Sestak Swings Back On Specters Call to Repeal DOMA

10/28/09-by Paula Brooks

In response to Senator Arlen Specters post yesterday on the Huffington Post calling for the repeal of The Defense of Marriage Act, Congressman Joe Sestak’s Senate campaign issued the following statement to the long-time Republican, Senator Specter’s latest attempt to follow Joe Sestak’s leadership just to help himself politically – this following Sestaks call to repeal the Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA):

“As the long-time Republican Senator carries on his attempt to run away from his 30-year Republican record, this time on his vote to support the Defense of Marriage Act, he should be honest about his votes to oppose equal rights for LGBT Americans. He actually voted with Republican Senator Rick Santorum to deny equal benefits to legally married LGBT Americans in the first place. Without Joe Sestak’s leadership in supporting LGBT rights, the Senator would continue to deny married gay and lesbian couples their right to file joint tax returns, receive spouse benefits under social security, take an unpaid leave to take care of a sick or injured partner, or share retirement benefits like straight couples. Senator Specter’s willingness to reposition himself just to help himself politically should give pause to Pennsylvanians who are looking for a loyal Senator who will put principle over politics for the next generation. As Senator, Joe Sestak will continue to stand up for equal rights for all Americans – before, during, and after an election year.”

Senator Specter’s Opposition to LGBT Rights:

• Specter voted with Santorum for DOMA [HR 3396, 9/10/96, Record Vote 280]
• Specter voted with Santorum against adding sexual orientation to the definition of hate crimes [2002, S. 625]
• In a letter to a constituent last month, Specter defended his support of DOMA and went on to say “I appreciate the goal of the proposed amendment (to ban gay marriage)” and “I support traditional marriage as defined in DOMA.”

LGBT Leaders Call Specter Out

Active leaders in the LGBT community voiced their support for Joe as the leader Pennsylvania needs in the Senate to fight for equality. Among those to speak up on Joe’s behalf were Steve Glassman, Chairperson of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission; Paul Scoles, President of Gittings Trust, a non-partisan organization working to advance equality for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender People through the political process; and Mel Heifetz and Arthur Kaplan, prominent LGBT activists. They said they were committed to Joe because he is a man of principle who has consistently been on the right side on the issues not to win an election, but because he knows, for example, that repealing DOMA is the right thing to do.

Arthur Kaplan, who is also the Vice President of the Philadelphia ACLU, further said, “Speaking as an individual, Senator Specter’s recently reaffirmed support for DOMA, while also calling for its repeal, apparently depending on his audience, is the height of hypocrisy. After his longstanding opposition to our community, voting against our civil rights time and again, and placing bigots on the Courts just to win elections as a Republican, how could I or anyone ever trust him to do what is right, once this primary election has passed? I know Joe Sestak and he is someone Pennsylvanians can trust to put their best interests above his own.”

Since its passage in 1996, the Defense of Marriage Act has discriminated against LGBT Americans by excluding federal benefits from same-sex partners who have been legally married in states that recognize their marriage. Since 1996, eight states and the District of Columbia have granted same-sex couples equal access to state programs, but those couples remain excluded from the same rights under federal law.

Joe Sestak has called for a repeal of DOMA since he first ran for Congress in 2006. Since then, he has co-sponsored legislation to provide federal civilian LGBT employees with the same partnership benefits that are currently provided to all spouses of federal employees; end the federal tax inequities for employer-sponsored health coverage provided to domestic partners and other non-spouse, non-dependent beneficiaries; permit an employee to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave from work if his or her domestic partner or same-sex spouse has a serious health condition; prohibit discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation; and repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Paula Brooks | Create Your Badge