Jeremy Cloward Gives Unequivocal Support To Same Sex Marriage
Yesterday, we took an introductory glance at the campaign of Jeremy Cloward, an educator with a PhD in political science, to succeed Ellen Tauscher as the U.S. Representative for California’s 10th district, just to the east of San Francisco Bay. Today, we’ll start examining where Cloward stands on the important issues, beginning with the issue that has come to represent the struggle between progress and regressive action in California politics: Marriage equality.
Many of Cloward’s rivals haven’t even bothered to make any statement on this issue as part of their congressional campaigns. Joan Buchanan, for example, uses her campaign web site to ask for voters’ endorsements, but she doesn’t clearly explain her position on any legislative issues. Mark DeSaulnier, as well, hasn’t come out with any policy statements.
John Garamendi has spoken out on the legalization of same sex marriage, but only to praise the Supreme Court decision that upholds Proposition 8. Garamendi actually calls this decision, which maintains a ban on same-sex marriage, “one step closer to the ideal of equality under the law for every person in our great state.” That’s a nonsense position, of course. One step closer to equality is not equality. One step closer to justice is not justice. Banning same-sex marriage is not a way to grant marriage equality.
Unlike these other candidates for the 10th district’s seat in Congress, Jeremy Cloward has given a clear, unambiguous statement in support of full marriage equality for all couples, heterosexual and homosexual alike. Cloward says of his campaign,
“We support a person’s right to marry whomever they see fit provided each person is 18 years of age or older. The right for all people to marry the partner of their choosing should be brought into existence for all people who want to live their life enjoying the companionship, friendship, and love that comes from a lawful marriage to another person.”
