Auditioning to Pick Up Where Kennedy Left Off

Moments before Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley boldly announced her challenge to the 1996 federal law that forbids Uncle Sam to recognize same-sex marriages, she paused to stress that extending rights to gay couples is perfectly in keeping with America's highest ideals.

Speaking at a news conference shortly after our nation celebrated Independence Day last summer, she pointed out that the phrase "all men are created equal" was originally taken to mean only certain men. That changed, she continued, because of Americans' "evolving sense of what liberty and justice and equality for all meant."

Coakley is the first attorney general to file suit over the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In doing so, she declared that, viewed with 21st century eyes, our Founding Fathers' vision of equality means it's unconstitutional for the federal government to deny the 1,100-plus rights and benefits of marriage to the 16,000 same-sex couples legally wed in Massachusetts. And, likewise, it's wrong to threaten to yank back federal dollars from Massachusetts for treating its gay and heterosexual married couples the same.

Anyone watching a YouTube clip of Coakley's history-making news conference can see why an influential Massachusetts gay-rights group recently endorsed her for the U.S. Senate seat long held by Ted Kennedy, the Senate's unparalleled advocate of gay equality. MassEquality Executive Director Scott Gortikov explained that "our community needs more than just allies. We need strong leaders."

Like Coakley, the other candidates running in the Dec. 8 Democratic primary — Mike Capuano, Alan Khazei and Steve Pagliuca — support getting rid of DOMA and lifting the ban on gays serving openly in the military.

But Gortikov's group decided for the first time ever to endorse a U.S. Senate candidate because of the leadership vacuum created by Kennedy's death. Added incentive came from voters in nearby Maine, who repealed a law that would have allowed gay couples to marry there.

"Part of our decision was thinking about what we lost in Sen.

Kennedy. Gay people didn't just lose a vote in the Senate, we lost a champion," Gortikov said. "It struck me how few champions we have on Capitol Hill.

"And with the loss of Maine we asked: 'Who are our friends? Who goes to bat for us pro-actively?'"

Coakley undeniably has gone to bat for gay couples, saying: "Our families, our communities and even our economy have seen the many important benefits that have come from recognizing equal marriage rights. And, frankly, no downside."

MassEquality says Coakley, has long led on gay issues — helping get her state to give low-income or elderly married gay couples Medicaid benefits denied them because of DOMA, cracking down on hate crimes, testifying for anti-bullying legislation and advocating transgender protections.

"The agenda that an attorney general takes on is discretionary," Gortikov says. "We had other attorney generals who weren't pro-active for (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) rights. It was (Coakley's) choice to make LGBT issues a priority. That's leadership."

Coakley is the frontrunner in the Democratic field, according to a recent 7News/Suffolk University Political Research Center poll. This primary is one to watch closely, though, because low voter turnout could result in an upset. The respected Cook Political Report calls that Senate seat "solid Democratic," meaning the winner of the primary will almost certainly also win the Jan. 19 special election.

Last year, just weeks before being diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, Sen. Kennedy told a gay gathering, "I can give you the assurance that as long as I have a voice and as long as I have a vote in the United States Senate, it's going to be for the agenda of the LGBT community."

MassEquality is betting that Coakley's track record would ensure that Massachusetts' next senator is just as determined to speak up and lead.

Deb Price of The Detroit News writes the first nationally syndicated column on gay issues. To find out more about Deb Price and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

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