LGBT Rights Groups Call Hagel's Comments About Gay Nominee “Unacceptable”

[dlwickham]

Source: Buzzfeed

The nation's largest LGBT rights group on Thursday called "unacceptable" comments former Sen. Chuck Hagel made in 1998 opposing a Clinton administration nominee because he was "openly aggressively gay."

The 14-year-old comments about Clinton's nominee to be ambassador to Luxembourg, James Hormel, came to light Thursday as Hagel is a front-runner to be nominated by President Obama for defense secretary in his second term.

Human Rights Campaign spokesman Michael Cole-Schwartz also said, however, that "we do not know ... how [Hagel']s views have evolved over time" and that the group "look[s] forward to hearing from Senator Hagel on these issues should he be nominated."

The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which works to support out LGBT presidential appointees, noted that times have changed since Hormel's nomination.

Read more: http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/lgbt-rights-groups-call-hagels-comments-about-gay

[dlwickham]

1. from an earlier article on Hagel

Hagel was a longtime supporter of "don't ask, don't tell," which banned gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military. In 1999, he told The New York Times, ''The U.S. armed forces aren't some social experiment.''

And between 2001 and 2006, Hagel received a score of zero from the Human Rights Council, with no votes on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a job discrimination bill, and the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which eventually was passed into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act in 2009.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/zekejmiller/chuck-hagel-once-opposed-nominee-because-he-was-o

[William769]

2. He is not a good choice, not even close.

[Bluenorthwest]

3. He is a huge bigot. Huge.

Long, ugly, nasty record of it.

[MrModerate]

4. He needs to be quizzed about "how his views have evolved over time . . ."

Actually, I don't know much about the guy. Time for Google/Wikipedia.

[QC]

5. He's only going to sing one song. n/t

[dlwickham]

6. huh

[Behind the Aegis]

8. It's a remark about Dr. Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church.

He was one of the preachers pushing the Uganda "Kill the Gays" bill, and was the invocation speaker at Obama's inauguration.


ETA: When many of us gays voiced our concern/protest about having such a nasty homophobe involved in the inauguration, the excuse was "it's only one prayer."

[dlwickham]

10. I get it now

I can be a bit slow at times

[MNBrewer]

7. He sounds like a terrible choice.

[King_David]

9. Awful choice nt