Arthur Kaplan, a major donor to Joe Sestak for Senate (D-PA), explains his support for him.
| By Arthur M. Kaplan  Arthur M. Kaplan is a member of the National Board of the American Civil Liberties Union, and Vice-President of the ACLU of Philadelphia; a member of the National Board of Governors of Equality Forum; and a board member of several environmental and cultural organizations. (His political views are his own.) He is a graduate of Harvard Law School, and is of counsel to the firm of Fine, Kaplan and Black, RPC.
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I'd like to express my heartfelt support to eQualityGiving's endorsement of Rep. Joe Sestak for Senate. Having already given to the "max' permitted by law to Joe, I've already put my money where my mouth is.
Check the Philadelphia Gay News article "Sestak Backs Gay Marriage" that outlines Joe Sestak's advocacy on LGBT issues, as well as another document that lists LGBT issues/legislation Joe Sestak is proud to have worked on getting passed.
We've seen Joe's commitment close-up and afar on our issues.
Duane and I recently saw Lt. Dan Choi and Joe close up at joint appearance on repealing DADT. Both were extraordinary. Dan Choi is campaigning for Joe. That speaks much louder than my endorsement.
Here is a great Rachel Maddow interview of Joe Sestak and Dan Choi. It's a must see!
More recently, Joe has been on Hardball and elsewhere advocating an immediate end to DADT, rather than more study.
By contrast to Joe's nearly perfect record, Arlen's HRC score for the last three sessions of Congress averaged a mediocre 62%.
More telling, behind the scenes, Arlen Specter has been an enemy of the community. You can thank Arlen Specter for securing the confirmation of several of the nation's most homophobic, federal Court of Appeals judges. He cast deciding votes in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and thereafter to bring highly homophobic nominees to the floor, despite entreaties from HRC and others (including yours truly face to face).
One of Arlen's tie-breaking nominees to the Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit was soon thereafter responsible for a his own tie-breaking, judicial decision, upholding Florida's ban on same-sex adoption. You can thank Arlen for that.
Arlen made William Pryor a federal Court of Appeals judge for life, with his eyes wide open to a record extraordinary homophobia. (Arlen knew of Pryor's amicus brief in Lawrence v. Texas, arguing that same-sex relationships should be criminalized, and comparing our relationships to incest and bestiality.)
You can also thank Arlen Specter for the confirmation of two of the most homophobic Justices on the United States Supreme Court (Justices Thomas and Alito.)
Even after he became a Democrat, Arlen sent letters to constituents confirming his longstanding support for the Defense of Marriage Act. Only when the primary race tightened did Arlen have a sudden (and perhaps temporary) conversion experience on that issue. If he wins the primary, and then faces conservative former-Rep. Toomey in the general election, look for Arlen to do another about face.
Duane and I well remember an event, years ago, when Arlen showed up uninvited to campaign at a Lambda Law fundraiser. After some debate, Arlen was given the floor to campaign for himself. People in the audience commented that Arlen couldn't even get the words "gay" or lesbian" passed his lips. His hunt for euphemisms was tragic and comic.
By contrast, Joe Sestak's campaign manager (and brother) is openly gay. Joe's commitment to the LGBT community is as thick as blood.
