Reply #3: Legislation has been introduced and Senator Kerry is a co-sponsor. [View All]

[ProSense]

Sen. Kerry has got a pretty strong record of opposing both DADT and DOMA.

During the Clinton Administration, Kerry opposed the White House's "Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy." He was one of a few senators to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee and call on the President to rescind the ban on gay and lesbian service members.

Kerry has repeatedly said that same-sex couples should be granted rights, including access to pensions, health insurance, family medical leave, bereavement leave, hospital visitation, survivor benefits, and other basic legal protections, that all families and children need. He has supported legislation to provide domestic partners of federal employees the benefits available to spouses of federal employees including the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act. He was one of 14 Senators -- and the only one up for reelection in 1996 -- to oppose the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Here in Massachusetts, Kerry worked with Governor Deval Patrick and progressive legislators last year to help defeat a narrow and discriminatory constitutional amendment that would have banned same sex marriage in Massachusetts.