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Quote UnQuote

Compiled by Rex Wockner

Published Thursday, 11-Sep-2008 in issue 1081

“On a personal level, my sister and her partner are an important part of my life and our children’s life. I admire your group and your organization and I encourage you to keep fighting for what you believe in because the day is going to come.”

Steve Schmidt, John McCain’s top campaign strategist, in an address to the GLBT Log Cabin Republicans group Sept. 4 at the Republican National Convention in Minnesota. Log Cabin attendees also were addressed by U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, Republican National Committee Treasurer Tim Morgan and McCain political director Mike DuHaime.

“I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination.”

Barack Obama in his speech accepting the Democratic nomination for president of the United States, Aug. 28.

“I felt like I was in Hollywood at a very special time when all of us gay people kind of found each other, and we were like: ‘You go. No, you go out. No, you come out!’ And we all kind of just jumped in, one after the other. Basically, we just keep ascending, we keep moving up.”

Singer Melissa Etheridge to the Oregon gay newspaper Just Out, Aug.

“Being in love is easy – it’s all the other things that are not so easy. It’s a lot of work. It’s like anything, and not to overstate the obvious, but it’s not unlike being in a band for 28 years and realizing: How do you talk to each other after 28 years? You pull yourself out of the bad and put yourself someplace where you’re actually able to construct something.”

Openly gay R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe to the magazine Room 100, summer 2008 issue.

“Civil rights for gays can’t come about without the help of Republicans. And this means that gay people – and straight supporters of gay equality – need to stand with, not silence, people like (Manhunt.net cofounder Jonathan) Crutchley who are working to change the GOP from within. Gays need only look to California, where a state Supreme Court loaded with Republican appointees legalized gay marriage and the Republican governor is one of the most powerful pro-gay publicly elected officials in the country, to understand the importance of making gay rights a bipartisan cause.”

New Republic assistant editor James Kirchick writing in the Los Angeles Times, Aug. 26.

“I am disappointed in the transgender community. They seem to think that if Nancy Pelosi and myself, George Miller and a few others waved a magic wand we could deliver it (a transgender-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act). Look, this past year in the legislatures of Maryland, Massachusetts and New York, efforts to add transgender protections … were defeated. And I testified for it in Massachusetts and lobbied for it. And as a political problem out there, I wish there weren’t, but pretending that something doesn’t exist is never a good way to deal with it. I am afraid that too many people in the transgender community think that talking to me and Nancy Pelosi is the way to do it. I don’t yet see enough grassroots lobbying on their part.”

Gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., to Towleroad.com, Aug. 26.