Kerry Supports Benefits for Legally Wed Gays

[kskiska]

SAN FRANCISCO, March 3 -- Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), under fire from gay Democrats for opposing same-sex marriage, has promised that if elected president he would grant state-sanctioned gay couples the same 1,049 federal benefits married heterosexuals enjoy, according to people who met here with Kerry last Friday.

Kerry, who personally opposes gay marriage, said for the first time he would bestow all federal benefits such as the right to file joint incomes taxes and collect survivor benefits to same-sex couples who unite legally in civil unions, domestic partnerships and even marriage under their state laws. Kerry made the comments at a gay fundraiser in San Francisco's Nob Hill neighborhood.

Until Friday's event, Kerry had talked mostly in general terms of providing federal benefits and the "same basic rights" to same-sex couples.

"It's the first time in history that a presidential candidate has ever supported full and equal protection for same-sex couples," said state Rep. Mark Leno, a San Francisco Democrat and an early Kerry supporter who attended Friday's fundraiser and queried Kerry about his position. "He told me that he would grant all 1,049 federal rights to same-sex couples in whatever legal union their states recognize," said Leno, who has sponsored a bill that would legalize gay marriage in California.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28566-2004Mar3.html

[slinkerwink]

1. this makes me feel a little better about Kerry....

[U of M Dem 07]

2. Me too.

[absyntheNsugar]

3. me too...and I hope Dean supporters see what this means

All their work is paying off - there's no way Kerry would be courting the left as much as he is if Dean hadn't brought these issues to the table.

[DuctapeFatwa]

4. It was a shrewd thing to say, sadly, it won't have much effect on couples

Some Democrats were threatening to pull back on financial support. "There were a lot of people who were very upset at the way his position was described," said Jeff Soukup, who along with his partner has been a host of fundraisers for Kerry. "And there were a lot of people who had been planning to attend the fundraiser who said they would not attend until Kerry clarified his position." Kerry did, first through surrogates and then in person.
...

Kerry might have a hard time upholding his promise. Granting federal rights to same-sex couples contradicts a major provision of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, said Tobias Wolff, a professor at the Stanford University School of Law and an expert on gay legal issues.

The provisions state that federal benefits for married people may not apply to same-sex couples, and that judgments stemming from a same-sex union are not portable from state to state....

from article in original post

[dolstein]

6. In other words, Kerry was making an empty promise

Unless he can muster a majority in the House and a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate in favor of repealing the portion of the DOMA that explicitly prohibits granting such benefits to gay couples, he isn't going to be able to make good on his promise. In short, this was just another empty gesture designed to placate a liberal interest group. We've seen this before from Kerry. No doubt we'll see it again. Why can't he just be honest with these people and tell them that unless and until there are substantial changes in Congress, gay couples aren't going to get federal tax benefits that married heterosexual couples get? After all, its not HIS fault -- he voted AGAINST the DOMA.

[lastknowngood]

5. Problem is that if "Legally Married" is the standard and they

outlaw the marriage it means nothing. He loses on this issue either
way but by waffling he loses both ways.

[notbush]

8. Damm him

He is one double talker!!

[Fridays Child]

7. When a judge married us, my husband and I signed...

...a civil contract, not a religious one. If I'm mistaken about that, we'll sue the state of California for making us unwilling practitioners of an unnamed religion. Then, we'll get divorced and draw up a civil contractual agreement that sets out our community rights and obligations.

Whether or not any church sanctions straight, gay, or lesbian marriages, civil marriages are simply legal contracts. No church dictates the terms of civil contract law.

Assuming that he supports the separation of church and state, John Kerry needs to acknowledge the distinction between the religious and the civil, in this matter.

[tedzbear]

9. Right on Mary.

I remember all the promises Clinton made to us queers in order to get our vote and then he betrayed us with the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy which was just business as usual and a big step sideways. I too feel Kerry is just paying us lip service and unless I see him take a much stronger proactive stand in support of our equal rights, I will withhold my vote in Nov.
How many times can us queers vote for someone who then says to us after they're elected: "Sorry. No can do. But I promise that if you re-elect me I'll get it for you next time."

It's BS and I'm tired of it. We want it NOW!

:kick:

[Fridays Child]

10. Straight married couples should challenge the state...

...to admit that they have been issuing wholly unconstitutional, binding religious agreements or to immediately begin providing equal access to the civil marriage contract to every adult who seeks it, notwithstanding his or her sexual orientation.

I don't have the money it would take to do it myself but, if the ACLU or another civil rights entity were to provide the resources, I would be willing to initiate such a legal challenge in Los Angeles County.