Harkin changes view, opposes gay marriage ban

[The Straight Story]

Harkin changes view, opposes gay marriage ban


JOHNSTON, Iowa - U.S Sen. Tom Harkin said Friday he's changed his views on gay marriage and would oppose any effort to overturn an Iowa Supreme Court decision last month that legalized same-sex unions.

"We all grow as we get older, we learn things, we become more sensitive to people and people's lives," said Harkin. "The more I've looked at that, I've grown to think differently about how we should live. I guess I've got to the point of live and let live."

Harkin acknowledged his views represent a shift for someone who voted for the Defense of Marriage Act in 1998, which defined marriage as between one man and one woman.

The Iowa Supreme Court struck down a similar state law on April 3, and many Republicans have called for giving voters the chance to amend the state's constitution to overturn the court's decision.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-ia-harkin-interview,0,880923.story

[polichick]

1. The times they are a changin' - can't wait until my gay friends can marry...

...in all 50 states and we can openly smoke a joint to celebrate!

[Taverner]

2. I always knew Harkin was a good egg

[gratuitous]

3. I have a news flash!

Practically every straight person in America over a certain (ahem) age who advocates for the full inclusion and participation of gay people in our society has changed his or her mind on the subject. I'm glad to see that Sen. Harkin has done what I did many years ago. Welcome aboard, Senator.

[murielm99]

4. You know, you are right.

I remember the attitudes toward gays when I was growing up. The jokes, the misconceptions and the mistreatment of those who were suspected of being gay were very commonly accepted. I even accepted that norm when I was in college in the late sixties, when the gay rights movement began.

I think I began to change after I was exposed to a few gay people. Other than loving someone of the same gender, they were like everyone else. And I had a roommate who expressed curiosity about same sex love, simply because she was more honest than most people.

I learned a lot about love and commitment from a lesbian couple in my community. They were together for more than forty years before one of them died of cancer. I am grateful for other examples set for me, even though they did not realize that is what they were doing.

We made lots of stupid jokes in high school. But since then, I have attended reunions where a few of our now openly gay classmates have been welcomed with their partners. I have learned that I have a gay sibling and a gay child. It is simply a part of my family and social fabric.

When my daughter marries her partner, I will put their wedding picture in our small town paper. I have lived here long enough to know that many of the people in this community will come up to me in the street or in the stores and express their best wishes and approval. They outnumber the haters, and they always will.

Our generation has changed its attitudes. And most of those younger than us, unless they have been brainwashed by fundie churches, take same-sex relationships in stride. I hope I live to see a second generation of married same-sex couples, just as I have lived to see our first black President.

[Canuckistanian]

6. I welcome him to the 21st century

It's a brave new world.

[JerseygirlCT]

10. I cannot remember ever not getting it on this topic

Maybe I'm just the exception to the rule, but ever since it's something I've heard about as an issue (more than 20 years now), the only sane answer is marriage for all, period.

I'll confess it makes it really hard for me to have patience with those still opening their eyes.

[Withywindle]

15. I'm with you on this one.

And I'm not saying it to pat myself on the back about how righteous I've always been.

It's more like I've just never understood homophobia. Never felt the "revulsion" I keep hearing about, never even thought being gay was all that weird. I think as a fairly little kid I understood at some point that there are some boys who like boys "that way" and some girls who like girls "that way," and it was just kind of like, OK, that makes sense. So when I started to realize how intense an unpleasant reaction some people have to the idea, THAT was what made no sense. Hook my brain up to some kind of meter to find out what makes me more viscerally and subconsciously squirmy and uncomfortable and disgusted, and I guarantee you it'll be the picture of some mouthbreather with a homophobic protest sign, not a same-sex couple kissing. I just DO NOT GET IT. and I have to admit, I don't really want to.

[JerseygirlCT]

16. No, me either.

I don't think I knew many gay folks as a kid. If they were gay, chances are in that place and time, they were very careful about who they were out with. But as I've always been involved with theater, as a teen on up, gay people were just part of my life, and overwhelmingly, I've had good experiences with those friendships - I suppose it's just natural that that sort of history prepares you to be positively predisposed. And I can't remember any "ew" moments, either.

I do remember a bit of a conversation many, many years ago with a friend - I think at the time there was a move to get businesses here to extend health coverage to partners of gay people. And at that time I said I thought that wasn't right: they ought to be free to marry, and then ought to *have* to marry in order to receive the same benefits extended to married couples. The first part is the trick, of course. I just remember laughing and saying "you should have to put up with someone just like I do!"

Anyway, long-winded way of saying I agree!

[annabanana]

5. We grow.. We learn...

It is very hard work NOT to grow and learn as we age. That's why old righties are so tightly wound..

[stevedeshazer]

7. Credit where it's due to Harkin

"We all grow as we get older, we learn things, we become more sensitive to people and people's lives," said Harkin. "The more I've looked at that, I've grown to think differently about how we should live. I guess I've got to the point of live and let live."

I'm impressed.

[madokie]

8. I think he's a good man

I hope he changes his stance on mariGwanna as one more supporter of decriminalizing is one more step in the right direction. The last I read he was against it.

[JerseygirlCT]

9. Good for him

Let's hope he has lots of company.

[TK421]

11. Harkin? that's some good news!

He is well respected among his constituents....hopefully others will take his cue

[dionysus]

12. good on ya Mr Harkin

:thumbsup:

[progressoid]

13. "A couple of years from now, people will look back and say, 'What was the fuss about?'"

God, I hope so.

From Radio Iowa:
http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=2202FB12-5056-B82A-3758BAFB9802423A


"A couple of years from now, people will look back and say, 'What was the fuss about?'" Harkin said. "(In) 2010, the elections will hinge on the economy; health care reform; what we're doing on energy and whether families are doing better -- whether they can see that their kids are going to have a better education, whether their lives are getting better or not. It's not going to have one whit to do with gay marriage."

Harkin predicts the issue will fade from the spotlight. "You know, there's always going to be some who feel that they have to push this issue and for whatever reason they're going to try to push it and try to divide people up, but they're on the losing end," Harkin said. "They're on the losing end of history."

Harkin first won his seat in the U.S. Senate in 1984 and was reelected to a fourth term last year.

[ShadowLiberal]

14. Awesome, how many senators do we have now who openly support gay marriage?

Someone ought to start a list to show how close we are to 60.

Off the top of my head I can think of these people who have openly endorsed gay marriage.

-Chuck Schumer (NY)
-Kristen Gillbrand (NY)
-Al Franken (MN)
-Tom Harkin (IA)
-Ted Kennedy (MA)
-Russ Feingold (WI)
-Bernie Sanders (VT)
-Patrick Leahy (VT)
-Ron Wyden (OR)
-Frank Lautenberg(NJ) (not 100% sure about this one, I only found a place implying he supported gay marriage based on his 100% rating from a civil rights group)

I'm sure I could be forgetting a few people.

Edit: Just did a bit of research and added some names, I count 8 senators, 1 who may support it, and 1 soon to be senator who openly support gay marriage.