[podcast]https://dallasvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Beebe_Stonewall_q_a_251603382.mp3[/podcast]
Gov. Mike Beebe became the first governor of Arkansas to address an LGBT group on Tuesday night, speaking to the Stonewall Democratic Caucus of Arkansas. Audio of Beebe’s speech is above.
Gov. Mike Beebe
On the question of relationship recognition, Beebe told the group he isn’t in favor of same-sex marriage or civil unions for Arkansas. Stonewall Arkansas President Eric McDaniel thanked the governor for his honesty.
The governor said he doesn’t believe employers should discirminatio based on sexual orientation, but he stopped short of endorsing a state law prohibiting it.
Someone also asked about a recent case of a family listing a same-sex partner in an obituary in an Arkansas newspaper. The paper removed the partner’s name before printing it. Beebe said he didn’t think a newspaper should be forced to print the name of a partner, even though obituaries in daily newspapers are paid advertisements.
It’s interesting to look at how news outlets in Arkansas treated Beebe’s speech in their headlines. The NPR affiliate referred to the governor speaking to a gay group. The more conservative newspapers touted the governor’s opposition to same-sex marriage.
Beebe is an unfortunate example of the conservative Democrats who still hold offices mainly in the South, though Rubin Diaz in NY would be another in that category. His resistance to view LGBT citizens of his state as worthy of equal rights unfortunately will probably not hurt his chances for reelection in Arkansas.
This intransigence on human rights highlights the reason that such matters cannot be “left to the states”. If civil rights were left to the states, we would still have the Jim Crow laws or worse. The federal government is going to have to move to assure equality for all Americans or it will never happen.
I can’t imagine any elected official saying that one person is less than another, although we see it more often than not. Rick Perry and his associated hate groups are a prime example. Beebe seems to base his decisions on personal feelings rather than the good of his state.
So? N Then? Give me a bf n ill think about it