Just two years after Vermont created a marriage-like system for gay couples, several gubernatorial candidates in competitive races have declared they'd like their own states to follow the Green Mountain state's historic lead.
This remarkable development in the 2002 election season underscores the importance of state-level gains and how quickly high-level politicians are embracing gay civil rights--moving well beyond simply opposing anti-gay job discrimination.
Under the civil union system Vermont launched in July 2000, gay couples are eligible for all the state-level rights, benefits and responsibilities of marriage. The fact that several gubernatorial nominees are backing civil unions is particularly good news. States are moving much more quickly than the federal government toward full legal equality for those of us who're gay. And a gay-friendly chief executive in a governor's mansion can be a real driving force for progress.
Gubernatorial nominees who have endorsed civil unions include Democrats Shannon O'Brien of Massachusetts, Jennifer Granholm of Michigan and Myrth York of Rhode Island.
York and O'Brien have gone a step further and said they would sign legislation opening up marriage to same-sex couples if such a bill landed on their desk. ( In the Democratic gubernatorial primary in Massachusetts, former U.S. secretary of labor Robert Reich-- who came in second in a five-way race-- endorsed full marriage for gay couples. )
Elsewhere, several gubernatorial nominees have said they aren't ready to support civil unions but favor piecemeal rights and benefits for same-sex couples. They include Democrats Gray Davis, governor of trend-setting California; John Baldacci of Maine; Kathleen Kennedy Townsend of Maryland; and Mark Fernald of New Hampshire. [ Rod Blagojevich in Illinois is also on that list. ]
"What we're seeing is terrific," says Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who signed civil unions into law and is now running for the Democratic presidential nomination. "Civil unions are going to happen around the country. Civil unions provide equal rights under law, which is our job as politicians. Marriage is for churches, synagogues and mosques."
Asked why support for civil unions has taken off so quickly among normally hyper-cautious politicians, Dean pointed to Vermont's positive experience with its groundbreaking law and to Sept. 11.
"There were a lot of gay people who died on those planes and in those buildings. That brought home to Americans that we are one family--we live and die as a family," says Dean, who is pushing for federal recognition of civil unions so gay couples can get the same federal tax and Social Security benefits as our married friends and neighbors.
Also noteworthy in this election:
-- Initiatives: Anti-gay measures are on the ballot in Ypsilanti, Mich.; Tacoma, Wash.; Westbrook, Me.; and Nevada.
-- GOP progress: Under pressure from New York Republican Gov. George Pataki, who is running for re-election, the state Senate's leader has promised to finally allow a vote on outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation.
-- Shameful moments: In Montana, Democrats aired a television ad that showed the Republican Senate nominee in his days as a hairdresser and prompted him to quit the race temporarily. He said his support had nose-dived because the ad made him seem gay. Meanwhile, Florida Republican Gov. Jeb Bush, who is a tight re-election fight, made anti-lesbian remarks when he didn't realize a reporter was present.
-- Exits: The two most virulently anti-gay members of Congress won't becoming back: Retiring Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., and Rep. Bob Barr, R-Ga., who lost his primary.
"We hope that their anti-gay legislation will go with them," says Winnie Stachelberg of the gay Human Rights Campaign.
Politicians eager to speak up for gay Americans are the ones whose ranks are growing.
Deb Price of The Detroit News writes the first nationally syndicated column on gay issues and is the co-author of "Courting Justice: Gay Men and Lesbians v. the Supreme Court." www.creators.com .
