Bill Clinton opposes California's Prop. 8

Besides the contentious issues listed below, Clinton also advised 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry to campaign against gay marriage.


http://pageoneq.com/news/2008/clintonprop8103108.html

Bill Clinton: No on Proposition 8

by Nick Cargo

Former President Bill Clinton urged millions of California voters Thursday night to reject the state's proposed constitutional gay marriage ban, Proposition 8.

Clinton said: "This is Bill Clinton calling to ask you to vote NO on Proposition 8 on Tuesday, November 4th. Proposition 8 would use state law to single out one group of Californians to be treated differently -- discriminating against members of our family, our friends and our coworkers."

Clinton's turbulent past with LGBT rights includes his signing of the 1993 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, allowing gays and lesbians to serve in the military only if they remained closeted, and the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, framed as a states' rights measure, which bars all parts of the federal government from recognizing a same-sex marriage. As a result, married same-sex couples are unable to file taxes jointly, claim federal benefits, and in some cases, married gays have been unable to obtain passports because their legal names were changed on their marriage documents, which the State Department cannot acknowledge.

In an interview in March, Clinton disagreed that the policies were anti-gay, or that his administration had thrown gays "under the bus," as musician Melissa Etheridge said at LOGO's 2007 "Visible Vote" forum during Senator Clinton's candidacy. "It's a slight rewriting of history," Clinton said, "for Melissa [Etheridge], whom I very much respect, to imply that somehow this was anti-gay, when I had more openly gay people in my administration, and did more for gay rights--and tried to provide an opportunity for gays to serve in the military; and did provide an opportunity for gays to serve in civilian positions involving national security that they had previously been denied from serving in."

"If I know one thing about California, I know that is not what you're about.. That is not what America is about," the Thursday call concluded. "Please vote NO on 8. It's unfair and it's wrong. Thank you."