Scroll To Top
World

Obama Taps Sen.
Joseph Biden for Vice President

Obama Taps Sen.
Joseph Biden for Vice President

Obama_20080609_1

Weeks of intense speculation ended early Saturday morning, when Senator Barack Obama announced that he had selected Senator Joseph Biden Jr. of Delaware to be his running mate. CNN first reported the choice, which was disclosed to Obama supporters via a highly anticipated text message at 3:31 a.m. EST. Biden, 65, brings to the Democratic ticket a strong but not perfect record on gay rights accumulated since he was elected to the Senate in 1972. He received a score of 78 percent on the Human Rights Campaign's 2006 Congressional Scorecard.

Weeks of intense speculation ended early Saturday morning when Senator Barack Obama announced that he had selected Senator Joseph Biden Jr. of Delaware to be his running mate. CNN first reported the choice, which was disclosed to Obama supporters via a highly anticipated text message at 3:31 a.m. EST.

Biden, 65, brings to the Democratic ticket a strong but not perfect record on gay rights accumulated since he was elected to the Senate in 1972. He received a score of 78 percent on the Human Rights Campaign's 2006 Congressional Scorecard.

In 2006, Biden voted against the federal constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. Although he stated in 2003 that he believes same-sex marriage is inevitable, he currently supports civil unions that would grant the same legal rights as marriage. He voted for the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996.

As chairman of the influential Foreign Relations Committee, Biden supports ending the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that prohibits gays and lesbians from serving openly in the U.S. military. The outspoken Senator invoked first-hand observations of combat zones to criticize the policy in 2007 when he said, "Let me tell you something, nobody asked anybody else whether they're gay in those foxholes."

However, Biden has yet to co-sponsor the Uniting American Families Act that would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to give same-sex partners of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents the same immigration benefits that legal spouses of U.S. residents receive.

Biden also supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act including protections for transgender Americans, and in 2002 he voted to add sexual orientation to the definition of hate crimes. He voted "yes" on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation in 2000.

Obama and Biden are scheduled to make their first public appearance together at a rally on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois on Saturday afternoon. Biden will be the headline primetime speaker at this week's Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night, when the theme will be, "Securing America's Future." (Julie Bolcer, The Advocate)

Advocate Channel - The Pride StoreOut / Advocate Magazine - Fellow Travelers & Jamie Lee Curtis

From our Sponsors

Most Popular

Latest Stories

Outtraveler Staff