Elizabeth Edwards Comes Out Strong for Gay Rights

Posted by Guest Blogger at 1:00 PM on July 18, 2007.

This post, written by Pam Spaulding, originally appeared on Pam's House Blend

Video of Elizabeth Edwards' appearance at the HRC San Francisco gala dinner on July 14 is up, hat tip to Chris at HRC Backstory.

The right to live without fear of physical violence against yourselves, or against your families, is more than important. For you, it's essential -- and for us, as a nation, it's a moral imperative....

It's true that we need real and enforceable national hate crimes legislation, and then we need to give local authorities the power and the means to punish those who seek out to do harm to people simply because of their sexual orientation. We need to be just - and we need to deliver justice....

The right to live without the fear of being murdered for whom we love is not a special right.

Well said. But if you're on the American Family Association mailing list, you'll find another pack of lies from the fundies in your inbox. From dapper Don Wildmon, the latest AFA alert on hate crimes legislation -- not only is religious freedom at risk, heterosexuals are going to suffer if gender identity and sexual orientation are added to existing hate crimes laws.

The Senate will be voting, as early as today, on S.1105, the so-called "hate crimes" bill. Under S.1105, acts of crime committed against members of certain protected classes - including those who identify themselves by their "actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity" - would warrant more intense prosecution and greater penalties than the very same acts committed against heterosexuals.

It would establish homosexuals as a special class of people and give them special rights.

It is no stretch to argue that S. 1105, if enacted, will embody a national policy that will likely lead to the criminalization and civil sanction of the biblical view of homosexuality.

Read these two stories - The tragic story of Jesse Dirkhising

and Woman's death at hands of 'gay' her fault, says lawyer - to see how homosexuals murdered heterosexuals but were not charged with a hate crime. Had the roles been reversed - the victims homosexual and the perpetrators heterosexual - they could have been charged. Under S.1105, homosexuals are a "protected class" while heterosexuals are not.

Of course Don and Co. always end their screeches with "If you think our efforts are worthy, would you please support us with a small gift?"

Hat tip, Kevin

Tagged as: gay rights, elizabeth edwards, homosexuality, homophobia, hate crimes bill

Pam Spaulding is the editor and publisher of Pam's House Blend, honored as "Best LGBT Blog" in the 2005 and 2006