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Out in the Mountains

Senator Leahy Talks About DOMA

from page one

“We’rc deeply disappointed that the proponents of
DOMA have undermined a state's right to define mar-
riage and reinforce second class citizenship for gay men
and lesbians," said Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force
co-chair Beth Robinson about Lcahy’s vote.

President Clinton signed DOMA into law on Septem-
ber 2l after it passed the House by a vote of 342 to 67
and the Senate by a vote of 85 to l4. By defining mar-
riage on the federal level as “a legal union between one
man and one woman as husband and wife,” DOMA de-
nies federal rccognition of same-sex marriages and al-
lows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages
performed in other states.

On the same day as the DOMA vote, Leahy voted in
favor of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA)
which would prohibit employment discrimination on the

basis ofsexual orientation. ENDA failed by a 49-50 vote. '

Patrick Leahy, 56, has represented Vermont in the
United States Senate since 1975. An attorney by train-
ing, he currently serves on the Agriculture, Appropria-
tions, and Judiciary committees. Leahy met with Out in
the Mountains to discuss his record, recent votes, and the
results of the I996 elections. ‘

OITM: What impact do you think the recent election will
have on issues of national concern to gay, lesbian, and
bisexual Vermonters?

Leahy: IfI was part ofthe gay, lesbian and bisexual coin-
munity, I would not be too happy with the elections in the
Senate. I would be happier with the elections in the House.
I haven’t analyzed the House as much, but I look at such
things as the defeat of Bob Dornan, who I think is one of
two or three of the biggest homophobes in the Congress.
In the Senate, however, I try to balance this on the ENDA
legislation. David Pryor, who would have voted for it,
has retired and has been replaced by a conservative Re-
publican. Mark Hatfield has been replaced by a conser-
vative Republican who I don’t think would vote for
ENDA. Alan Simpson voted with us and his replacement
definitely wouldn’t. There may be one other.

We’ve got I3 or l4 new Senators, and I don’t know
how they’ll vote. I knew where we were last time. Some
of the members who stepped down voted against it and in
at least one instance was replaced by a Senator who said
thcy’d vote for it. The Senate is a little more conservative
on these issues. Wc’ll go back and look. Had we taken
the majority back, I would have been far more encour-
aged, although Iim’s [.Ieffords R—VTl chairmanship will
be helpful because it will go through that committee.

OITM: Since I992 you have co—sponsored legislation that
would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual ori-
entation nationwide. How did you come to support this
legislation‘?

Leahy: I supported it because I thought it was the right
thing to do. I have a basic Vermonter’s view that we ought
to stand for everybody’s rights. It was drilled into me from
the time I was a little boy growing up in Montpelier. Both
my grandfathers were stonecuttcrs here in Vermont. My

r head off

paternal grandfather died when my
father was just a teenager. He had
to start work in the early part of this
century in Montpelier. There the
rights were more ethnic or reli-
gious. He faced the signs, at that
time, that said either “No Irish need
apply” or “No Catholics need ap-
ply.” That was the type of discrimi-
nation that we saw then. Drummed
into me was that we in our family
should not discriminate. Most re-
ligious discrimination in Vermont
has disappeared. The discrimina-
tion we’re most apt to see in Ver-
mont today is against gays and les-
bians. This [co—sponsorship] just
seemed like the right thing to do. I
do not cosponsor many pieces of ‘
legislation unless I feel it is really
necessary to get it over the top.

"I do not like intolerance. I abhor it."
—- Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy ( file photo)

01 TM : You recently voted in favor of the Defense of Mar-
riage Act (DOMA). How did you come to support it?
Leahy: I was spending most of my time on-ENDA trying
to get votes because DOMA was going to pass over-
whelmingly and the President said he was going to sign
it. I probably did not spend as much time thinking about
that as I might have otherwise. I think that a number of
the basic aspects of DOMA I agree with. Should states
have the right to determine whether they will accept or
approve, in one way or the other, of same-sex marriages‘?
Yes, I think states should have that right and I think they
do have that right under the law and under the Constitu-
tion today. If we are going to change our basic Social
Security laws to become a domestic partner law, irrespec-
tive of whether it is heterosexual or same sex, we should
go back and look at the whole aspect of that in the Social
Security law, ,be_cause’_that’s not the basis on which the
Social Security legislation was set up in the first place. If
we’re going to change it, ifthat is the determination that
is made and it is actuarially sound, then fine. We can ad-
dress that when it comes. Basically DOMA said that.

What I did find offensive, and said so at the time, was
the language ofsome who supported it. I did not like some
of the gay bashing that went on with some of the com-'
mentators at that time. I don’t like that under any circum-
stances. I contrast this, however, with the time when the
Congress had legislation to deny the District of Colum-
bia City Council the right to approve of same sex mar-
riages. I voted against that. I would never vote for a law
that said that Vermont could not approve of same sex
marriages ifVermont wants to. That’s an issue a state it-
self would determine just as they determine the ages of
marriage.

OITM: Do you think that DOMA isianti-gay?
Leahy: No and yes. I think that the motivation of some
of its supporters is. As for whether each state should be

Brattleboro last fall.

8

allowed to determine whether they want to allow only
marriages of opposite sex and non same sex marriages,
that’s probably in the eye ofthe beholder. But I think that
a state should have that right. I certainly don’t consider
myself anti gay and lesbian.

OITM: Was your vote for DOMA a difficult one? Why
or why not?
Leahy: Subsequently it was difficult because I think that
I did not spend enough time looking at the motivation of
some who backed it. I looked at DOMA as something
that was going to pass overwhelmingly and I was con-
centrating on trying to get Senators to vote for ENDA.

Of the two, I wish all the efforts had been placed on
ENDA. Maybe we would have gotten the one or two ex-
tra votes we needed and that would have been a very’ sig-
nificant step. IfI had the same thing to do over again, the
least I would have done is spend a little less time looking
at ENDA and given a speech on the floor responding, as
John Kerry [D—Massachusetts] did, to some of the people
who were supporting DOMA.

OITM: The 1996 Vermont Democratic party platform
states “we oppose any initiative, such as the Defense of
Marriage Act, which attempts to deny the full and equal
rights of any group of American citizens.” How do you
reconcile your vote with your party's platform?

Leahy: I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I’ve never
read aVermont Democratic party platform in my life, nor
a national Democratic party platform. I am not a slave to
any party. When I run, I state what my positions are, and
people can accept it or not accept it.

OITM: By defining marriage as a relationship between a
man and a woman, DOMA prohibits recognition of gay
marriages for purposes of federal social security, income

(conti/met! on next page )

“It’s Elementary” Video
to be Shown in Middlebury

MIDDLEBURY —Youth Aware, a group for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered
youth and their allies in Addison County, will show the documentary “It’s Elementary”
on Tuesday, February 4th, at 7:30 p.m. in the Ilsley Library meeting room in Middlebury.
An open discussion will follow the 70-minute video. -

Directed by Academy Award winner Debra Chasnoff, “It’s Elementary” looks at the
controversial topic of school children dealing with gay and lesbian issues in the class-
room. Chasnoff and co-producer Helen Cohen visited a number of schools where teach-
ers had implemented units on gay and lesbian issues. They filmed the student’s immedi-
ate responses and reactions, then spoke with several ofthe instructors about their reasons
for developing such curricula. '

The resulting documentary has already won awards at gay and lesbian film festivals
in both Chicago and San Francisco. It also received rave reviews when it was shown~
during the “Our Town Meeting” ofthe Vermont Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in

Youth Aware provides support and resources for youth dealing with sexuality and
gender issues in the Addison County area. All ages and orientations are welcome at the
group’s regular meetings on the first Tuesday of each month. A coffeehouse is also held
ten days after the regular monthly meetings. For more information about the group, con-
tact Outright Vermont at (800) 452-2428. All calls are kept confidential. V