‘TIS
THE
SEASON
for
living
room
gatherings
to
meet,
greet
and
scrutinize
the
men
and
women
who
want
to
represent
us
and
have
their
eyes
on
elections
in
2006
and
2008.
Hopefuls
for
the
state
legislature,
Congress
and
the
White
House
are
making
the
rounds
in
living
rooms
around
the
nation.
I
was
recently
at
one
of
these
gatherings
in
a
living
room
in
Bethesda,
Md.
Kweisi
Mfume,
who
wants
to
represent
the
state
in
the
U.S.
Senate,
spoke
to
about
35
women.
I
want
to
support
him.
I
would
love
for
my
state
to
send
the
sixth
African
American
ever
to
the
Senate.
I
would
love
for
it
to
be
Mfume.
But
I
can’t
support
him
until
he
states
clearly
and
unequivocally
that
he
supports
the
rights
of
lesbians
and
gay
men
to
be
married.
When
asked
to
do
so,
Mfume
equivocated,
as
most
of
our
Democratic
allies
do.
He
supports
recognition
of
same-sex
relationships.
Fine,
so
do
I.
I
call
it
marriage.
It
doesn’t
sound
like
he
is
ready
to
use
that
word.
So
I
have
one
clear
resolution
as
we
enter
the
upcoming
campaign
season:
I
am
not
supporting
any
candidates
for
office
who
do
not
support
openly
and
unequivocally
the
right
of
lesbians
and
gay
men
to
be
married.
I
AM
TIRED
of
our
“friends”
in
the
Democratic
Party
talking
about
how
they
agree
with
us
on
9
things,
but
not
on
the
10th.
Of
the
9,
they
inevitably
list
employment
non-discrimination
and
hate
crimes
and
“et
cetera,”
which
apparently
includes
the
other
7.
The
10th
is
marriage.
As
one
lesbian
activist
in
Maryland
remarked
after
Mfume
spoke,
“I
can
provide
my
child
with
health
insurance
and
an
education,
but
if
I
die,
I
can’t
provide
him
with
real
security
because
I
cannot
legally
marry
his
other
mother.”
There
you
have
it.
I
am
tired
of
Democrats
taking
my
money
and
my
time
for
elections
and
then
blaming
me
and
my
desire
to
be
wedded
lawfully
for
their
loss
at
the
polls.
Yes,
Democrats
lost
in
November,
but
it
wasn’t
because
they
supported
gay
marriage;
in
fact
most
of
them
didn’t.
It
would
be
one
thing
if
the
party
could
say,
“Look
we
really
stepped
out
on
the
limb
on
the
marriage
issue
and
now
we
need
your
support.”
But
they
can’t.
Or
even
if
they
could
say,
“Look,
we
have
really
been
instrumental
in
getting
federal
legislation
passed
for
gay
and
lesbian
people
in
the
past
and
we’ll
do
it
again.”
But
they
haven’t.
Since
being
silent
on
marriage
equality
hasn’t
worked,
I
would
recommend
Democrats
take
the
opposite
approach.
Can
you
imagine
a
candidate
saying
this:
“Yes,
I
support
the
rights
of
gay
couples
to
be
married,
but
I
am
most
concerned
about
what
we
are
going
to
do
to
help
working
families
in
this
country
make
sure
that
they
have
health
insurance
for
everyone
in
their
family.
I
am
worried
about
how
working
families
will
pay
for
their
kids
to
go
to
college.
“These
are
the
issues
that
I
am
concerned
about.
Still,
I
support
equal
access
to
marriage
for
gay
couples.”
That
is
a
candidate
who
will
get
my
full
support.
I
am
waiting.
LET’S
FACE
IT,
if
elected
officials
won’t
stand
up
for
us
all
the
time,
even
on
marriage,
why
should
we
give
them
our
money,
time
and
our
vote?
What
will
we
lose
by
not
supporting
candidates
—
Democrat
and
Republican
—
who
won’t
speak
strongly
and
unequivocally
on
our
right
to
marry?
Nothing.
They
aren’t
representing
us
anyway
and
by
withdrawing
our
support,
we
get
to
keep
our
money
and
our
time.
Sounds
like
a
good
deal
to
me.
I
felt
the
November
loss
the
most
when
Judge
Roberts
was
named
as
President
Bush’s
Supreme
Court
appointment.
I
know
that
things
are
better
for
me
as
a
woman,
a
lesbian,
a
progressive,
when
Democrats
are
in
office,
but
I’m
tired
of
the
bargains
that
come
with
the
Democrats.
So
for
the
next
14
months,
at
least,
I
am
going
to
be
like
every
dieter,
alcoholic,
and
sex
addict
and
swear
off
my
addiction.
Will
you
do
the
same?
