With another election year upon us, television campaigns and newspaper ads for politicians running for various positions have flooded our daily lives. While Florida faces many issues important to all residents, Watermark wants to focus on specific LGBT issues.
Congressman Kendrick Meek, Democratic candidate for the United States Senate took a few minutes to speak with Watermark to discuss some of the tough issues that are important to our readers. Here are his answers to questions pertinent to Florida’s LGBT community:
WATERMARK: What is your position on repealing the Gay ban in the military?
Kendrick Meek: The last three years, I’ve supported repealing “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” General Colin Powell said that it was the wrong decision when they made the decision [to implement it]. The Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mullin has said that it has nothing to do with the defense of the country. If we ask our men and women to be honorable and to be truthful with the people that they serve within this country, the last thing that we should ask them to do is lie about their orientation. That has nothing to do with their commitment and level of service to the country. So, I believe it will make it through the Congress. I’m in support of [repealing] it..
Why do you support same-sex adoption?
Florida is the only state in the union that denies (same-sex) couples from adopting children. Florida has one of the largest waiting lists on homes to place kids out of foster care. I don’t agree with the gay adoption ban. I think it has nothing to do with having a child grow up in a home where people love that child and are willing to take care of that child and are willing to make sure that child goes to college and become an adult.
To have adults willing to raise children in this state is far better than having a child in a foster home. All due respect to foster parents. Eight and nine kids in a house that are going to be released at the age of 18—I can tell you that at age 18 I wasn’t ready to be released from anything. I needed that parental involvement. If adoptions [by same-sex couples] can take place in states like Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia—and Florida seems to be the only hold out—It speaks more to political agendas versus making sure that those children are taken care of.
How do you compare to Jeff Greene (D-Palm Beach) when it comes to the economic struggles facing middle class families today?
Well, I’m proven. I’ve taken the tough votes and I’ve taken the tough positions in creating job opportunities. I have a 100% Sierra Club rating which will give me more credentials than anyone else in this race, including Jeff Greene who has no credentials. He just moved to the state of Florida in 2008. He’s only voted four times in the history of his life and has only voted once democratic and he’s going to ask democrats to go out and vote for him?
When you look at this, you have to look at it from the standpoint: Can you trust those that are running? Can you trust them to do what they said would do? We’ve amended the state constitution to make class sizes smaller for children and for teachers. I’ve gone out there and I’ve fought on behalf of the stimulus package and never backed away from the stimulus package as being a part of bringing about equal opportunities here in the state. I took the step on healthcare. I said that it was important that we pass healthcare legislation. I am on the only major candidate in this race who not only said it, but did it.
[Republican Senate candidates] Gov. Charlie Crist and Mark Rubio want to see it repealed. I have good history on my side and also a bright future on my side. With Mr. Greene, there’s a question mark. He says that he can create jobs because he knows what it means to sign the front of a paycheck.
Well guess what, being the representative on behalf of the people of the state of Florida is not just about signing the paycheck because the people you’re going to be representing are going to be signing the back of the paycheck. You have to understand the struggles of their family, you have to understand the struggle of their community, you’ve got to understand the challenges to veterans, all of these things.
Why do you support a woman’s right to choose on abortion?
I support a woman’s right to choose because I think it’s hypocritical for a male dominated legislature or Congress to have extra steps for women but not extra steps for men. We should allow women to make their own decisions on what they do with their bodies and we should stay out of it. I have a 100% Planned Parenthood record and I can’t say the same about my opponent because he has no record.
