One Man One Woman Marriage - Biden's Vote On DOMA

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   Sharlee01posted 3 years ago

   
   Please Joe say it ain't so...
   
   The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was a United States federal law passed by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. It defined marriage for federal purposes as the union of one man and one woman and allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages granted under the laws of other states.
   
   Here are some notable Democrats who voted for DOMA in 1994, with their current position listed:
   
   Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.)
   Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)
   Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio)
   Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J)
   Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.)
   Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y)
   Vice President Joe Biden (D-Del.)
   Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D- N.J.)
   Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)
   Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.)
   Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.)
   Sen. Harry Reid (D-N.V.)
   
   https://www.businessinsider.com/democra … oma-2013-3
   
   He seems to go whichever way the wind blows...
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_of_Marriage_Act
   
   In his very own words... Interview video Joseph Biden defended his opposition to same-sex marriage in 2006. Still supporting his view one man one woman marriage.
   https://www.washingtonblade.com/2020/06 … -campaign/
   
   He has certainly had a late-life epiphany now that he is running for office.
   
   "So, thoughts,  is Biden Homophobic?  It would seem he accuse President Trump as well as VP Pence of being Homophobic.
   "The former vice president said in a campaign statement the Trump-Pence administration’s actions has made LGBTQ+ advocates around the world “no longer sure that the United States is their friend and ally.”
   
   “Instead of building on this progress, the Trump-Pence Administration has done everything it can to undermine LGBTQ+ rights,” Biden said.
   
   https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4 … btq-rights
   
   "My gut reaction," Joe Biden reportedly declared in 1973, "is that they [homosexuals] are security risks, but I must admit I haven't given this much thought…I’ll be darned!’”
   He made that remark during a meeting with constituents while discussing the issue of gay people working in the federal government.  news article The Washington Free Beacon.
   
   In 1993, Biden ended up backing legislation with a provision codifying a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy concerning gays in the military.
   
   As of late, he is trying hard to walk back his anti-LGBTQ history.

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      Credence2posted 3 years agoin reply to this

      I can acknowledge that people can change over 13 years. What are his views now? I am concerned about people that continue to take the wrong stance on the issue, Today.
      
      I am not keen on Biden as he has accommodated a lot of nasty rightwing positions in his past record, the same that Trump accommodates here and now.

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         Sharlee01posted 3 years agoin reply to this

         Trump has made a good initiative to show his support. for the LGBT community.
         
         Trump Administration Secures Historic Donation of Billions of Dollars in HIV Prevention Drugs "Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II announced today that, as a result of discussions between the Trump Administration and Gilead Sciences, Inc., the pharmaceutical company has agreed to donate pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication for up to 200,000 individuals each year for up to 11 years.  PrEP is used to reduce the risk of HIV infection in individuals who are at higher risk for HIV. It has been shown to reduce the risk of new infection by up to 97 percent when taken consistently.
         
         The agreement between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Gilead will last until at least December 31, 2025, and possibly through December 31, 2030, and will provide medication to treat individuals who are at risk for HIV and who are uninsured. This donation will deliver Gilead’s PrEP medication Truvada, which currently carries a list price of more than $20,000 per patient per year, to up to 200,000 people per year, including in the states and counties identified as priority areas in the Trump Administration plan - PDF to end the HIV epidemic in America."  https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2019/05/ … drugs.html
         
         "As we celebrate LGBT Pride Month and recognize the outstanding contributions that LGBT people have made to our great Nation, let us also stand in solidarity with the many LGBT people who live in dozens of countries worldwide that punish, imprison, or even execute individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation. My Administration has launched a global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality and invites all nations to join us in this effort!"  https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-st … esident-9/
         
         Bumatay is openly gay, and during testimony to the Senate Judicial Committee he introduced his husband, with whom he is raising twin daughters. In a 53-40 vote, Patrick Bumatay became the 49th circuit appointee to be confirmed under the Trump administration, part of a steady drive by Republicans to remake the federal bench with conservative jurists.
         
         "WASHINGTON –  The Log Cabin Republicans, which calls itself the "nation’s original and largest organization representing LGBT conservatives," announced its endorsement of President Donald Trump for the 2020 presidential election after declining to back him in 2016."
         
         https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol … 038865001/
         
         I believe Biden will give say anything he is told to say. Change his views, yes he can in an instant. That is very evident. He pandars, but actually he does a poor job at it. He becomes confused and forgets what he was told to say, and the real Joe peeks through. Like his comment  to the breakfast club  host --- "Well I tell you what, If you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't black."
         
         I could not think of a worse insult to a black man than that statement. It clearly shows he looks down on the black race, and even worse he was referring to what he thinks is a given  -- real blacks vote democrat because we have them dummied down. Not sure he has changed much when it comes to his innate feeling about blacks or gays... You refer to Trump as orange. After watching him over the past few months I would call him slimy. He has an air that that can be cut with a knife, an air of hey I am better than you.  It truly seeps out if he is left on his own. Debates should be interesting. 
         
         Rightwing positions?
         The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was a United States federal law passed by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton.

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            Credence2posted 3 years agoin reply to this

            Ok, but Biden is no less committed.

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   lobobrandonposted 3 years ago

   It's just plain sad that a first world country in today's times, a country that champions human rights and democracy has to choose a president on the basis of who is less racist, less homophobic, more towards equality for all and in general less accepting about things that cannot be changed.
   
   People do change their minds, Biden could have, though he probably did not. Trump is no better, HIV drugs help everyone, even though the gay community has been known to be more affected and that statement you linked to is not written by him, the way it is written says that. He did have to approve of it, which is something he deserves credit for, but I personally would not give someone "credit" for not being hateful. Is he actually doing something to reach out to the other countries or is it all just words? I would love to see info on actual work being done that he is campaigning for, out of my own interest not as a Trump vs Biden thing.
   
   Most people just need to learn what it means to be gay. Many people associate gay = pedophile. Someone close to me thought that and was homophobic until they found out I was gay. Yesterday the BBC published an article with a video that showed most people there had this thought https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53538205.

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      Sharlee01posted 3 years agoin reply to this

      Trump personally negotiate the drug deals fo HIV drugs.  HIV has played the world for decades, no other leader or president stepped up to make the drugs less expensive and more available to some that just could not Enjoy the informative article.

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         lobobrandonposted 3 years agoin reply to this

         Good to know. It's pretty cheap here in Europe from what I've read. I'm referring to prep and not the drugs that help once someone has caught the infection. I would guess health insurance would cover those costs.

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            wildernessposted 3 years agoin reply to this

            It won't cover the shingles vaccine I want...

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               lobobrandonposted 3 years agoin reply to this

               Really? If you get a docs recommendation it is covered here.

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                  wildernessposted 3 years agoin reply to this

                  Very few doctors would fail to recommend that vaccine for someone my age.  But it is not covered by medicare or by the additional insurance I purchase.

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                     lobobrandonposted 3 years agoin reply to this

                     Not the best system.

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                        wildernessposted 3 years agoin reply to this

                        Although it hurts me personally, I don't know about that "best system" part - I have the option to purchase it myself, and it is my choice to do so or not.  I just can't force someone else to buy it FOR me because I don't want to pay the cost.
                        
                        It would be nice if we could just wave a wand and all our medical needs would be met, but there ARE costs to be born.  Doctors and nurses need housed and fed, people building hospitals need the same and so do those making the machines in those hospitals.  I expect to pay my own way through life and I expect to pick up most of the costs of my own medical care - this vaccine is but one small example.

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                           lobobrandonposted 3 years agoin reply to this

                           You guys in the US just don't know any better and most people there think universal coverage means you pay for others, it's not surprising with the me first or just me policy of many, something very evident in the refusal to wear masks to protect the other citizens.
                           
                           Canada, Germany, the UK, all of them have stuff covered. We pay insurance from our income as a percentage of the income here in Germany. It's not someone doing it FOR me, it's just a better service. I pay more than I receive, but if I really need something some day I know that I won't have to sell my house to afford it, something very common in the US from what I've read.

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                              wildernessposted 3 years agoin reply to this

                              I, too, pay more than I receive; I have done so nearly every year of my life.  Even today, at age 70, I normally see a doctor for the yearly exam medicare wants.
                              
                              But I'm not as sanguine as you are that your system, giving the impression that anything you need done is free while the truth is that a great deal is not available, is the right way to go.  I continue to hear, and see, examples where the US has far better health care than your countries.  This is nearly inevitable; no country could afford unlimited health care for it's people. There will always be a (financial) limit of what can be provided to every citizen.

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                                 lobobrandonposted 3 years agoin reply to this

                                 It's not unlimited health care, it's essential health care. Could you list some of the examples you know of? You know, for research purposes.
                                 
                                 Oh, btw. it's a better system because people don't have to go homeless or sell a kidney to survive and that is in line with what humans have evolved from, social animals. You can disagree about this, but if you agree about this, it's hard to see how you would be okay with your neighbour having to go through that.

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         peterstreepposted 3 years agoin reply to this

         You are talking about money Sharlee. Not about the attitude towards guy couples.

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            Sharlee01posted 3 years agoin reply to this

            You are correct in the respect Trump sought to decrease these drug prices, which would indicate he was possibly just hoping to make a deal so to say. However, the deed was positive for many that made the drugs affordable. Trump is hard to read. It's obvious he can be outspoken, brash, and transparent, not a person that at all ascribes to politically correct ideology. I really think his job performance does reflect he is trying to solve problems that have played America for many years. Most of these problems are unpopular and have been passed on from president to president.  Our government is not always looking out for the citizens. This is putting it mildly. Most in Washington are out to control through the sheer power to do so. This does not always end up addressing pressing social problems. They talk a big game, but most of our worst social problems just are never solved.
            
            One thing I have noticed about Trump, he has all kinds of people, and groups in and out of that White Houses. This is unique, I have not witnessed this propensity to want to meet the public.

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               peterstreepposted 3 years agoin reply to this

               It's tough to be a politician. You start with ideals and great ideas, but as soon as you are in a position of power all kinds of other things need to be taken into account, and before you know it your ideas are turned into a different direction more suitable for the benefactors and companies.
               Even local politics is a snakes nest. In small towns it does not matter which party you are from. It's more, which family are you from.
               "Our government is not always looking out for the citizens."...It's not only the US government. That's why it is so important to have a free press and good journalism. So you can make things public that the government wants to hide. (Spain had for a long time an incredibly corrupt government. It is now slowly starting to change..but that's not easy.)
               The only thing we can do is always be on our guard and be critical, no matter what party is in power.

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                  Sharlee01posted 3 years agoin reply to this

                  I agree one must stay vigilant. With a two-party system that fights like cats and dogs, no one seems to win too often. Plus, it is amazing when push comes to shove some of the time they stick together when it benefits them both. Some walk-in with little and leave with millions.
                  ..

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                  The Masked Marauderposted 3 years agoin reply to this

                  Well put Peter Streep.

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      peterstreepposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      It's just plain sad that a first world country in today's times, a country that champions human rights and democracy has to choose a president on the basis of who is less racist, less homophobic, more towards equality for all and in general less accepting about things that cannot be changed.
      
      America is in my eyes, not a Democracy. You can only choose between two parties. That's hardly a choice. And you can only choose among the richest persons of the US to become a president. That's elitism.
      Human rights---- As long as the US has Guantanamo Bay and is torturing people, they have no moral ground to stand on when talking about human rights.
      Please don't take this personal. I'm talking about politics, not about the people living in the US.

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         lobobrandonposted 3 years agoin reply to this

         I totally agree people have lost their minds due to fragile egos when I directly pointed this out to them on these forums in the past, not Sharlee but others. I was being sarcastic.

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   Dolores Monetposted 3 years ago

   I find it odd when people harken back to what someone said in 1973. The sad fact was that being gay in 1973 could get you fired so there was a security risk from the types of people who might resort to blackmail or to destroy your career. Also, people's attitudes change as time passes. The concept of gay marriage was controversial in the 1990s, unthinkable in 1973.
   
   People change their minds. For instance, Donald Trump was a Republican in 1987, then a member of the Reform Party in 1999, became a Democrat in 2001, then Republican again in 2009.

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      Sharlee01posted 3 years agoin reply to this

      All rings very true... Good food for thought

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      The Masked Marauderposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      So your most recent articles suggest Joe Biden is a racist and a, now, homophobic? In 2006 Biden voted AGAINST a Constitutional ban on same sex marriage. Biden voted for hate crime protections for the LGBTQ community. Biden threw his support behind transgender military personnel being able to serve openly. Also, Biden performed a same-sex marriage in the Vice-Presidents office.

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         Sharlee01posted 3 years agoin reply to this

         If you are referring g to The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is an American Act of Congress, passed on October 22, 2009, and signed into law by President Obama. Joe Biden did not vote on the bill he was VP at the time.  I would imagine he did support the bill, Obama was very much an advocate for the LGBTQ community. Thank you for sharing the fact that he performed a  same-sex marriage. Very interesting turnaround. Perhaps, he has become to be more tolerant over the years. I appreciate you contributing to the thread. You pointed out some interesting information I certainly was unaware of.

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            The Masked Marauderposted 3 years agoin reply to this

            I appreciate your willingness to be open minded. I can tell you are a Trump supporter (at least over Biden, according to your "hold your nose" election statement). You are well read and well spoken and if your choice is Trump I hold nothing against that as you know, as well as I, that that is your Constitutional freedom. I firmly believe in that old adage "I may not agree with what you say but I will always defend your right to say it". I don't want to go over the top but I feel far too many people on both sides are capable of decent conversation if they would just open their mind to opposing views. That you have done and I give you accolades for it. I read all your posts and have taken away much food for thought. I am about to post my first article that deals with this very subject. I'm not trying to plug the article in advance as I don't get paid for it. LOL. Keep writing and I'll keep reading. Thanks again.

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               Sharlee01posted 3 years agoin reply to this

               Thank you for your openmindedness.  I think too frequently many are just not open to being understanding, and at least be respectful of someone else's views. I would really appreciate it if you advise me when you post your new article. I would love to check it out.

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                  The Masked Marauderposted 3 years agoin reply to this

                  My article was published and you said to let you know. I enjoy your musings and wrote a bit of fan mail for you. I also followed you. After all the years and articles you deserve it. I firmly believe in compliments. They are a great way to brighten a persons day. It's like my ex-wife always said; "Compliments are cheap and so are you".

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   Sharlee01posted 3 years ago

   I will make sure to read your article. I do believe in compliments. I think it a wonderful thing to do, to make a friend.  I try to find positive in all situations, and with all people. I believe human beings are very complicated with many interesting characteristics that make them unique. I might appreciate one characteristic over another, and in the end, still make an acquaintance I respect. I accept things as they are. No judgment.

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