Presidential Election of ‘08
Turning eighteen is a time of transition, elation, and that of gaining the responsibilities of an adult. In the upcoming presidential election, I will be of age to cast my vote. The issues of this election are varied and most are exceptionally controversial in their own right. I am openly homosexual and the gay rights of this election will impact my college life, and my working life after college. Each candidate has his or her own views of the gay rights in question. With the different views on homosexuality come different opinions on the candidates. Hilary Rodham Clinton has the only positive outlook in this election on the future of homosexuals among the candidates in this election. Depending on the outcome of the election later this year, my life after college can be easier or it can be much harder.
Hilary Clinton as president would grant gay couples the right of a civil union, and give them the same benefits of a marriage. She would also repeal part of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which would annul the federal definition of a marriage as between a man and a woman, and also say that states will have to recognize same-sex couples performed by another state. This would give my partner and I hospital visitation rights to each other, rights to each other’s property if the other dies, and also rights to my partner’s social security. Social security and property rights are not the only rights that homosexuals will be able to regain if Senator Clinton is to win the election. The outcome of a hate-crime is another issue that she has in mind.
Senator Clinton co-sponsored the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, which will include offenses based on sexual orientation, gender, or disability. This act will ensure that the perpetrators of a hate-crime upon a homosexual will receive the full and just punishment that is recommended by the state. Her view of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which was established when her husband was president, is that of disdain. She would ask Congress to repeal the policy, so that any one person in America will have their right to protect their country, regardless of sexual orientation.
Republican and former governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney disagrees with the views of Senator Clinton. He not only opposes both gay marriages and civil unions, but does not see a reason to change the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. His triumph as president will deny homosexuals the right of a commitment ceremony, each other’s benefits, and to serve in America’s military openly as a homosexual. He also opposes legislation to expand the definition of hate crimes to include offenses based on sexual orientation, gender, or disability. With this opposition, he takes away the rights of a homosexual to seek proper justice, but also that of someone with a disability, or of a victim of a sexist crime.
My life is not the only one that will be affected by the outcome of this year’s election. Many other people throughout the United States have made the decision to live openly about their sexual orientation. I am not the only homosexual that has had to endure discrimination, ignorance, and outright hate in some instances. If Senator Clinton claims victory in November of this year, it will be a time of growth among the homosexual community and also a time of growth in acceptance in the nation.Sy Davis
