Posted on 05/11/2006 4:36:36 PM PDT by dukeman
Well, 'ol Howard has done it again! His recent statement on the 700 Club that the dems are against gay marriage too has the gay & lesbian activists all atwitter. Here's a sample:
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force denounces DNC Chair Howard Dean's misrepresentation of party platform
In a Christian Broadcasting News segment aired today on The 700 Club concerning how Democrats are reaching out to evangelicals, Howard Dean, chair of the Democratic National Party, said, "The Democratic Party platform from 2004 says that marriage is between a man and a woman. That's what it says. I think where we may take exception with some religious leaders is that we believe in inclusion, that everybody deserves to live with dignity and respect, and that equal rights under the law are important."
In fact, the DNC 2004 platform says, "We support full inclusion of gay and lesbian families in the life of our nation and seek equal responsibilities, benefits, and protections for these families. In our country, marriage has been defined at the state level for 200 years, and we believe it should continue to be defined there. We repudiate President Bush's divisive effort to politicize the Constitution by pursuing a 'Federal Marriage Amendment.' Our goal is to bring Americans together, not drive them apart."
This plank was considered a victory for its inclusive references to gay families and activists. We are proud that two of our current Task Force board members — Roberta Achtenberg and Jeff Soref — fought hard for it. The platform was approved by the more than 4,000 elected and at-large Democratic delegates who met in Boston in 2004 to pick a presidential candidate, and there have been no official revisions of the platform since 2004.
"Governor Dean is wrong about what the Democratic platform says about marriage equality. Disturbingly, this is not the first time he has misrepresented this important and affirming plank, and he has been asked before to correct the record and to cease making these misleading statements.
"Governor Dean's record on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues since becoming DNC chair has been sorely and sadly lacking. The Democratic Party chair should stand by and fight for the party's own platform and values. In light of Governor Dean's pandering and insulting interview today with the Christian Broadcasting Network, we have decided to return the DNC's recent $5,000 contribution to us. We do so with great sadness, knowing that the Democratic Party has long been a champion of our rights. Once again, we urge the governor to accurately represent the party's commitment to equality for LGBT people and our families, and to do everything in his power as chair to realize this vision. This would include but not be limited to fighting anti-gay ballot initiatives in various states this November. We urge him to take the money we are returning today and spend it to defeat these attacks on LGBT people and our families."
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GOVERNOR DEAN’S COMMENTS REFLECT SERIOUS LACK OF LEADERSHIP
‘Governor Dean’s comments weren’t a mere slip of the tongue but a glaring reminder of the governor’s lack of leadership on this issue,’ said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.
WASHINGTON — Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese made the following statement regarding Gov. Howard Dean’s recent comments on the Christian Broadcasting Network.
“Governor Dean’s comments weren’t a mere slip of the tongue but a glaring reminder of the governor’s lack of leadership on this issue,” said Solmonese. “As we face a Senate vote in June that threatens to put discrimination in our Constitution, Governor Dean should not only have known better but he should have used the opportunity to speak out about the lack of values involved in the current constitutional debate.”
Solmonese continued, “While Governor Dean’s clarification of the Democratic platform’s inclusive message is a step in the right direction, it’s imperative that the Democratic National Committee and Governor Dean himself continue on that path in a clear and unequivocal way. We join fellow gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender leaders in concern over a troubling series of missteps that fail to convey Governor Dean’s and the DNC’s commitment to equality.”
On a May 10 Christian Broadcasting Network piece, Dean described the 2004 Democratic Party platform by saying, “[The platform says] marriage is between a man and a woman. That's what it says.” In fact, the 2004 platform reads:
“We support full inclusion of gay and lesbian families in the life of our nation and seek equal responsibility, benefits and protections for these families. In our country marriage has been defined at the state level for 200 years and we believe it should continue to be defined there. We repudiate President Bush's divisive effort to politicize the Constitution by pursuing a ‘Federal Marriage Amendment.’”
The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that LGBT Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.
Howard Dean: The GOP's best friend.
I saw this segment. Dean was trying to make the democrat party look like the REAL Godly people.
The question I have is what is Pat Robertson doing giving Dean a voice to push his lies on his program?
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