George W. Bush on GLBT Issues
What He Has Said:
In Debate 2 Bush said he favored "equal" rights for gays and lesbians, but not "special" rights.
Bushwatch.com brings us the truth, citing sources as indicated:
- "Bush has supported a Texas law that allows the state to take adopted children from gay and lesbian couples to place the kids with straight couples." Salon, 10/12/00.
- "Bush supports hate crime protections for other minorities! So Bush doesn't believe that gays should have the same "special" rights in this regard as blacks, Jews, Wiccans and others. Employment discrimination? Again, Bush supports those rights for other Americans, but not gays. Military service? Bush again supports the right to military service for all qualified people--as long as they don't tell anyone they're gay. Marriage? How on earth is that a special right when every heterosexual in America already has it? But again, Bush thinks it should be out-of-bounds for gays. What else is there? The right to privacy? Nuh-huh. Bush supports a gays-only sodomy law in his own state that criminalizes consensual sex in private between two homosexuals. New Republic, 10/13/00
Bush supports the Texas sodomy statute (which does not apply to heterosexuals): According to the June 1999 issue of The Advocate, Bush said he would veto any attempt by the Texas legislature to repeal an antiquated state law that criminalizes private homosexual activity, calling it "a symbolic gesture of traditional values." [Note: This law was declared unconstitutional]
You talk about same-sex marriage, I'm against same-sex marriage
In response to whether he would appoint someone to the Joint Chiefs of Staff who openly advocated openly allowing gays to serve in the military: No.
On whether he would appoint an "openly gay" person to a cabinet post: How would I know, I don't ask. Somebody's sexual orientation is their personal business as far as I'm concerned.
Additional Positions:
From Nubian News: Bush is an unabashed bigot when it comes to equal rights for gays and lesbians.
From Nubian News: He’s your man if you are: anti-immigrant, anti-minority, anti-prison reform, anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-public education and anti-human compassion.
Believes that adoptions are best left to heterosexual couples.
Reported by Planet Out: Bill Horn of the religious right group Straight from the Heart was present to push the candidates to sign poster-sized versions of his group's anti-gay "Presidential Pledge," which Bauer, Forbes and Keyes did readily; Horn said that Bush had declared in a letter that he abstains from pledges, but stated "that he is against gay marriages and against pornography."
Gov. George W. Bush has named openly homosexual gay-rights advocates to his campaign steering committees, though Christian conservatives say he recently promised that, if elected, he would not appoint such individuals to government positions.
Declined to support, or use his powers as Governor to get, a Hate Crime bill out of committee and onto the floor of the Texas State Senate.
He is in favor of strict drug sentencing guidelines for non-violent offenders, which disproportionately affects members of the minority community.
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