now there's a man who could get a job done.
Obama is looking bland and unremarkable by comparison. Maybe he'll have to enact a FMA to outdo Clinton.
Clinton, now there's a man who could get a job done.
13
Under Clinton, gay marriage was not legal.
Under Bush, gay marriage was not legal.
If we assume gay marriage is the ONLY ISSUE THAT MATTERS, the we can assume the presidencies of Clinton and Bush were the same.
Under Bush, gay marriage was not legal.
If we assume gay marriage is the ONLY ISSUE THAT MATTERS, the we can assume the presidencies of Clinton and Bush were the same.
14
10
$122 Billion surplus, good.
$482 Billion debt, bad.
$2000 Billion debt, Obama
( thats $2,OOO,OOO,OOO.OO )
$122 Billion surplus, good.
$482 Billion debt, bad.
$2000 Billion debt, Obama
( thats $2,OOO,OOO,OOO.OO )
15
14, we all have the mental capacity to ignore your claims that Obama somehow instantly created "2000" billion when he took the reigns from Bush, who DID create that amount
(also, that's not even a viable increment)
(also, that's not even a viable increment)
18
Quick question: so when the majority eventually "comes around" to supporting gay marriage, are you all gonna bitch and moan for the rest of your lives about how they should have done so sooner? Just curious.
19
Big surprise. The Clintons are for whoever they can get. Blacks? Don't you know Clinton was the first BLACK PRESIDENT! Liberals? Oh, they like Obama better in the primaries so let's be the saviors of the trailor park! Working WHITE PEOPLE! Religious nuts? Oh, they are turning elections around so let's advertize how I, Clinton signed DOMA and fought scary gay marriage in the South! Gays unhappy with Obama? Oh, yeah Bill looooves the gays and got a BJ in the White House don't you know!
Bill, Bill.....doesn't Bush Sr need a golfing buddy or something so you can just go away! Everytime you open your mouth I want to take a shower.
Bill, Bill.....doesn't Bush Sr need a golfing buddy or something so you can just go away! Everytime you open your mouth I want to take a shower.
21
Clinton's all about standing up for his principles when he doesn't have to spend any political capital.
23
Yeah, he's not going out on a limb -- but that's exactly the point. Equal marriage has advanced to the point that a weathervane like Clinton can support it, even if it's grudging and years overdue. He's the biggest mainstream politician to come out in support of SSM, which is a huge help to risk-averse Democrats trying to dig up their courage.
24
23: That's a really good point. Clinton supporting it shows it is now a mainstream Democratic Party position, not a touchy subject to be glossed over in order to keep the votes of the Far Left.
25
Although, this is hot on the heels of the DNC flop of a political fundraiser on June 25th. One has to wonder the if the impact of shutting down the GayTM is directly related to these sudden changes in position.
The Clintons do not make any moves that are not very well thoughtout, plotted, polled and planned. They're a calculating duo. Maybe he is trying to redeem his legacy to not be forever known as the president who signed DOMA. Maybe he's trying to show the balls and leadership he should've shown back then but was talked out of by his advisory team, the same people btw who are now advising Obama. Or, maybe he's just putting the screws to Obama for beating his wife in the primary. Who knows.
The Clintons do not make any moves that are not very well thoughtout, plotted, polled and planned. They're a calculating duo. Maybe he is trying to redeem his legacy to not be forever known as the president who signed DOMA. Maybe he's trying to show the balls and leadership he should've shown back then but was talked out of by his advisory team, the same people btw who are now advising Obama. Or, maybe he's just putting the screws to Obama for beating his wife in the primary. Who knows.
28
First of all, as a bitter woman on the verge of divorce from my partner of 17 years (married 2), and realizing that 50% of ALL marriages end in divorce, what are we fighting for? This is the wrong fight. We should be fighting for respect for all relationships and to abolish marriage and therefore divorce. It's the State oversight of personal life that's problematic. The only folks who make out are lawyers. Politicians are politicians. It is a given. And Bill lied about his own crap; he wasn't like Bush and Cheney. AND he was intelligent. Definitely unlike W. Obama is even smarter than Bill and inherited hell on earth. And he's still a politician. Gay marriage is the least of his problems. It's the least of ours. I'm a little more worried about the economy, unemployment, health care, education, the wars, global warming........
29
@ 8,
There was no war and the economy was good. Really, really good. And that thing called a national debt? We didn't have one of those. We had a surplus.
There was no war and the economy was good. Really, really good. And that thing called a national debt? We didn't have one of those. We had a surplus.
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