Democrats link gay rights, immigration

[one_voice]

Trying to broaden support for immigration reform, key Democratic lawmakers on Thursday will endorse legislation that would grant gay and lesbian Americans the ability to legally bring their foreign partners to the United States.


Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, Rep. Mike Honda of California and others will urge Congress to pass the Uniting American Families Act this year as part of a comprehensive immigration reform package.


But both parties are skeptical of that strategy. They warn that introducing a contentious issue just months before the midterm elections could add fuel to the immigration debate and erode support from lawmakers in socially conservative districts.


“It adds another dimension to the issue that will be the subject of significant debate,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. “For sure, it will enhance the debate.”


More than 100 House Democrats, including many Hispanics, have signed on to the comprehensive immigration bill Gutierrez introduced last December. But Joanna Burgos, a National Republican Campaign Committee spokeswoman, said the gay rights provision — opposed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Association of Evangelicals — could scare away some supporters.

“If they’re trying to appeal to the Hispanic vote, gay marriage is not the right issue for their socially conservative values,” Burgos said. “I think it puts Democrats in Hispanic districts in an awkward position because they are very socially conservative.”



Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/39780.html#ixzz0trrX95Qi

[patrice]

1. How can anyone object in principle to Discrimination if they give tacit approval to it for Others by

their silence in the face of Discrimination, except when it affects them. That's Hypocrisy and folk are real sensitive to it these days.

I for one, will not defend one group against Discrimination and ignore its depredations upon another. Yes, that means if Immigrants want my support the MUST stand for Justice for the LGBT community too. No one's asking them to approve, no one's asking them to marry anyone they don't want to marry. They just need to say protection from Discrimination and support for Human and Civil Rights apply to everyone or they apply to no one, not even themselves!

[EFerrari]

2. Burgos is a Republican and a self serving one.

Remember Argentina just passed matrimonio gay into law?

Older voters, not Latino voters, are most vulnerable to her BS. The kids are pro equality and the Latino demographic is the youngest one in the nation.

[patrice]

3. Thanks for the info. It would be VERY disappointing to see this crap start on our side of

this issue.

Government is supposed to manage how we live together. People have a right to their own honest moral conscience, but that needs to be between them and God and government is not God.

I think the only time another person's sexuality is/should be a matter of concern to me is when s/he is someone I have a sexual interest in, so all of this Republican interest in what other adults do in their own bedrooms seems very very twisted to me.

[EFerrari]

4. The Republicans make stuff up about Latino voters all the time

to discourage Democrats.

But think of it this way, if Latinos are so "socially conservative", why are social Democrats in power all over Latin America?

[xchrom]

5. Shrug - there's always a reason not to do the right thing.

It's rarely a good enough reason - but it's always there.