Last night we had the gang over to watch the ‘08 presidential candidate forum on Logo (the GLBT cable channel). First of all, it was really, incredibly cool as a gay American to watch the United States presidential candidates speak directly to a gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered national audience. We’ve come a long way baby. This was the first ever national televised presidential forum on GLBT issues.

Unfortunately, it was just the Democrats who said they would come. Not a single Republican candidate considered it worth their time to acknowledge the millions (millions!) of GLBT Americans who exist and have had their rights and their lifestyles attacked over the last several years. If you have a GLBT member in your family or as a close friend or co-worker, that right there should stop you dead cold from even considering voting or supporting a GOP candidate. Senator John Edwards in the forum made the point very clear: if you see prejudice and bigotry and intolerance occurring and do nothing to stop it, if you don’t speak up, you’re enabling it. You’re letting it take hold, and it’s that much harder to reverse the tide later on. Until the GOP publicly comes out with even a moderate position on GLBT issues, supporting them in any way is outright endorsing continued discrimination against the gay people you care about. I hate to sound like President Bush but if you’re not part of the solution you’re part of the problem. The one thing I can tolerate about someone associating with the GOP is  attending GOP meetings and conventions and vocally (vocally!) asking for a change in the offical platform on GLBT issues. The religious far right that dominates the GOP’s hate and fear mongering platform is a tiny minority of the conservative portion of America and it’s high time the rest of that portion spoke up about having more important issues trod over for hot button stances.

Sorry for that tangent but it infuriated me that not a single Republican said yes. Some Democratic candidates like New Mexico Governor Richardson did not come over great on the forum as his views are more conservative than what most GLBT Americans would want to hear. But he came and spoke to us. We can agree to disagree. But at least treat Americans, all Americans with dignity and respect. You know if this had been a major African American forum all the candidates would have said yes.

I was impressed the panel asked tough questions, and often tried not to let the political doublespeak ease the candidate around tough questions like supporting gay marriage. I respected the answers all of them gave, even if I didn’t completely agree with them. After the last seven nightmarish years any of them would be such a welcome relief.

While in my heart I agree with the HRC’s idealistic stance for marriage, I have to respect the stance of Clinton, Obama and Edwards of support for civil unions but not marriage. That is, that civil unions are what we can achieve in America today. They are obviously separate but equal and it’s inevitable they would eventually be called marriages, but let’s get there however we can. Perhaps if we had a Martin Luther King, Jr. or a John F. Kennedy today; someone who had vision, and powerful belief, and rallied others around them, and had the bravery to speak from their heart, that we could turn America around on this stance. But we don’t, so we’ll have to take it a bit slower. GLBT equality is still moving at light speed compared to racial or gender equality so I really can’t complain too much.

I don’t have a clear preference in Clinton, Obama or Edwards. I’ll support any of them whole heartedly as I agree with their stances on all issues so, so much more than with Bush and the good ol’ (boys) party. It’s absolutely astounding that two of the major candidates for a party for presidential candidate are a woman and an African American man. It will be a very interesting election next year.