When I decided to run for Congress as an openly gay man, I realized that what I was doing was groundbreaking. No non-incumbent, gay man has ever been elected to an open seat in Congress. Rep. Tammy Baldwin is the only openly lesbian woman to be elected to US Congress!
Unfortunately, the first homophobic attack occurred yesterday from a group closely- associated with my opponent Joan Fitz-Gerald's campaign. Fitz-Gerald supporter Jim Hudson, quoted in a Fitz-Gerald campaign press release and identified on Joan Fitz-Gerald's website as Vice-President of Colorado Veterans for America. His statement in today's issue of the Denver Post questioned why I never served in the US military:
To be sure, I expected homophobic attacks. When someone runs for office, one opens oneself up to all sorts of criticisms. I was, however, optimistic enough to believe that this kind of attack would surface only during the general election and not from my Democratic primary opponents and their supporters.
While my other Democratic opponent Will Shafroth has never made an issue of my sexual orientation, I am beginning to believe that it is not only part of Joan Fitz-Gerald's campaign strategy to keep my sexual orientation in the news, but also her intention to use surrogates to allege that I care more about "making an issue of" my orientation than I do about serving my country. This allegation is extremely offensive to gay and lesbian Americans who seek only to serve our country openly and honestly in the military, just as I am currently in the process of seeking to serve my country in the US Congress.
No doubt Colorado Veteran's for America has many progressive members who are as aghast as I am about their Vice-President's opinion that gays and lesbians should stay closeted. Mr. Hudson should apologize for his insensitive and hurtful remarks, and I call upon Mrs. Fitz-Gerald to disassociate herself from a group that would attack a gay person for not staying closeted. We should not have to hide who we are to serve our country.
Lifting the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly is particularly important now because our military, under the strain of fighting two wars at the same time, cannot afford to disqualify capable men and women.
Don't Ask Don't Tell, based on a 1993 compromise between President Clinton and Congress, maintains that gays and lesbians may serve in the military only if they do not reveal their sexual orientations. Under current rules, commanding officers may not ask, but gay service members may not tell. Since its inception, thousands of perfectly competent gays and lesbians have been dismissed under Don't Ask Don't Tell because they have been "found out."
There is still time for Joan Fitz-Gerald to maintain her integrity by renouncing her association with Jim Hudson and the CVA. As an eternal optimist, I hope that we in the Democratic Party are ready to judge people on the content of their characters rather than their sexual orientation.
You can Support me in bringing an end to Don't Ask Don't Tell by voting for me at Democracy for America
Jared Polis
www.polisforcongress.com
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