Accepting equality is not evolution

Shane Wade
Opinion Editor

During the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Media Awards ceremony last week, GLAAD chose to award former President Bill Clinton with the first ever Advocate for Change award for his work in supporting and promoting marriage equality.

What GLAAD didn’t acknowledge Clinton for, however, was his signing of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996. For them to bestow such a notable award upon Clinton, a man that passed a federal law abridging the rights of LGBTQ Americans and has never taken proper credit or apologized for doing so, is hypocritical and despicable.

In a number of interviews in the preceding years, he tried to play down his endorsement of DOMA, most recently by writing an editorial for the Washington Post that explained when he signed DOMA, “it was a very different time.”

Politicians from both sides of the aisle have come out of the woodwork like parasites in order to attach themselves to the cause of marriage equality, including President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH), Job Donnelly (D-Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp, (D-N.D.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.).

Over the past few months, there has been a zeitgeist involving cisgendered individuals in Congress “evolving” their position on a civil rights issue that has more to do with religious bigots than sensible public policy.

But there is no “evolution” on a civil rights issue; if it’s taken an adult who has a sworn duty to protect the rights and privileges of all Americans a decade to finally realize that they have been acting as oppressors, they are unworthy of their seats in Congress and should voluntarily vacate their jobs because they do not have the best interest of Americans in mind. These men and women are nothing but pandering politicians, bent on maintaining their power and remaining in office.

You don’t suddenly realize individuals with different sexual preferences from you are people and you don’t suddenly realize that people have rights.

There are many individuals, particularly LGBTQ individuals, who have more claim to this award than Clinton, including former Sen. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who publicly came out in 1987, becoming the first openly gay sitting Congressman. If anyone deserves an award, he does — not a straight, white male and certainly not former president Clinton.

GLAAD is an organization that represents the interest of a swath of diverse, concerned people. Any action must be taken with the consideration of the group’s constituents and audience in mind. They have a duty to uphold the truth, whether it benefits an elder statesman or makes them look like a politician.

DOMA ruined lives. That is the reality that is too often ignored. It is a discriminatory, cruel and un-American policy. Clinton’s signature set our country back years and halted the advancement of LGBTQ people up from their status as second-class citizens by preventing their legal unions and the ensuing benefits. The collective fight for equality under the law continues to this today for the LGBTQ community.

No matter what amends Clinton has made in recent years in terms of working to reverse the damage he and other politicians, both through their silent inaction and active legislative, have done, they do not and cannot make up for his betrayal in 1996. For him to accept this award is but a twistv of the knife in the back of all the genuine advocates for LGBTQ rights.

The only fair and honest thing he can do is give back the award to GLAAD and tell them to give it to someone actually deserving of their praise.