Lobbying 4

2012 for a long time was said to be the big year for gay rights. Several states such as Pennsylvania, Oregon, New York, and New Jersey have been working towards positive attntion towards gay rights with the hopes of adding the legalization for gay rights to the ballot that year. New York is the only state that has made progress so far  but hopefully not the last. Lobbyists Ed Crabtree and Theresea Rosenburg have been lobbying for gay rights in local theaters and high population areas hoping to positively influence people on the issue. 

Two presidential candidates are giving a good name to the issue with the upcoming election. John Huntsman and Ron Paul aren’t exactly “supporting” gay rights but they agree that states should have the right to govern that for themselves.  For republicans, this is a huge step. Unfortunately, equally powerful people are on the other side of the spectrum. Rick Perry and Rick Santorum are both powerfully against gay rights but the latter seems to have a huge reserve of force and allies.

Not only does Santorum take a huge stand against anything related to equality for gays, he is a part of the GOP whose current objective seems to ruin Obama’s every attempt at ridding the U.S. of the DOMA and all of its unconstitutionality.

However, allies against the DOMA have recently made progress, having the bill recinded and even passing a vote to give same sex couples social security benefits.  Since the DOMA was originally what gave states huge power in terms of gay rights, its revocation is paving the way for inequality to finally be ruled unconstitutional.

Although it isn’t right, it helps the issue that people speaking badly about gay rights are punished. A    man had his salary cut after speaking out about his dislike for gays and their right to marry. He took his supervisor to court but the simple fact that a stand was taken against it gives hope to many.