On the issues: Rep. Ken Calvert and Will Rollins on Jan. 6, LGBTQ rights and polarization, the politics of transgenderism and the Republican presidential race.
It’s been one week since GOP presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina formally announced her intentions on the presidential debate circuit, and the national media is still waiting for the moment when Republican voters in Iowa and across the rest of the country will turn out in force to support her as the new nominee of their party.
But some of the most important, and most complicated, issues facing the nation are already upon us, and are only now coming into focus. Issues like marriage equality, LGBTQ rights, and the environment are the ones that will define the nation’s future for years to come.
In a year when gay marriage has already been decided — by voters in states like New Jersey, Nevada and Oregon — we’re beginning to witness all of the potential ramifications of the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act in June. This decision opens the door to states to legalize gay marriage at the federal level, and gives the public the opportunity to weigh in on this hotly-contested area.
Other issues — like the potential impact of the court’s decisions on the Affordable Care Act, or the impact the government shutdown this week has had on the country — are also issues that should be of concern to voters in the days and weeks ahead.
While some voters have already begun to weigh in on Carly Fiorina’s presidential campaign, it’s incumbent upon us—in the community, within our state, and within the party—to make sure we understand and articulate our stances on those issues that are already upon us. We can’t afford to let our candidates and our party let us down when it comes to our core beliefs.
This is why we at GLAAD.org have put together an open forum for candidates and candidates-in-waiting alike to discuss their ideas on how to move forward on gay rights, marriage equality and the environment.
“We hope that candidates will take the opportunity to share their views on
