Our two presidential candidates are each at opposite ends of the marriage equality spectrum. President Obama made history when he became the first president to openly support it, while Governor Mitt Romney has said he wants to put a federal ban on it. So with same-sex marriage playing such a key role in the upcoming election, why wasn’t the words “marriage equality” uttered in any of the three presidential debates?
It’s perhaps the very fact that the candidates drastically differ that it wasn’t discussed. They’ve made it fairly clear of their beliefs on same-sex marriage (with only mild flip-flopping from Romney’s campaign regarding whether it should be a state- or federal-level ban). Those who prioritize marriage equality will vote for Obama, those preferentially against it will vote Romney. Judging by Romney’s answers on issues such as foreign policy, the absence of LGBT rights in the debates prevented him from swaying on his pre-determined, extremist stance, and thus potentially nabbing swing voters with a middle-of-the-road answer.
According to the recent Harris Interactive-Logo poll, gay rights doesn’t even make it into the top three voting issues for the LGBT community. General gay rights comes in at number four, behind economic issues, unemployment/jobs and health care and same-sex marriage makes it mark at number 7. Meanwhile, the general public views gay rights and same-sex marriage as the bottom of the top 10 list.
So is this non-concern for gay rights, both in LGBT and straight communities, equal in a lack of support for marriage equality? Not necessarily. “What we’re seeing is proof positive that gay issues aren’t the wedge they used to be and furthermore, the public has moved on,” said Fred Sainz of the Human Rights Campaign. “When the president announced his personal support for marriage equality, there wasn’t an iota of a dip in the polls as many on the right had predicted.”
While we may teeter on each of the candidates’ economic and foreign policy plans, we know where each one stands on same-sex marriage and gay rights, and you better believe that is in the back of our minds as we approach the polls in two weeks.
Though we would have loved to praise Obama for once again publicly supporting same-sex marriage, the black-and-whiteness of the issue between these two candidates makes it a clear vote for those who want to see marriage equality become a national reality. And that was a decision we made long before debate season began.
Photo: policymic.com; newnownext.com
