Monday, November 15, 2004

Gay rights is a moral issue -- worth fighting for, not against

By Deb Price

Why is America at its current moral crossroads over gay rights?

Every time I ponder how to answer, I hear the powerful words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who in a letter from his jail cell thundered in reply to Alabama clergymen who accused him of stirring up trouble, of leading ''unwise and untimely'' protests against racial segregation.

''I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. ... For years I have heard the word 'Wait.' ... This 'Wait' has almost always meant 'Never.' ''

Just as King was denounced in 1963 for supposedly pushing too hard, too fast, gay Americans are being wrongly accused of pushing too hard, too fast for equal treatment under the law. And to borrow from King, whose widow ardently supports equal marriage rights for gay couples, we find ourselves here because injustice is here.

We also find ourselves here because the Democratic Party does indeed have a gay problem -- just not the one the Republican Party and some prominent Democrats seem to think it has. The party hasn't done too much for gay Americans; it's done far too little.

Party has lost compass

The party that for decades prided itself on standing foursquare against discrimination seems to have lost its moral compass: Its moral obligation is to work to lift up a minority group hurt day after day, decade after decade by discriminatory laws.

That means being willing to look voters in the eye and say, ''The moral path for our country to take is to end all discrimination against gay people, just as ending segregation was the moral path. Will you join me in fighting for justice for all?''

Instead, Democratic politicians accept gay money, recruit gay volunteers, and seek gay votes, but too often treat those of us who are gay as the mad aunt they've hidden in the attic. They act as though being associated with us is shameful. They cringe in embarrassment when Republicans shine a light on the situation: ''Hey, you're harboring gay people in your attic!''

When the topic of gay rights comes up, many Democratic politicians squirm and say they'd rather talk about ''important issues.''

Following John Kerry's defeat, plenty of Democrats are saying their party should have run farther away from gays. But to anyone who, like California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, thinks, ''The whole (gay marriage) issue has been too much, too fast,'' I recommend reading King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."

King said he was near concluding the biggest drag on black progress wasn't Ku Klux Klan-style racists but the white moderate ''who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom.''

King added, ''I have longed to hear white ministers declare: 'Follow this decree because integration is morally right and because the Negro is your brother.'''

Leaders must speak up

We need more Democratic politicians unafraid to link arms with progressive religious leaders and speak the truth: ''It's immoral the way our nation treats gay couples trying to protect their relationships, gay parents trying to protect their kids, gay soldiers sacrificing for our country.''

Democratic officials can try to explain away the 2004 results by pointing out a shift of a mere 70,000 votes in Ohio would have made Kerry president. But the issue of gay Americans' place in our society isn't going away. Republican strategists think opposition to gay rights was a key to their success.

So, Democrats can offer voters ''Republican Lite'' by continuing to act queasy at the mention of the word ''gay.'' Or, they can claim what really is the moral high ground. Already, exit polls show, 60 percent of Americans favor full marriage rights for gay couples or civil unions.

Looking for something to stand for, Democratic Party? How about ending injustice? Want the nation to think you've got moral values? Demonstrate them.

Our nation is again at a crossroads; injustice is here.

Deb Price writes for the Washington bureau of The Detroit News. Write her at GNS Features, 1000 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22229-0001.