Post-Election Recap:

1. Gays in the Military:
   It is well known that gay Americans have served in the United States Armed Forces in all of our major wars. It is totally unfair that patriotic American citizens are denied military service just because of their sexual orientation. Al Gore supports allowing all qualified Americans the honor of serving in the armed forces, whereas George W. Bush supports the flawed "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy.

    

2. Hate Crimes Bill:
   The Hate Crimes Bill would make it easier to prosecute those charged with committing crimes of hate. It is unconscionable that crimes such as the brutal murders of James Byrd Jr. simply because he was black and Matthew Shepard simply because he was gay still occur in our society. However, they along with countless others are victims of Hate Crimes which are still an unfortunate part of our culture. Al Gore supports expanding the Hate Crimes Bill to include sexual orientation as a protected class. However, George W. Bush claims that this basic act of civil rights legislation gives gays "special rights".

    

3. The ENDA: The Employment Non-Discrimination Act:
   Amazingly, it is legal to fire someone in the United States simply because they are gay. While civil rights legislation passed over thirty years ago, gays are still not protected under the law. The ENDA would make it illegal to fire someone because of their sexual orientation. Al Gore supports this bill, whereas George W. Bush opposes by claiming that it would give gays "special protection", while in reality this bill is solely about civil rights.

    

4. Gay Adoption:
   Adoptive parents are always needed in America, and finding a safe and loving home for adopted children should be the top priority. However, George W. Bush has sought to make it illegal for gay parents to adopt children in Texas, and if elected president, he would most likely seek to ban gay adoption nationwide. While Al Gore seems to prefer a two-parent heterosexual family for adopted children, he believes that it is most important that children find a safe and loving home, regardless of the parents sexual orientation.

    

5. Gay Marriage:
   In recent years, gay marriage has finally emerged as a national issue. It should be a simple issue. The sole purpose of marriage is not to have children as some conservatives argue. If that were the case, then why don’t conservatives argue that elderly couples and other couples unable to naturally produce children should also not be allowed to marry? The fact is that marriage is about love - nothing more, nothing less. Conservatives also argue that gays are sexually promiscuous and would destroy the sanctity of marriage. What they fail to see is that the institution of marriage can only encourage loving monogamous relationships. The conservative argument makes no sense. In what way is a straight couple hurt by a gay couple being married? Does it make the love between a man and a woman less and less? Your guess is as good as mine. Unfortunately, both George W. Bush and Al Gore both oppose gay marriage. However, Al Gore does support domestic partner benefits for gay couples and supports the kind of bill that passed in Vermont earlier this year. George W. Bush is opposed to this.

    

6. The Supreme Court:
   The Supreme Court may be the most important, yet the most overlooked issue of this election. Currently, the United States Supreme Court consists of three arch conservatives, two moderate conservatives and four liberals. The Supreme Court ultimately decides the legality of laws made. It is crucial that we have a liberal court to uphold civil rights for gays. Liberal courts have served America well from integrating public schools to giving women the right to choose to protecting free speech in the media and on the Internet. However, conservative courts have frequently blocked progress, notably the Dred Scott decision, upholding Jim Crow laws in the deep south to discriminate against blacks, blocking New Deal reforms during the Great Depression, and recently now by upholding legal discrimination against gays. There are two recent examples of this. This year, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to ban gays from the Boy Scouts. The conservative majority made a mockery of what was a very simple case. The New Jersey Supreme Court ordered the Boy Scouts to admit gays because of a very clear New Jersey law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation. While the Boy Scouts are a private organization, they frequently use public facilities free of charge, such as public schools. Therefore, they are subject to the laws governing those institutions. Blinded by their homophobia, the conservative majority on the court refused to abide by the fair and logical solution. Another case fifteen years ago upheld the right of states to make sodomy illegal in a 5-4 decision. These laws are clear violations of privacy and cross the line of legislating morality, which is a shame in a country that prides itself in its separation of church and state. These examples show why it is so important that we have a liberal majority on the Supreme Court. Al Gore is likely to appoint liberals to the Supreme Court, whereas George W. Bush is likely to appoint conservatives.

    

This election is between Al Gore and George W. Bush, however, it is important to recognize the vice-presidential candidates too.

Joe Lieberman is an Orthodox Jew, however, he supports gay rights and his positions are very similar to Al Gore's on matters of gay rights.