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Kelly Ayotte's Opposition to Gay Adoption

by: ElectEquality

Fri Sep 10, 2010 at 15:50:32 PM EDT
(Vid size reduced slightly so as not to mess with the margins on the front page. - promoted by Dean Barker)

Former New Hampshire Attorney General and potential GOP Senate nominee, Kelly Ayotte, erroneously seen as a moderate, revealed her regressive policy stances on many issues in last night's Senate GOP primary debate.

Particularly striking was her assault on gay families. Panelist Josh McElveen, introduced the topic of gay rights by asking the candidates:

"Should same-sex couples, in your opinion, have the same adoption rights as everyone else?"

Ayotte initially attempted to dodge the crux of the question, discussing her belief that marriage was a union between a man and a woman. But when pressed by the moderator, she landed on her simple, one-word answer:

"No."

Watch the video.

ElectEquality :: Kelly Ayotte's Opposition to Gay Adoption
Out of touch with New Hampshire

Candidate Ayotte promised back on June 5th to vote against any attempted repeal of the Defense of Marriage act, and offered her help in repealing last year's state-level marriage equality. But Ayotte is not content to send New Hampshire back to early 2009. Ayotte's wayback machine is set to 1998 or earlier. In 1999, the state House repudiated a NH law banning gay adoption by a vote of 226-130. Only one state in the Union still has such a ban--Florida--and that law is currently buckling under the weight of a Constitutional challenge.

Her positions are regressive, an assault on NH's LGBT families and at odds with New Hampshire's state motto: "Live free or die." What American freedom is more precious than the right to build a family?

Last year, New Hampshire affirmed the validity of LGBT families, making history by passing marriage equality for our LGBT citizens by legislative action.

Paul Hodes has demonstrated his heartfelt support for marriage equality in the state of New Hampshire and also for the repeal of the "Defense of Marriage Act," a crtical step for full Federal recognition of New Hampshire's LGBT families.

Last year, in conjunction with a Blue America live blog appearance, Paul asked people, in lieu of campaign contributions to donate to the "No on 1" effort. That initiative fought to preserve marriage equality in the state of Maine.

Paul and Peggo Hodes' support for "family values" does not come with *asterisks, qualifiers and disclaimers.

We asked Paul Hodes the same question:

"Should same-sex couples, in your opinion, have the same adoption rights as everyone else?"

His answer was equally succinct: "Absolutely."

Elect Equality is a project of the National Stonewall Democrats. Join the Out For Paul Facebook page here. Donate to Paul's account ActBlue account here.
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Kelly Ayotte's Opposition to Gay Adoption | 10 comments
Mouthpiece fail. (4.00 / 3)
In eight seconds, Kelly Ayotte shows why she is a horrible candidate and would be a horrible Senator.

She got a question on adoption and gave a rehearsed stock right-wing response on marriage.

She did not answer or even seek to address the question.

When asked whether certain people had a right to civil right X, she responded with a personal opinion that it would be inappropriate for them to exercise civil right X.

She clearly wants to dogwhistle to the social Neanderthals that she believes that gay and lesbian couples of any sort are inappropriate, adoption or marriage or no.

When pressed, she couldn't muster up, "My answer is no" or "No, they should not;" she could only try to deflect the weight of her position onto the questioner with her wussified "That's right," and her terrified deer-in-the-headlights practiced rictus of a grin.

She doesn't even have the courage of her spoon-fed convictions.

Here's a tip to all you AGs out there: when poohbahs from Washington and your home state say you're a lock for US Senator if you just listen to them, tell them you'll be happy to take their money and their staffers and listen to their advice, but you'll control the message, and your conscience alone will dictate your positions, and if they have a problem with that, then either you're not what they want or they don't know jack about politics or both.

And if you're not compelled to run by a cause that is bigger than you -- don't.  (Yes, Kelly, I'm looking at you.)

It struck me that other candidates (4.00 / 1)
dodged the question by saying it wasn't a Federal issue. Which was a dodge. And of course, it would be if critical mass got behind a Federal bill to ban gays from adopting.

Granted that's highly unlikely.

But, respect for LGBT families does play into current Federal policy. As things are, same-sex couples married in NH have no right to petition for legal immigration status, should a non-citizen partner run into work or student visa problems. The DHS can and does deport legally married LGBT spouses.

LGBT family ties also play into issues of fair taxation and other policies that would have helped LGBT families as we saw Health Care Reform.

It's clear that Ayotte will continue those policies that marginalize LGBT Americans and deny the legal recognition of their families.

[ Parent ]
I thought Benders answer to this was impressive. (4.00 / 1)
IIRC I think he said that he thought that the important thing was that children be raised by adults that loved them. Period.

I hadn't seen Bender before, but was impressed by him even when I disagreed with him because I didn't at all get the sense that he was just saying what he thought would get him elected.

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

[ Parent ]
Ray Buckley... (4.00 / 2)
...should spend a little time with Kelly Ayotte and the other Republicans explaining to them the reasons why many advocates for gay and lesbian adoption supported the bill in 1999, HB 90, of which he was primary sponsor that allowed for equality in adoptions.  

Well, I probably shouldn't wish that on him, and it probably wouldn't do any good because some people just won't listen, or they only listen to the Sarah Palins and the right-wingers of the world.

By the way, Ray -- along with other sponsors who included Rick Trombly and Burt Cohen in the Senate -- passed that bill while Republicans were in the majority.  A Democratic Governor, Jeanne Shaheen, proudly signed it on May 3rd, 1999.  Just where was Ayotte on that day, I wonder?  

Kelly Ayotte: further right than Stretch Kennedy. n/t (4.00 / 2)

[ Parent ]
Stretch was in favor of same sex marriage (4.00 / 1)
He wanted us to be just as miserable as he was!
[ Parent ]
Out of touch with NH? (4.00 / 4)
Out of touch with reality. She is going to stand on a stage with  that Arizona sheriff who I believe has been in trouble for misusing his office to go after political opponents and also cost his constituents a small fortune due to lawsuits and is under investigation for civil rights violations.

A former Attorney General seeking the support of someone like that?  

 



"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    

Not public servant material. n/t (4.00 / 2)

The followup to any candidate who opposes gay adoption should be: (4.00 / 5)
"Is a child better off in an orphanage than in a home with two parents?"

--
"Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past; you must fight just to keep them alive!"

@DougLindner

In NH... (4.00 / 1)
...Married gay couples have the same rights as other married couples, which includes the rights of adoption. However, unmarried gay couples are subject to the various district court rulings on the matter, and that's widely varied.
Kelly Ayotte's Opposition to Gay Adoption | 10 comments

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