John Edwards______________
'I am astounded by those who believe hostility toward homosexuals and the denial of civil rights to them is not a civil rights issue. ... Gay and lesbian rights are not 'special rights' in any way. It isn't 'special' to be free from discrimination—it is an ordinary, universal entitlement of citizenship. The right not to be discriminated against is a common-place claim we can expect to enjoy under our laws and our founding document, the Constitution. That many had to struggle to gain these rights makes them precious—it does not make them special, and it does not reserve them only for me or restrict them from others.' — Julian Bond, board chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, in a Sept. 18 letter to the organization's chapter in Fort Lauderdale, which has an anti-gay mayor.
'I'm on my mom's side with this, not my dad's. It's the word 'marriage' that he is hung up on. It's not about gay rights. He very much does not understand—he has trouble, I guess, with the term 'gay marriage.' I don't. I'm not going to try to defend him on that because I don't agree with it, but that's where he stands. But I don't want it to be understood as not standing for gay rights because that's certainly not true.' — Cate Edwards, daughter of presidential candidate John Edwards, campaigning in Des Moines, Iowa, Sept. 30, according to CNN. John's wife, Elizabeth, also supports legalization of same-sex marriage which, to date, has happened only in Massachusetts and, for one day, in Polk County, Iowa, where a judge quickly stayed his decision legalizing it so the county could appeal. One couple married in the interim.
'It would be wrong for the people to vote for something, and for me to then overturn it. I don't do that, I will not do it. And so they can send that bill down as many times as they want, I won't do it.'— California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announcing Sept. 17 that he will veto a bill passed by the Legislature, for the second time in three years, legalizing same-sex marriage. The word 'something' refers to a 2000 ballot initiative in which California voters amended the 'Foreign Marriages' section of state law to prohibit California from recognizing same-sex marriages conducted in the places where they are legal: Massachusetts, Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and South Africa.
'If anyone had told us, as we scrambled around on someone's living room floor, surrounded by posters, that the signs we were making would some day be in the Smithsonian collection, along with one of Thomas Jefferson's desks, we would have thought he was insane.'— Legendary gay activist Frank Kameny, 82, as some of his activist memorabilia—including picket signs from pre-Stonewall days—went on display at the Smithsonian Institution Sept. 6, as reported by syndicated reporter Bob Roehr.
'I think we should elect [ Al Gore ] again. He's the only president in how many years that's actually been elected by popular vote of the people. He should serve. I think he should come back and run again. People need him.' — Roseanne Barr to the Chicago gay newspaper Windy City Times, Sept. 26.
'I blog every day. I was like the first person to blog. I've been blogging for 13 years, back when I could only get six people to pick it up ... I like to keep thoughts out there. I think what I have to say is representative of people who are being hurt. I kind of do it as a service to them.' — Roseanne Barr to the Chicago gay newspaper Windy City Times, Sept. 26.
—Assistance: Bill Kelley