And if this the case, lgbts better start planning what we are going to do. For good reason, we have been giving Obama hell for not moving as swiftly as he should on our issues. But if Pawlenty gets in office, we are going to be moving in the other direction big time, as evidenced by his veto threat today:
Gov. Tim Pawlenty said Wednesday that he would veto a bill aimed at giving same-sex partners the same end-of-life rights as married couples, saying the bill was unnecessary and would "stoke up a political controversy on a hot-button issue."
Supporters balked at the governor's rationale, saying his suggestion that same-sex couples could achieve the same rights through a will still leaves gays on unequal footing with their heterosexual counterparts — married couples have those rights without a will.
"He's wrong," asserted Rep. Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, a House sponsor of the bill.
The bill is the product of Project 515, an advocacy group for gays and lesbians named after the number of Minnesota laws the group says discriminate against same-sex couples. The group is not pursuing marriage rights for same-sex couples.
Project 515 got its first bill passed last year, which protected the homes of the surviving partner of a cohabitating couple should the state try to force a sale to cover the deceased's medical bills. Pawlenty signed it.
The new bill gives same-sex partners the right to make decisions about how to dispose of a deceased partner's body — something gay couples say is needed because some gays and lesbians are estranged from their immediate families. The bill passed the House and Senate this week and also gives surviving partners the right to sue those responsible should their partner be killed.
Now come on, Pawlenty. Are you saying that lgbt couples should have to jump through extra hoops for end of life dignity instead of you just signing the law that the Minnesota legislature passed? There is nothing to be gained from such a nasty gesture.
Then again, I take that back. Pawlenty is obviously continuing his attempt to gain conservative base credibility. His veto threat is in line with his comments last year when he backtracked from pro-lgbt legislation he earlier signed. His explanation then was even more insulting than his about-face. Pawlenty claimed that the legislation could lead to cross-dressing third grade teachers:
That statute is not worded the way it should be. I said I regretted the vote later because it included things like cross-dressing, and a variety of other people involved in behaviors that weren't based on sexual orientation, just a preference for the way they dressed and behaved. So it was overly broad. So if you are a third-grade teacher and you are a man and you show up on Monday as Mr. Johnson and you show up on Tuesday as Mrs. Johnson, that is a little confusing to the kids. So I don't like that.
That ridiculous comment last year and his nasty veto this year makes it all clear. Pawlenty is trying to build a road to the White House on the backs of the lgbt community.
Governor Pawlenty, if you are going to treat the lgbt communities like whores, then shouldn't you pay us first before you screw us?
