Melissa Etheridge Endorses John Kerry

Singer Etheridge Charges Bush with 'Discrimination' Against Gays
By Jimmy Moore
Talon News
July 5, 2004

SPARTANBURG, SC (Talon News) -- Politically outspoken rock singer Melissa Etheridge, who is openly gay, accuses President George W. Bush of "discrimination" against lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transsexuals (LGBT) in an appeal on behalf of Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry sent to Democratic supporters by the Democratic National Committee on Friday.

In an e-mail promoting "Pride at the Polls" with "News for LGBT Democrats and their allies," the DNC displays a picture of Etheridge wearing a cowboy hat looking through a window pane followed by a message of fear and worry about the future.

"I must admit that I have never been so concerned, frightened even, for the future of our community, our nation, and our planet," Etheridge began her e-mail note to Democrats.

Stating that Bush has harmed the gay community and the U.S. Constitution with his policies in the past four years, Etheridge said homosexuals need to rally to defeat the president to prevent further erosions of their freedoms.

"George W. Bush has placed our community and Constitution under siege," Etheridge explained. "He wants to taint the U.S. Constitution with discrimination.

She added, "He is scapegoating my family and yours in the name of 'American values.'"

Etheridge remarked that people should "help stop Bush" by giving at least $25.00 to the Kerry campaign to "become a Ripple of Hope" and to encourage friends and family members to do the same.

"Let's stand together and become a Ripple of Hope," she commented about the special web site created especially for the gay community to show their support for Kerry.

Maintaining that her support for Kerry is about giving gays the same rights as other Americans, Etheridge said the Massachusetts senator will be a champion for furthering the homosexual agenda if he is elected the next president of the United States.

"As a mother, I have dreamed of a world of pure, simple equality," expressed Etheridge. "With a 100 percent rating from the Human Rights Campaign since 1995, John Kerry is a powerful voice in the ongoing fight for civil rights for the LGBT community."

Noting that many gay Americans have partners they would like to marry as well as children they are rearing, Etheridge declared, "We need to fight back."

"We need to lock arms to protect our families and our nation from this new form of official discrimination," retorted Etheridge. "I am writing to tell you that together we can stop George Bush from ruining our futures and our nation, but we have to do it now and we have to do it together."

Characterizing the upcoming presidential election as "personal" to gay Americans, Etheridge said she hopes "to capture grassroots investment and energy" from homosexuals all across the country.

"Every dollar raised [for the Kerry campaign] will be recognized as being from the LGBT community," exclaimed Etheridge. "This effort will start the Ripple of Hope that becomes the wave of change this country needs to elect John Kerry President."

Saying that "the time is now" to get behind Kerry, Etheridge believes the collective efforts of gays will "form a mighty wave" that will be a "giant step [towards] defeating George W. Bush."

She concluded, "Please, do it for me, for yourself, for your partner, for your family."

Etheridge was recently featured in an online ad by the pro-gay group Human Rights Campaign, which strongly opposes the Federal Marriage Amendment that will be considered by the U.S. Senate in the next couple of weeks.

"I grew up thinking you could do anything, and be anything, because that was the American dream," Etheridge began in the ad. "But because I'm gay ... I'm denied that."

Revealing that she is "denied a civil right" because she is gay, Etheridge lamented that she can "never get married."

"Is that what America is about?" Etheridge inquired while playing her guitar in a hotel room. "That's not the America I was raised in."

The ad ends with, "Don't write discrimination into the Constitution. Stop the Federal Marriage Amendment."

Human Rights Campaign President Cheryl Jacques said Etheridge's contribution to their campaign against the Federal Marriage Amendment is essential to "fight this attack on our community."

"We thank Melissa for her time and energy in fighting this attempt to write discrimination into our Constitution," Jacques declared in a statement.