DADT Becomes Major Issue in Congressional Elections

Though the received wisdom regarding this year's midterm elections is that the voters are more concerned with economic issues than divisive social questions--and the candidates have followed suit--hot-button issues have continued to pop up in Congressional races around the country. Among them is the question of whether, and when, the ban on openly gay servicemembers should be set aside.

Asked about the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, both the Republican and Democratic Congressional candidates for the state's 7th District, Billy Long and Scott Eckersley respectively, answered that they would defer to the military's own leaders. Missouri Libertarian Congressional candidate Kevin Craig, however, gave voice to a starkly different answer: in his view, gays are unfit to serve their country in uniform. "Every single person who signed the Constitution and Declaration of Independence believed that homosexuality is contrary to 'the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God,' " Springfield newspaper the News-Leader quoted Craig as responding.

"Sodomy has always been a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice," continued Craig. "The military has a duty to ask if a soldier is unapologetically committed to violating an article of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and 'the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God.' "

In North Carolina, the subject came up during a debate between the two major party candidates for a Senate seat, the Associated Press reported on Oct. 22. Incumbent Richard Burr answered a moderator's question by saying that he was not "sure that any of us know whether [being gay is] genetic or by choice. And I'm not sure that's even relevant that somebody chooses that lifestyle and how it might then impact our policies."

Democratic opponent Elaine Marshall seized on that, declaring that, "there is ample evidence that it is biological and Sen. Burr obviously believes it's by choice." Marshall went on to add, "We shouldn't be judging people by the color of their hair, the color of their eyes, the color of their skin or other factors that they have no control over. That's wrong in America and what he's talking about is governmental discrimination."

"I made it very clear what my position was, but don't bring race into this," was Barr's response.

A similar contention was voiced by Colorado Senatorial candidate Ken Buck, who compared homosexuality to alcoholism and suggested that gays choose their sexual orientation during an Oct. 17 appearance on Meet the Press. "I think that birth has an influence over it, like alcoholism and some other things, but I think that basically you have a choice," Buck said, the Associated Press reported on Oct. 18.

Bucks' opponent, incumbent Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, who also appeared on the program, rejoined, "I absolutely believe he's outside the mainstream of views on this."

A petition drive demanding a retraction from Buck resulted in the collection of 1,500 signatures by GLBT equality organization One Colorado, reported the Colorado Independent on Oct. 26. Buck's office reportedly responded by saying that Buck would be happy to meet with One Colorado about the matter--if he were to win the election.

The contenders for New York's 29th Congressional District--which has not had a representative since the resignation of Eric Massa earlier this year--also addressed the issue in a debate, reported the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle on Oct. 27. Democrat Matt Zeller, a veteran who has seen active duty in Afghanistan, noted that nobody in his unit was affected negatively by gay troops, and added that the stretched-thin, all-volunteer armed forces needed as many able-bodied enlistees as it could get, regardless of sexual orientation.

Reed demurred, advancing the view that the military would be better served if it focused on fighting the current wars abroad rather than becoming embroiled in a culture war at home. Reed also suggested that voters would do better to worry about economic matters, rather than social questions.

That view was shared by Democratic candidate Chris Coons, who is in the running for the seat in the Senate that Joe Biden left when he became Vice President. Coons' opponent is anti-gay Tea Party-backed candidate Christine O'Donnell.

In an interview published Oct. 25 in Delaware newspaper the Cape Gazette, Coons echoed the sentiment that voters are primarily concerned with the economy, but then addressed security issues and the war in Afghanistan, saying that the anti-gay law barring openly gay troops needs to be repealed. "It's discrimination, pure and simple," Coons stated. "Many of our allies have long accepted that sexual orientation is no barrier to being able to serve honorably in our military."

The candidates for a vacancy in the Senate for the state of Ohio also focused on the economy, though Democratic candidate Lee Fisher stated that gays should not be barred from serving openly, the Associated Press reported on Oct. 25. "We should be thanking" troops of any sexual orientation, said Fisher, rather than trying to keep sexual minorities out of uniform. "We shouldn't be discriminating against them or hurting them." Republican opponent Rob Portman said that the issue should be left to the military to resolve.

Even as questions about military service by gay and lesbian patriots came to the surface in debates around the country, GLBT voters were registering their anger with the Democratic majority that they see as having done little to secure legal parity for America's gay population. An Associated Press article from Oct. 24 reported that support from gays--who helped sweep Obama into the presidency two years ago--are not a sure thing for Democrats this year.

The article noted that the Obama administration--already viewed by the gay community as reluctant to press vigorously for reforms--had lost credibility among GLBTs for defending DADT, despite Obama's promises that he would world to retire the anti-gay law. The Justice Department worked to prevent a federal judge's ruling that DADT is unconstitutional from resulting in the military being required to recruit and enlist openly gay candidates.

Traditionally, administrations work to defend existing law in court, even if the president is personally opposed to the law. But gays saw the Justice Department's efforts to keep DADT in effect as evidence that the Obama administration does not prioritize GLBT interests, as Obama said he would when he was a candidate. "But change takes time; sometimes it takes a lot of time. A lot of folks just don't understand that," Equality Illinois' Rick Garcia told the AP. "I am older and more seasoned, but most people are very disturbed with the administration... and they're the hard ones to get out to vote. The message is huge," added Garcia. "Don't take us for granted."