Breaking News: Obama Chooses Joe Biden as Vice-President
By Waymon Hudson
Cross-posted at Bilerico
The announcement just came out from various news agencies-Barack Obama has named Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) as his vice-presidential running mate.
I wanted to put together a look at Biden’s stance on LGBT rights over the years. Biden scored a 78% from the HRC 2006 rankings on LGBT rights. I’ve gathered information on his votes and quotes about hate crimes legislation, employment discrimination, DADT, immigration equality, marriage equality and civil unions. This list is by no means complete. If you know more information, feel free to leave it in the comments!
Extensive Joe Biden quotes and sources on LGBT issues after the jump.
Updates at the end of the post…
On Hate Crimes:
Voted YES on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation.
Vote on an amendment that would expand the definition of hate crimes to include gender, sexual orientation and disability. The previous definition included only racial, religious or ethnic bias.
Reference: Bill S.2549 ; vote number 2000-136 on Jun 20, 2000
Voted YES on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes.
Motion to Invoke Cloture on S. 625; Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001. The bill would expand the definition of hate crimes to incorporate acts committed because of a victim’s sex, sexual orientation or disability and permit the federal government to help states prosecute hate crimes even if no federally protected action was implicated. If the cloture motion is agreed to, debate will be limited and a vote will occur. If the cloture motion is rejected debate could continue indefinitely and instead the bill is usually set aside. Hence a Yes vote supports the expansion of the definition of hate crimes, and a No vote keeps the existing definition. Three-fifths of the Senate, or 60 members, is required to invoke cloture.
Reference: Bill S.625 ; vote number 2002-147 on Jun 11, 2002
On Employment Discrimination:
Voted YES on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation.
Would have prohibited job discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Status: Bill Defeated Y)49; N)50; NV)1Reference: Employment Non-Discrimination Act; Bill S. 2056 ; vote number 1996-281 on Sep 10, 1996
“voiced support for ENDA, which would prohibit employment discrimination for sexual orientation and gender identity.”
- Society for Human Resource Management
On “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”:
Nobody asks if you’re gay in a foxhole
“I’ve been to Afghanistan, I’ve been to Iraq seven times, I’ve been in the Balkans, I’ve been in these foxholes with these kids, literally in bunkers with them. Let me tell you something, nobody asked anybody else whether they’re gay in those foxholes. Our allies — the British, the French, all our major allies — gays openly serve. I don’t know the last time an American soldier said to a backup from a Brit, ‘Hey, by the way, let me check. Are you gay? Are you straight?’ This is ridiculous.”
- Joe BidenSource: 2007 Dem. debate at Saint Anselm College Jun 3, 2007
Checked YES in response a Human Rights Campaign questionnaire asking if the candidate “Supports repeal of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Policy.”
On Immigration Equality:
Biden has not signed on as a co-sponsor of the Uniting American Families Act:
S.1328
Title: A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate discrimination in the immigration laws by permitting permanent partners of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents to obtain lawful permanent resident status in the same manner as spouses of citizens and lawful permanent residents and to penalize immigration fraud in connection with permanent partnerships.Sponsor: Sen Leahy, Patrick J. [VT] (introduced 5/8/2007) Cosponsors (14)
Related Bills: H.R.2221
Latest Major Action: 5/8/2007 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Voted for PEPFAR, which included provisions to repeal the HIV Travel Ban
On Marriage Equality:
Civil unions ok; gay marriage is probably inevitable
Q: In November 2003, you were asked, “Do you believe gay marriage is inevitable?” And you responded, “I’m not sure. I think probably it is.”
A: Well, I think it probably is because social mores change. But I don’t think the government can dictate the definition of marriage to religious institutions. But government does have an obligation to guarantee that every individual is free of discrimination. And there’s a distinction. I think government should not be able to dictate to religions the definition of marriage, but on a civil side, government has the obligation to strip away every vestige of discrimination as to what individuals are able to do in terms of their personal conduct.
So New Hampshire coming out in favor of civil unions is OK by you?
A: Yes. Yes, it is.
Source: Meet the Press: 2007 “Meet the Candidates” series Apr 29, 2007
Voted NO on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage.
Voting YES implies support for amending the constitution to ban same-sex marriage. This cloture motion to end debate requires a 3/5th majority. A constitutional amendment requires a 2/3rd majority. The proposed amendment is:
Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman.
Proponents of the motion say:
•If Members of the Senate vote as their States have voted on this amendment, the vote today will be 90 to 10 in favor of a constitutional amendment.
•Marriage is a foundational institution. It is under attack by the courts. It needs to be defended by defining it as the union of a man and a woman as 45 of our 50 States have done.The amendment is about how we are going to raise the next generation. It is not an issue that the courts should resolve. Those of us who support this amendment are doing so in an effort to let the people decide.
Opponents of the motion say:
•This proposal pits Americans against one another. It appeals to people’s worst instincts and prejudices.
Supporters rail against activist judges. But if this vaguely worded amendment ever passes, it will result in substantial litigation. What are the legal incidents of marriage? Is a civil union a marriage?
•Married heterosexual couples are wondering, how, exactly, the prospect of gay marriages threatens the health of their marriages.
•This amendment would make a minority of Americans permanent second-class citizens of this country. It would prevent States, many of which are grappling with the definition of marriage, from deciding that gays and lesbians should be allowed to marry. And it would write discrimination into a document that has served as a historic guarantee of individual freedom.Reference: Marriage Protection Amendment; Bill S. J. Res. 1 ; vote number 2006-163 on Jun 7, 2006
Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage.
The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA): Vote to prohibit marriage between members of the same sex in federal law, and provide that no state is required to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Define ‘marriage’ as ‘between one man and one woman.’
Reference: Bill HR 3396 ; vote number 1996-280 on Sep 10, 1996
Checked NO in response a Human Rights Campaign questionnaire asking if the candidate “Supports allowing civil marriage rights for same-sex couples.”
On Civil Unions/Relationship Recognition:
But one of the things I think more Americans are trying to figure is whether or not somehow a gay union is a threat to a heterosexual union. And I find difficulty in figuring how it’s such a threat, if in fact it brings stability, if in fact you have two women who decide to stay with one another for 35 years and are sound and solid in terms of their commitment to one another. I don’t know why we should be frightened of that… I just keep thinking, what would happen if one of my children had been gay? I don’t know that I’d love him anymore, or think that they need any — or they’re entitled to any fewer rights than any other American.
- Joe Biden
Checked YES in response a Human Rights Campaign questionnaire asking if the candidate “Supports civil unions for same-sex couples.”
Supports extending federal rights and benefits to same-sex couples
Checked YES in response a Human Rights Campaign questionnaire asking if the candidate “Supports extending federal benefits, rights, privileges and responsibilities to same-sex couples and their children provided the partnership meets certain federal standards of commitment and mutuality of interest.”
Joe Biden believes legal recognition should not be denied same-sex couples. He advocates for re-examining federal laws, including the tax code, to ensure our national laws are not unfair to same-sex couples, and that committed adults who are adopting are not discriminated against because of sexual orientation. He supports letting states determine how to recognize civil unions and define marriage.
- JoeBiden.com
As I find more issues and statements, I’ll be sure to update the post.
(h/t OnTheIssues.org)
UPDATE 1: At 3AM on Saturday morning, the Obama Campaign myspace page changed its profile picture to this:
UPDATE 2: At 3:30am, I received the official text message from the campaign:
Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden as our VP nominee. Watch the first Obama-Biden rally live 3pm ET on www.BarackObama.com. Spread the word!
Tags: Barack Obama, Democrats, DNC, Election 08, Joe Biden, LGBT rights, Vice-President pick
August 23rd, 2008 at 7:11 am
This site is so valuable! Thanks for putting this information out on Biden so quickly, complete, and easy to find. Kudos!
August 23rd, 2008 at 7:40 am
Thanks for compiling this. Most helpful. We know that we have a way to go in our advocacy for SSM and immigration equality — two issues that affect me personally. Even many of our best Democratic allies are not there yet on these issues. Nonetheless, on a wide range of GLBT issues, including legal protections for same-sex couples. Obama and Biden are measurably and significantly better than McCain on gay issues. I am glad that Pelosi’s recommendation of Chet Edwards (D-17-TX) did not prevail; that would have been hard to take.
August 23rd, 2008 at 9:37 am
[...] a progressive Christian Web site From Democratic Underground From the Reid Report Blog From LGBT for Obama From the Liberal Values Blog From Talking Points Memo A bunch of liberal/progressive response from [...]
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:47 am
ATTENTION: THIS IS AN IMPORTANT NOTE … PLEASE READ!!!
According to Chuck Todd on MSNBC last night, Sen. Sam Nunn was not chosen because he was “problematic.” He went further to cite only one reason he was problematic — Nunn has an anti-gay track record and would cause problems with the “gay vote”
First, Todd is absolutely right. We’d have been angry beyond belief had Nunn been on the ticket — an absolute deal breaker for most politically aware LGBT voters.
But that this one issue made this otherwise respected, powerful and honored Senate elder politically unfit as a Presidential running mate is a powerful statement in American politics.
Can anyone say “Blue Dogs … time to take a reality check!”
But the Blue Dogs aren’t the only ones who need a reality check here. WE DO. If the Obama/Biden ticket doesn’t win because our community didn’t support the campaign enough, it’ll be time for the party elders to rethink their concern over our community’s vote. And why wouldn’t they be right to do so? Power is only power if it’s actually there when you need it.
So what is the LGBT community going to do today to help flex that political muscle? Personally, I’m headed to the Northern Virginia Obama Campaign Office to volunteer for the afternoon, and I’m clicking on the green “DONATE NOW FOR OBAMA” button above and giving $100 more to the campaign.
The only question remains is, “What are you going to do?”
Yours in the struggle for equality,
+ Phil
August 23rd, 2008 at 11:58 am
Thanks for your timely coverage on this issue…I’m also blogging on his support of issues to benefit people with disabilities. The larger media tends to bypass our issues so I’m glad we’re trying to make some ripples in the telling of this story.
August 23rd, 2008 at 12:01 pm
[...] to fight discrimination goes beyond our minority status to seek justice for hate crimes based on sexual orientation. He also recently established a pilot program, called the Justice Integrity Act, to study the [...]
August 23rd, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Honestly, I’m not voting for Obama, with or without Biden. I don’t know what I’m doing voting wise. I may just write in a name. Seriously, as a transgendered, disabled democrat, I don’t like Obama. His inexperience and ignorance towards the disabled community is a put off. He has spoken a lot about what he claims he supports. He’s so inexperienced, there is no proof to back it up. He could just be saying he supports everything he claims he does just to garner votes.
I don’t trust him as far as I could throw him. I don’t like his wife because she has some shady dealings when it comes to the non-profit she’s involved in. She kind of reminds me of Condolezza Rice. Both of them seem to have an arrogant air about them.
I believe Obama made a big mistake in not choosing Hillary Clinton for his running mate. I don’t feel that those of us who wanted Hillary in office are going to back him considering it’s pretty clear he didn’t even bother to consider her for the job. He chose the safe option: a white, old, Christian, middle-class democrat. I had no doubt he’d pick someone like Biden because unfortunately in this country, so many people still make it about race and he needs the middle-class white vote if he ever dreams of winning.
Still, I could care less what color Obama is. I vote by who I think is right for the job. Critical election or not, I feel Obama does not have the experience to clean up George Bush’s colossal mess. We’ll be looking at another four years of same, same, same. As a blogger (I’m considered a small business), I’m also not looking forward to all the extra taxes Obama has promised to make small businesses pay.
Of course, John McCain is no better. Either way, we’re screwed.
Oh, and why hasn’t anyone brought up the fact that Biden is a known plagiarizer? Isn’t that something that could hurt this campaign, along with all of the “foot in mouth” comments he’s made throughout his long and illustrious political career?
August 23rd, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Well, Dominick, if you think you’d be better of with a Republican administration, then by all means don’t vote or write someone in. If you’re not voting for the Democratic ticket then you’re essentially giving a 1-vote margin to the Republicans. I guarantee that a Republican administration will be no better for a transgendered disabled Democrat than Obama-Biden would be. Obama has a lifetime of writing and working on these issues. Just because he didn’t do it in the Senate for long enough to please you doesn’t mean that he’s lying. Do your homework, he may not have been in government very long, but he was hardly born yesterday, his background is well established and widely available.
It sounds to me as if you’re a Clinton apologist who is still pouting because YOUR candidate didn’t win. Welcome to democracy. Sometimes you lose but if you’re willing to throw away your vote because you didn’t get what you wanted, then you deserve what the McCain administration will give you. Oh, by the way, Hillary is working for Obama now, trying to help him get elected because she understands the true damage that McCain can do (especially in the Supreme Court). She cares more about America than her parochial interests. It says more about you than it does about Obama or Biden that you would consider throwing away your vote and giving McCain the advantage.
And, Michelle Obama works for a hospital and I have no idea what “shady dealings” you’re talking about. If you’re aware of some, you should make them public – the rest of the world may love to hear your inside information.
August 23rd, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Nice post, but I’d like to know the timeframes on some of these positions. He voted yes on DOMA, but that was a rather long time ago. It looks like his positions have changed — for the better. I think that you could make the dates more prominent to show the evolution of his thoughts on the issue, because right now, I can’t really tell whether some of his votes have been rectified by later actions and votes or not.
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Dominick, as a transgendered, disabled person you can’t afford NOT to vote for Obama-Biden. If McCain is elected he will appoint at least two, possibly three, Supreme Court justices in the next four years – appointments that would shift the court dramatically to the right and undermine lesbian, gay, transgendered and disabled rights for DECADES. The thought frightens me and should frighten you and every other LGBT citizen who hopes for full equality in this country.
August 24th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Oh, please! Biden is such a load of crap – just like Obama! NOW he’s not threatened by gay marriage, but in 1996, when he had no kind of opposition back home, he voted for DOMA ‘cuz it was an easy vote for him. For all of them.
Once again the Democrats, in what should have been a slam dunk year for them, have gone with the wrong candidate (Biden is right: Obama is not qualified to be President) and are going to lose again.
Way to go morons!
August 24th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
“Me, me, me!!! What are they going to do for me!” Stop being so damned selfish. The next President, of everybody in America, is going to have to lead this whole country. It’s not about just you, your self interests, and what you want. These Republicans have given the top 5% of the money earners everything they could want for the last 8 years, how could you consider giving them 4 more years of that! We’ve got to take back our country from these robber barons before there is nothing left to take back. Stop being so caught up in your own wants, what do we really need in America? Four more years of Bush? Or some change you can believe in. Get on board, Obama/Biden 2008.
December 29th, 2009 at 9:47 am
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