..::Nebraska Democratic GLBT Caucus

Thoughts on the Reintroduction of the Federal Defense of Marriage Amendment

This spring, within the setting of several college classrooms, I have had the pleasure of discussing some of the pertinent issues facing teachers and administrators grappling with the educational challenges of gay students of all ages. Through 90-minute dialogues, we explored the needs of children as young as four- and five-years-old who realize that they are different, and, as a consequence, grow up being harassed and too often shunned for being gay or perceived as gay. We talked about recent scientific discoveries such as the master sexual orientation gene of fruit flies and such. Teachers talked about their frustration with school boards and administrators across the state and nation who generally do not support anti-harassment policies. They reported that racial slurs have now been replaced with slurs regarding sexual orientation and identity. They talked about accessing educational resources such as the Gay/Lesbian Student Education Network (www.glsen.org), while being threatened or actually fired by some school districts for merely trying to help socially isolated, often suicidal gay youth. We talked about the Lincoln Board of Education’s leadership in passing an Anti-Harassment Policy over a year ago, and about the work that still needs to be done so that all students can learn and grow in a safe, supportive educational environment.

In many ways, the classroom discussions have been an inspiration to me. Just a decade ago, these discussions would have never occurred. Today, they do. Invariably, the dialogue meandered toward the political arena. Administrators, teachers and soon-to-be teachers quizzed me on my experience running as Nebraska’s first openly gay candidate. I explained how I started by announcing my platform (keeping our schools strong; giving a voice to minority and low–to-moderate income families; keeping property taxes down), my qualifications, and mentioning the critical five words, "my partner of 17 years," that changed everything about a relatively mundane campaign. We talked about the hours of discussion by local radio talk show hosts and hourly news breaks reporting on my sexual orientation; and the impact this negative media had upon middle and high school students who feel that anti-harassment policies are mostly window dressing. Gay youth and their allies understand that society has yet to progress beyond the denial stage regarding its treatment of sexual minorities, or to come to terms with its treatment of all minorities.

Moral judgements and negative stereotypes regarding variable human traits such as sexual orientation, skin color and such take a heavy toll on our youth and society. We lose a lot of talented, bright, caring people because we feel we live on a higher moral ground than they. Never mind we still allow poverty to ravage the lives of children, corporations to impact the environment with little regard for future generations, and use war to "settle" political disagreements.

To further muddy the waters, the Federal Defense of Marriage Amendment has been reintroduced in Congress under the guise of protecting the traditional family. For the first time in our nation's history, we are seriously considering kicking an unpopular minority – the gay community – out of the Constitution. Politicians and preachers talk about "gay" marriage as if it were real or could be real. Marriage is a secular institution provided by the government to recognize a committed relationship between two consenting adults. To define it as the exclusive province of heterosexual couples is to deny same-sex couples equality before the law.

In any case as the midterm election cycle heats up, many seeking reelection or to gain a seat in the House or Senate find dragging out the political football of the gay community to be advantageous. Karl Rove brags about the ability to silence any Democratic opposition by firmly placing the mantle of "gay" marriage on our candidates. In turn, too many Democratic candidates race to deny any support or recognition of the beleaguered gay community in hopes that the taint of an unpopular minority does not spill over onto them.

Using the gay community for political gain has its historical precedents. Nebraska’s own Republican Senator Kenneth Wherry thought it a grand idea to homo-hunt, as well as commie-hunt during the Red Scare of the 1940s and 50s. As a result, tens of thousands of government and educational workers lost their jobs, reputations and sometimes their lives when branded as homosexuals, regardless of proof.

Today's circumstances have some striking similarities. Presently, our country is in transition dealing with the emergence of a global economy, the old Cold War dichotomy is gone, new threats seem to be everywhere, and global warming is quickly becoming a reality. After WWII, we, as a nation, had to face an uncertain political future with newly formed centers of power, a shaky world economy and seeming threats to democracy from emerging nations. Instead of engaging in a public discussion addressing real issues, we, the voters, have allowed our political candidates, then and now, to diminish the political debate by acquiescing to picking on unpopular minorities.

A democracy is best measured by how it treats those with little political clout (minorities). The founders of our country wisely foresaw the pitfalls of majority rule, and gave us the Bill of Rights, a document that essentially protects minorities from the unjust impact of government (the majority). Placing minority rights onto ballot initiatives, calls for constitutional amendments and such are not the hallmark of a democracy. These diversions are evidence of tyranny by the majority.

As I conclude my classroom discussions, I ask them to take a walk by our State Capitol. Chiseled in stone above the front steps is the State’s motto, "Equality Before the Law." The next time a candidate for public office champions yet one more attack upon a minority community, remember it’s not special rights, but "Equality Before the Law" that all minorities seek in our great country.

First published in the Lancaster County Democrats newsletter, Spring 2005.