The 2016 presidential race has only just begun and already we lament the misguided and disingenuous rhetoric from Republicans that on the surface sounds inclusive but in reality is exclusive of LGBT Americans. When candidates – or likely candidates – use the cliche that they are for "every American" do they really mean it?
"We need to create economic opportunity for every American, especially middle class families and those trying to rise out of poverty," likely presidential candidate Jeb Bush said on Facebook a few months ago.
The problem is, of course, that Bush doesn't mean "every American," because he does not include the LGBT community. That was apparent last month when Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act law for his state and promptly drew the ire of major companies and political leaders. Bush, on a swing through the Bay Area at the time, at first enthusiastically supported Pence's stance. But when the number of tech and other business leaders who came out against the bill jumped to 100, Bush quickly backpedaled and told a gathering of Silicon Valley executives that "we shouldn't discriminate based on sexual orientation."
Whether he will continue espousing that belief once he officially becomes a candidate remains to be seen.
Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky entered the race this month. On some issues, Paul adheres to his libertarian leanings, but he does not extend that to same-sex marriage. Paul quickly abandoned the libertarian "live and let live" philosophy when he told CNN that he believes in a two-tier system for marriage: weddings for straight couples, and contracts for same-sex couples. There's nothing fair or equal about that.
Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida formally announced his presidential candidacy this week, offering himself as "the next generation" of leadership. Yet, as gay Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart pointed out, Rubio's views on marriage are rooted in the 1950s. Rubio didn't mention LGBTs in his announcement speech, but he has said that he believes marriage is between a man and a woman. When he was in the Florida Legislature, he blocked efforts that would have allowed same-sex couples to adopt children. Most importantly, Rubio, when he was part of a group of senators that authored an important immigration reform bill a few years ago, said a provision to give gay couples immigration rights "kills the bill." It's worth noting that today some gays receive those rights anyway after the U.S. Supreme Court tossed out a key provision of the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act in 2013.
There was a presidential candidate who announced this week who is supportive of LGBT rights. Democrat Hillary Clinton entered the race Sunday with the release of a video that captured plenty of regular people talking about their life changes. There were African Americans, Hispanics, families, single moms, men, small business owners, retirees, and yes, gay people. One was a gay couple saying they were looking forward to their wedding later this year. Another appeared to be a lesbian couple. It certainly was refreshing to see our community depicted in a campaign video for a major presidential candidate.
Clinton didn't always support marriage equality, and Bill Clinton signed DOMA back in 1996. But times change, and since President Barack Obama came out in support of same-sex marriage three years ago, it's been clear that no Democratic candidate could run for the presidency without supporting marriage equality.
A test of leadership is the ability to realize a policy is wrong, change position, and make it right. It's something Rubio could do if he truly wants to represent the next generation. A new study from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law notes that public support for same-sex marriage will be at 40 percent or higher in every state by 2016. So far, however, the GOP presidential candidates are stuck in the past, and when they utter the phrase "every American," they don't mean it.