Dems Face Sharp Questions On Gay Rights

(AP)  Democratic presidential contenders sought to underscore their differences with Republicans on gay and lesbian rights, but leading candidates also faced sharp questions on their reluctance to embrace marriage for same-sex couples.

In a forum Thursday night focusing on gay issues sponsored by a gay-rights organization and aired on a gay-oriented cable channel, Sen. Barack Obama argued that civil unions for same-sex couples wouldn't be a "lesser thing" than marriage. He disputed that his position on same-sex marriage made him a vestige of the past rather than an agent of change.

Obama belongs to the United Church of Christ, which supports gay marriage, but Obama has yet to go that far.

"If we have a situation in which civil unions are fully enforced, are widely recognized, people have civil rights under the law, then my sense is that's enormous progress," Obama said.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said the nation was on "a path to full inclusion" but added, "In my judgment, what is achievable is civil unions with full marriage rights."

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton echoed support for civil unions. "I will be a president who will fight for you," she said.

But she also said she made a mistake in March when she steered around a question on whether homosexuality was immoral. She was asked about it at the time after Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he considered homosexual acts immoral and similar to adultery. He later said he should have not expressed his personal views. Clinton later issued a statement saying she did not think being gay was immoral.

"It was a mistake," Clinton said. "I should have put it in a broader context."

Six of the eight Democratic candidates for the 2008 election answered questions at an event described as a milestone by organizers. It marked the first time that major presidential candidates appeared on TV specifically to address gay issues, organizers said.

Obama called the event "a historic moment ... for America."

The two-hour forum, held in a Hollywood studio with an invited audience of 200, was co-sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign, a gay-rights group active in Democratic politics, and Logo, a gay-oriented cable TV channel that aired the forum live.

"Tonight was an important night in the fight for equality," Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese, who was on a panel posing questions to the candidates, said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, we have more work to do. The overwhelming majority of the candidates do not support marriage equality. While we heard very strong commitments to civil unions and equality in federal rights and benefits, their reasons for opposing equality in civil marriage tonight became even less clear."

Of the eight Democratic candidates, two did not attend, Sens. Joe Biden and Chris Dodd.

The candidates, who appeared one at a time and sat in an upholstered chair, took questions from a panel that also included singer Melissa Etheridge and Washington Post editorial writer Jonathan Capehart.

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[jankebenz]

Wow! what a hot issue,55 pages,I've read them all. It seems that many self proclaimed "christians " feel that homosexuality is condoned or allowed in scripture Jesus said in Matthew 15:19 " for out of mens hearts comes evil thoughts murder,adultery,sexual immorality,theft,false testimony,slander 20 These are what make a man unclean " Paul wrote in Galatians 5:19 " The acts of the sinful nature are obvious:sexual immorality ,impurity , ect.ect, 21b " and I warn you as before that those who live like this will NOT inherit the kingdom of God " I can not or will not judge others but the truth is plain to see.

[mmgk]

If ****-animals was rampant, there would not be too many left today. What a joke, I guess you never learned anything in Biology Class in school. *** has been made a play ground by those who do not understand anything about God and right and wrong - so they play, and someday the game will be over and I would not want to be in their soul. Believe or not.

[mmgk]

Church and State are not seperate, it was never intended by our Founding Fathers - only that the State could not dictate anyone's religious belief or force them to believe any way the State choose. It was intended to protect us from another England. The founding fathers were very smart, but it seems some Americans today don't know anything about our beginnings. Look up the Decloration of Independence and you will see. Too much liberalizm talk.

[mmgk]

I'm sorry, but you are wrong about Islam teaching hate, Mohammad first liked the Jews and Christians but in time wanted the Jews to go against the Christians and fight to kill them with him. When the Jews would not, he turned against them also. Mohammad was not for peace or love of his people, but control. Taking a child or anyone and strapping weapons to them to blow them up comes from hate - in the name of WHAT? God is love not hate and he created us all and want us all to love Him first and be loveing to others second. Twisting comes from a distorted faith, read the Koran again and again and hopefully your eyes will be opened to the hatered that it is lined with condeming others who are not obeying Mohammads commands - pure hatred. God created everything out of love and any other mindset is not of God. Look around you and count your blessings or count the dead bodies around you that a book written for a man who hates gives you. Eternity begins the day we are born and when we stop breathing her on this earth, we will then see a different world - with or without God, our choice.

[name_verify]

Jesus never said anything that we know about, countering Moses on the abomination wording for homos. In the event, Jesus doesn't counter Moses, then some observant Christians say the law of Moses stands.

Jesus never said not to circumcize. Circumcision is still practiced by approx. 50% of Christians and results in lower risk of STDs. Even the United Nations, that organization that libs love to endorse, is now recommending circumcision.

What's the point? Just another confused person trying to make sense out of the bible.

[klingon69]

First of all homosexual behavior is rampant in nature. many animals do it so your idea that it's not "natural" is just plain wrong.

Proof?

[name_verify]

Check out the love-fest between Donnie and Randal. If only they could be together in the same place at the same time...

29,000 *** offenders just got booted from MySpace. Wonder what other websites they're drifting to now...

[vet999999]

#1 - All legal US Citizens are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I don't have to agree with their definition.

#2 - Each of us, gay or not, have a responsibilit to our fellow citizens not to encroach in each others space. I can accept the fact that same *** relationships exist but I am very sick and tired of it getting pushed in my face.

#3 - This is NOT a national issue. The locality that issues the license should determine what that locality can support, that is why we have states and not just one big blob of humanity and Leave the US Federal Government out of this stupid debate. By definition, governments are immoral so any notion that we can look to government for moral leadership is going to get you very very lost.

[klingon69]

The same Hebrew law which condemned homosexuality also condemned circumcision and the eating of certain foods for purity.

Circumcision was the human part of fulfuilling the covenant between God and Abraham.

[name_verify]

Providing civil union benefits to same gender couples would establish a legal precedent for plural marriage and incestuous marriage, and most Americans don't want to start sliding down that slippery slope. There might be religious reasons, there might be economic reasons. It is a big vote loser for libs that's for sure.