www.ambiente.us MARCH / MARZO 2008
EDITOR'S NOTE
WAKE UP Gays & Latinos:
Neither party really likes you, so now what?
by Herb Sosa
In this critical year of elections & leadership in the U.S., we are all beginning to suffer from rhetoric overload.
A drunken state of overindulgence of political promises, alliances and circus acts all intended to get our
votes come November. But what is a responsible voter to do? How do I really determine who best
represents me and my needs? My moral fabric, stance on civil rights, war, the economy, homeland security,
immigration, marriage, adoption… the list goes on.
Candidates have said whatever it takes to get our vote since the beginning of time and will continue to do so
as long as we buy into it, and forget their unfulfilled promises at reelection time.
The U.S. LGBT & Latino/Hispanic communities, like most other Americans, are looking for a party and
candidate(s) that will provide representation, leadership, respect and actions – not special privileges –
just equality and fairness. Many of us are registered to one party or another because our parents were, our
friends told us to, it is politically correct, or simply because we have not truly taken the time to learn the facts
about each party and what it stands for. The same can be said of for whom and how we vote – the best
commercial, smile or one-liner promise, wins.
This year we have an unprecedented list of choices for president. A list that will most likely keep growing in
the next few months with the possibility of a run by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a toss of the hat by Al
Gore, or maybe someone we haven’t really even thought of or heard of. I mean, how many of us knew
anything about Bill Clinton, Arkansas or his political record a year before we first elected him?
Speaking of one of the most historically popular presidents of our time, Bill Clinton also made a lot of
promises to us during his campaign. "I have a vision and you are part of it" is what the LGBT community was
told, and we bought it. Shortly after came Clinton signed laws for DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act), DADT
(Don’t Ask; Don’t Tell), needle exchange and many others. Not quite the vision we expected.
Nearly 20 years later, the LGBT community is fighting nationally to repeal and undue the damage brought by
Clintons decisions and laws, yet we as the LGBT community run to the Democratic Party en masse with
blinders on thinking they really, really like us and are taking care of our best interests and hopes for
equality. Don’t get me wrong, Republicans in office have faired just as bad on issues important the
LGBT community, including issues of immigration, health, privacy and equality. We are still trying to recover
from Regan’s near total ignorance, disregard and lack of funding to deal with the AIDS epidemic.
Barack Obama, for many in the LGBT & Latino community, shows promise as a candidate many feel they
can relate to, referring to LGBT & Latino rights & issues in many of his mainstream speeches, most recently
during a moving speech on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. He has also showed that he is also far more
interested in votes than he is in standing up for equal rights.
The key is to really do your homework and separate facts from rhetoric. “One of the issues that Jeff
Anderson and I looked at was the stance each candidate took on LGBT issues. We looked at their positions
both historically and today, giving far more weight to their current positions.� said Jeff Soukup Anderson
and Soukup served as California Co-Chairs for John Edwards for President. Here are their general
conclusions:
1. Dems vs. Repubs: ALL of the Democrats are far, far better on important issues of equality than ANY of the
Republicans.
2. Overall: ALL of the Democrats have evolved and become more supportive of these issues over time.
3. Substance: Supporters of individual candidates will pick out individual policy issues to show why their
candidate is better than the other candidates (e.g., Obama will say that he’s better because he supports
full repeal of DOMA while Clinton only supports partial repeal and Clinton will say that she’s better
because her health care plan provides universal coverage while Obama’s does not). There are some
differences and the differences will be significant to some people. This is fair. However, my sense is that
for most LGBT voters there will be little that separates Clinton and Obama substantively.
4. “Process�: As with the substantive issues, supporters will point to “process� issues to
show why their candidate is better. Under the rubric of “process�, I include the use of language and
symbols, both of which are very important.
“This isn’t to say that there aren’t differences between Clinton and Obama, but
my sense is that we have two very good candidates who, in general, are good on LGBT
issues“. – Jeff Soukup
Juan Ahonen-Jover, Ph.D. of EqualityGiving.org feels that “At the end of the day, nobody knows who will
really push more for equality (and accomplish more) once in the White House. A lot will depend on the
circumstances of the other problems that need attention and a lot will depend on how much we exercise our
influence once they are in power.� Ahonen-Jover adds that while we discuss the differences between
these two candidates, we are forgetting to really support the six candidates that we have endorsed for
Congress---and all of them are pro-equality. They need our money. They need us to fundraise for them, to
open doors for them, to do a house party, etc. Two of them are openly gay. Several of them face primaries.
And on the Republican side, it doesn’t look much better for Gays of Latinos. According to his official
website, Senator John McCain (AZ) ranks as the second most conservative Senator, he voted against
ENDA, Hate Crimes, and HIV funding. In Arizona, he supported a constitutional ban on gay marriage, civil
unions and domestic partnerships, and he campaigned for the ban on TV. McCain has said he believes the
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is "successful and should be maintained."
On Immigration issues, McCain has said “I have never supported amnesty and never would.�
McCain supports the following principles regarding immigration:
- Increase the eligibility of legal immigrants for certain social programs
- Provide extra federal aid to states with higher numbers of immigrants for necessary medical and social
services
- Prohibit states from passing laws that deny human services to illegal immigrants or their children
-Increase the immigration quota for computer scientists and other information technology workers.
Former Governor Mitt Romney (MA) is quoted as saying "The current system puts up a concrete wall to the
best and brightest, yet those without skill or education are able to walk across the border. We must reform
the current immigration laws so we can secure our borders, implement a mandatory biometrically-enabled
and tamperproof documentation and employment-verification system, and increase legal immigration into
America." His stance on LGBT rights, however, is not as bright. "I hope that people will be able to decide
that neither civil union nor same-sex marriage is legal in Massachusetts." Romney says his successor's
decision to recognize the Bay State marriages of out-of-state gay couples “reinforces a need for a
federal constitutional amendment establishing marriage as being between a man and a woman.�
As Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee advocated against same-sex couple adoption in
his state, and supports banning same-sex marriage in the US Constitution.
"Until Moses comes down from Brokeback Mountain with two stone tablets saying we've
changed the rules, let's keep it like it is!" – Mike Huckabee
Perhaps Jeff Soukup sums it up best. “We also should not fool ourselves. LGBT issues are not the top
issue on any of their agendas. Instead, if we want to make progress toward equal rights for all Americans, itâ
€™s going to be up to all of us to make sure that we put someone in the White House who is a supporter of
equal rights, and once we have a supporter in the White House, we don’t let up on the pressure. Either
way, by holding out, we have far more influence than jumping on the band wagon, especially when the band
leaders have shown that they would throw us under the wheels the first chance that they get.�
Copyright © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing this source.
HERB SOSA
herb@herbsosa.com
Cuban-American, community activist, Miami historian, preservationist
and freelance writer, Herb Sosa is a founding member and Director
of Unity Coalition/Coalición Unida, a non-profit focused on minority
political & social empowerment. He is also Editor-In-Chief of Ambiente
Magazine, a Latino/Hispanic focused LGBT publication and regularly
offers public speaking, leadership and political empowerment training
workshops.
Sosa served as chairman of Miami Beach's Historic Preservation Board for over six years, and has served
on the Board of Directors of the Miami Design Preservation League, Dade Heritage Trust, Miami Beach
Community Development Corp., Shelbourne & Fernwood HIV/AIDS Housing, and variety of other
organizations throughout South Florida.
In 1995 Mr. Sosa created and developed the Ba-Balú Store concept in Miami & Miami Beach, celebrating
Cuban heritage thru art, cigars, music and unique giftware, and earning the store the unique distinction of
being named one of Conde N’ast Traveler Magazines top 100 destinations in the world in 1996.
In January 2004, Herb Sosa was named one of Tentaciónes Magazines Top Ten Latina/o activists in the U.
S. and in 2005 was named one of OUT magazines Top 100 LGBT Activists and featured on LOGO TV.
EDITOR'S NOTE
WAKE UP Gays & Latinos:
Neither party really likes you, so now what?
by Herb Sosa
In this critical year of elections & leadership in the U.S., we are all beginning to suffer from rhetoric overload.
A drunken state of overindulgence of political promises, alliances and circus acts all intended to get our
votes come November. But what is a responsible voter to do? How do I really determine who best
represents me and my needs? My moral fabric, stance on civil rights, war, the economy, homeland security,
immigration, marriage, adoption… the list goes on.
Candidates have said whatever it takes to get our vote since the beginning of time and will continue to do so
as long as we buy into it, and forget their unfulfilled promises at reelection time.
The U.S. LGBT & Latino/Hispanic communities, like most other Americans, are looking for a party and
candidate(s) that will provide representation, leadership, respect and actions – not special privileges –
just equality and fairness. Many of us are registered to one party or another because our parents were, our
friends told us to, it is politically correct, or simply because we have not truly taken the time to learn the facts
about each party and what it stands for. The same can be said of for whom and how we vote – the best
commercial, smile or one-liner promise, wins.
This year we have an unprecedented list of choices for president. A list that will most likely keep growing in
the next few months with the possibility of a run by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a toss of the hat by Al
Gore, or maybe someone we haven’t really even thought of or heard of. I mean, how many of us knew
anything about Bill Clinton, Arkansas or his political record a year before we first elected him?
Speaking of one of the most historically popular presidents of our time, Bill Clinton also made a lot of
promises to us during his campaign. "I have a vision and you are part of it" is what the LGBT community was
told, and we bought it. Shortly after came Clinton signed laws for DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act), DADT
(Don’t Ask; Don’t Tell), needle exchange and many others. Not quite the vision we expected.
Nearly 20 years later, the LGBT community is fighting nationally to repeal and undue the damage brought by
Clintons decisions and laws, yet we as the LGBT community run to the Democratic Party en masse with
blinders on thinking they really, really like us and are taking care of our best interests and hopes for
equality. Don’t get me wrong, Republicans in office have faired just as bad on issues important the
LGBT community, including issues of immigration, health, privacy and equality. We are still trying to recover
from Regan’s near total ignorance, disregard and lack of funding to deal with the AIDS epidemic.
Barack Obama, for many in the LGBT & Latino community, shows promise as a candidate many feel they
can relate to, referring to LGBT & Latino rights & issues in many of his mainstream speeches, most recently
during a moving speech on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. He has also showed that he is also far more
interested in votes than he is in standing up for equal rights.
The key is to really do your homework and separate facts from rhetoric. “One of the issues that Jeff
Anderson and I looked at was the stance each candidate took on LGBT issues. We looked at their positions
both historically and today, giving far more weight to their current positions.� said Jeff Soukup Anderson
and Soukup served as California Co-Chairs for John Edwards for President. Here are their general
conclusions:
1. Dems vs. Repubs: ALL of the Democrats are far, far better on important issues of equality than ANY of the
Republicans.
2. Overall: ALL of the Democrats have evolved and become more supportive of these issues over time.
3. Substance: Supporters of individual candidates will pick out individual policy issues to show why their
candidate is better than the other candidates (e.g., Obama will say that he’s better because he supports
full repeal of DOMA while Clinton only supports partial repeal and Clinton will say that she’s better
because her health care plan provides universal coverage while Obama’s does not). There are some
differences and the differences will be significant to some people. This is fair. However, my sense is that
for most LGBT voters there will be little that separates Clinton and Obama substantively.
4. “Process�: As with the substantive issues, supporters will point to “process� issues to
show why their candidate is better. Under the rubric of “process�, I include the use of language and
symbols, both of which are very important.
“This isn’t to say that there aren’t differences between Clinton and Obama, but
my sense is that we have two very good candidates who, in general, are good on LGBT
issues“. – Jeff Soukup
Juan Ahonen-Jover, Ph.D. of EqualityGiving.org feels that “At the end of the day, nobody knows who will
really push more for equality (and accomplish more) once in the White House. A lot will depend on the
circumstances of the other problems that need attention and a lot will depend on how much we exercise our
influence once they are in power.� Ahonen-Jover adds that while we discuss the differences between
these two candidates, we are forgetting to really support the six candidates that we have endorsed for
Congress---and all of them are pro-equality. They need our money. They need us to fundraise for them, to
open doors for them, to do a house party, etc. Two of them are openly gay. Several of them face primaries.
And on the Republican side, it doesn’t look much better for Gays of Latinos. According to his official
website, Senator John McCain (AZ) ranks as the second most conservative Senator, he voted against
ENDA, Hate Crimes, and HIV funding. In Arizona, he supported a constitutional ban on gay marriage, civil
unions and domestic partnerships, and he campaigned for the ban on TV. McCain has said he believes the
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is "successful and should be maintained."
On Immigration issues, McCain has said “I have never supported amnesty and never would.�
McCain supports the following principles regarding immigration:
- Increase the eligibility of legal immigrants for certain social programs
- Provide extra federal aid to states with higher numbers of immigrants for necessary medical and social
services
- Prohibit states from passing laws that deny human services to illegal immigrants or their children
-Increase the immigration quota for computer scientists and other information technology workers.
Former Governor Mitt Romney (MA) is quoted as saying "The current system puts up a concrete wall to the
best and brightest, yet those without skill or education are able to walk across the border. We must reform
the current immigration laws so we can secure our borders, implement a mandatory biometrically-enabled
and tamperproof documentation and employment-verification system, and increase legal immigration into
America." His stance on LGBT rights, however, is not as bright. "I hope that people will be able to decide
that neither civil union nor same-sex marriage is legal in Massachusetts." Romney says his successor's
decision to recognize the Bay State marriages of out-of-state gay couples “reinforces a need for a
federal constitutional amendment establishing marriage as being between a man and a woman.�
As Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee advocated against same-sex couple adoption in
his state, and supports banning same-sex marriage in the US Constitution.
"Until Moses comes down from Brokeback Mountain with two stone tablets saying we've
changed the rules, let's keep it like it is!" – Mike Huckabee
Perhaps Jeff Soukup sums it up best. “We also should not fool ourselves. LGBT issues are not the top
issue on any of their agendas. Instead, if we want to make progress toward equal rights for all Americans, itâ
€™s going to be up to all of us to make sure that we put someone in the White House who is a supporter of
equal rights, and once we have a supporter in the White House, we don’t let up on the pressure. Either
way, by holding out, we have far more influence than jumping on the band wagon, especially when the band
leaders have shown that they would throw us under the wheels the first chance that they get.�
Copyright © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing this source.
HERB SOSA
herb@herbsosa.com
Cuban-American, community activist, Miami historian, preservationist
and freelance writer, Herb Sosa is a founding member and Director
of Unity Coalition/Coalición Unida, a non-profit focused on minority
political & social empowerment. He is also Editor-In-Chief of Ambiente
Magazine, a Latino/Hispanic focused LGBT publication and regularly
offers public speaking, leadership and political empowerment training
workshops.
Sosa served as chairman of Miami Beach's Historic Preservation Board for over six years, and has served
on the Board of Directors of the Miami Design Preservation League, Dade Heritage Trust, Miami Beach
Community Development Corp., Shelbourne & Fernwood HIV/AIDS Housing, and variety of other
organizations throughout South Florida.
In 1995 Mr. Sosa created and developed the Ba-Balú Store concept in Miami & Miami Beach, celebrating
Cuban heritage thru art, cigars, music and unique giftware, and earning the store the unique distinction of
being named one of Conde N’ast Traveler Magazines top 100 destinations in the world in 1996.
In January 2004, Herb Sosa was named one of Tentaciónes Magazines Top Ten Latina/o activists in the U.
S. and in 2005 was named one of OUT magazines Top 100 LGBT Activists and featured on LOGO TV.
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