The Advocate: Is Bernie Sanders the Most LGBT-Friendly Candidate?

[Zorra]

The thrust of Sanders's campaign thus far — like his political career as the mayor of Burlington, Vt., 16 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the past seven in the U.S. Senate — has focused on supporting working-class Americans through elevated taxes on the wealthy and correcting income inequality "which is now reaching obscene levels," he told the AP.

But Sanders has also been a steadfast and reliable supporter of LGBT equality, supporting the Employment Non-Discrimination Act when it passed the Senate in 2013 and even calling on President Obama to evolve already and support marriage equality in 2011. He's a cosponsor of the federal LGBT-inclusive Student Non-Discrimination Act and has consistently voted against bills seeking to amend the Constitution to ban same-sex marriage, while cosponsoring a bill that would repeal the remaining portions of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. Sanders has a perfect score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign's latest Congressional Equality Index.

Sanders used Twitter to highlight that long-standing support Monday, just one day before the Supreme Court heard arguments on marriage equality. That comment included an overt reference to Clinton — albeit to the former president and not the current presidential hopeful:



http://www.advocate.com/politics/election/2015/04/30/bernie-sanders-most-lgbt-friendly-candidate

[Bluenorthwest]

1. Bernie's record is flawless and unequivicated and long, he was clearly for equality when others were

hedging and hair splitting.

[lewebley3]

4. He could vote anyway he wanted, votes had no Consequences

Bernie, lives in small state, population 600,000, mostly
liberals.

He was never in charged with leading the party in taking back the white house,
the Dem's were smart to not get ahead of the American people on this issue,
if Dem's had moved to soon Obama would not have been elected.

Things are getting better for the LGBT people, because they worked very
hard educating Americans.

The GOP were and are very tuff fighters, and good at attacking Dem.

[Rilgin]

6. Leaders are always out front- nt

[Aerows]

9. And he is one

He might have been quiet, but he always has stepped up to the plate about what he believed in and followed through with it.

It's almost like an extinct quality in most politicians.

[smokey nj]

8. So hedging on human rights is ok if it's politically expedient?

Do you even know what state HRC represented in the Senate?

[madokie]

10. Bernie is no push over

from what I've read of him he is a tough, smart and well spoken man who I support 100%

[Aerows]

7. Indeed

He doesn't hedge or hair split on anything, either. He tells it like it is, and then backs up what he says with his actions and votes.

[marym625]

2. K&R!

He's the Person!

[Ken Burch]

16. "Person Up For Bernie!"

Now that's a slogan.

[marym625]

17. Love it!

We need to run with that!

[Ken Burch]

18. Be my guest-send it in to campaign hq. n/t.

[BrotherIvan]

3. Ah, the truth

You mean he doesn't only care about white, middle class straight males?

[emulatorloo]

5. Thanks for posting, K&R!

[Aerows]

11. As a leader, you can't be all things to all people.

Bernie Sanders doesn't even try. He does what he thinks is right, says what he believes is the truth, and damn the consequences.

That is what a leader does. You can't pretend to be for workers if you are beholden to corporate donations. You can't pretend to be for human rights and equality, if you are committed to turning a blind eye to destruction of the very environment people live in because it would be painful for your campaign optics.

This third way triangulation bullshit is what got us in many of the messes we are still in.

I think about how Jon Stewart really socked it to Judith Miller on the Daily Show. He told the truth, she looked like the asshole she is, and guess what? People believe and have faith in Jon Stewart. They don't have faith in mealy-mouthed liars that will do anything to stay in favor - even if what they are doing is against the will of the American people.

If you lie for so long that you don't even recognize lying as something bad to do, you have reached the point where you are incapable of being trustworthy.

[smokey nj]

14. To paraphrase Matt Taibbi, Bernie is one of the rarest of

Washington creatures - an honest perfect.

[romanic]

12. Sounds like a great guy.

But Sanders has also been a steadfast and reliable supporter of LGBT equality, supporting the Employment Non-Discrimination Act when it passed the Senate in 2013 and even calling on President Obama to evolve already and support marriage equality in 2011. He's a cosponsor of the federal LGBT-inclusive Student Non-Discrimination Act and has consistently voted against bills seeking to amend the Constitution to ban same-sex marriage, while cosponsoring a bill that would repeal the remaining portions of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. Sanders has a perfect score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign's latest Congressional Equality Index.

This is truly commendable.

[Cheese Sandwich]

13. cool.

[backscatter712]

15. Bernie's positions and voting record are spectacularly good...

Be it economics, LGBT rights, foreign policy, Bernie gets it right!

[Aerows]

20. I agree

I support him and I hope he will be the nominee. If not, I'll support the Democrat that wins the primary, but until then, I will continue to push for him to be that nominee.

[liberal_at_heart]

19. K&R