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Democratic Candidates Address Gay Rights
Another activist, Kate Kendell of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said she was unsure to what extent the candidates' hesitancy reflected deep-set beliefs as opposed to political calculations.
"Either way, it leaves lesbian and gay couples in the position of being publicly regarded as an inferior kind of relationship," she said.
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However, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., one of two openly gay members of Congress, said he understood the candidates' caution.
"It's not wrong for people trying to become president to take political considerations into account," Frank said. "I don't want a bunch of martyrs on my side."
Among the Republicans, none of the candidates favor repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" and only former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has supported limited legal recognition for same-sex couples.
Some conservative activists have denounced the upcoming forum.
"It's disgraceful that our nation's moral standards have now dipped so low that it's considered 'tolerant' to hold a debate organized entirely around the promotion of sexual immorality," said Matt Barber, cultural issues policy director for Concerned Women for America.
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