Turn Tahoe Blue: Pink Campaigns

So, I've started another blog. While it also deals with the elections this November it is quite different from Turn Tahoe Blue in that it is a one-issue information blog. For the What? Why? Who? How? of Pink Campaigns please read below:

I've become very disenheartened with candidates running for office who will gladly accept the pink buck but who will not campaign on pink issues.

Or, if you're not that enthused about the color reference: Why is it so hard for many candidates to publish their positions on GLBT issues on their campaign website? Because many don't. Even those candidates by whom you'd expect it.

So, you can probably understand why I was positively surprised, even a little stunned, when I saw a clear statement by a Democratic candidate for Congress:

I believe that my marriage to my one-and-only wife of 18 years, Polly, will not lose its sanctity if we treat all Americans equally.

That candidate also clearly states his views on GLBT issues. Now, you might assume that I'm writing about a candidate from California or New York, someone running in a large city with a large GLBT community.

Well, you'd be wrong. The candidate's name is David Gill and he's running in one of the reddest districts in rural Illinois. Maybe now you can understand why I was stunned that such a candidate would even talk, positively talk, about GLBT issues.

Now, some of you may remember the outcry on some blogs on the Human Rights Campaign's decision to endorse Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island over his Democratic challenger. Because I'm a curious guy I figured I'd just take a look at the HRC's list of endorsed candidates and was quite surprised by what I saw. Some candidates were obviously chosen because they are vulnerable incumbents, some because they're strong advocates of GLBT issues and others because they might oust a Republican incumbent who is a foe of GLBT issues. That's all mighty fine and it's the HRC's decision who they decide to endorse but something really got me wondering.

Of the 13 endorsed candidates only two find GLBT issues important enough to put them on their issues page of their campaign website and actually campaign on them. It seems quite clear to me that accepting the pink buck is not equivalent to campaigning on pink issues.

So, I've decided to look at the campaign websites of all Democratic candidates, whether they're incumbents or not, running for Congress or Governor and find out whether or not they will clearly state their views on at least one GLBT issue.

I will portray the candidates who do so on this blog. I will quote what they have to say, will link to their campaign website and their contributions page and will give you some information on the district and the results of the last election.

Any candidate can make it on this list. There are a few conditions, though. The candidate has to have a campaign website (quite a few incumbents don't have one (yet?)) and the candidate clearly has to state what s/he is for, specifically. Just saying you're against the Federal Marriage Amendment won't do the trick, neither will some statement that you support "equality for all". At least the words GLBT, homosexual, or sexual orientation (even if I don't like that term) have to appear. If a candidate is campaigning on his past achievements and clearly states on the campaign websites what s/he has done for GLBT issues in the past that will make her/him also eligable for this page.

This will be a work in progress. I will publish these candidate profiles regularly. If there is a primary somewhere and there are several candidates running for the same office I will publish the profiles before the primary. I am aware that many candidates, especially incumbents, haven't started campaigning in earnest, yet. So, I will take a look at their campaign websites on a regular basis. If you will find that a candidate has changed the wording on her/his website after I publish her/his profile, please let me know.

And, finally, a disclaimer. The profiles are not an endorsement of any candidate. If a candidate you like will not be featured in the end, it's because s/he hasn't met the criteria I mentioned above. A lot of your favourite candidates may not make this site, and a few candidates you dislike might get profiled. That's the way it goes and one thing you can be certain of: I feel the same way as you do. While researching for this blog I was very disappointed to see that many of my favourite candidates do not include GLBT issues on their website. So, if your favourite candidate is such a case you might just wanna write to her or him and complain to them and not to me.