Earth to Senator David Vitter--come in--come in. That's right boys and girls, Senator David Vitter of Louisiana made these preposterous remarks while speaking at a luncheon on Oct. 12, he compared Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to marriages of same-sex couples. When describing an area in Louisiana, Sen. Vitter said: "Unfortunately, it's [Lafayette's] the crossroads where Katrina meets Rita. I always knew I was against same-sex unions."

Sen. Vitter should apologize for hurricane remarks. We might as well lump him into the senseless remarks of these people.

Here is a little history on Sen. David Vitter's voting record on civil rights issues. It's pretty ugly (and this is the short list).

- Discontinue affirmative action programs. (Nov 2002)
- Voted YES on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage. (Sep 2004)
- Voted YES on banning gay adoptions in DC. (Jul 1999)
- Rated 7% by the ACLU, indicating an anti-civil rights voting record. (Dec 2002)

Joe Solmonese, of the Human Rights Campaign, wrote the Senator the following letter:

Dear Senator David Vitter,

There is not a lot that happens in Washington that causes me to do a double take. Reading your comparison between Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and marriages for same-sex couples was one of those rare, jaw-dropping moments.

Katrina and Rita caused devastation and despair for millions of Americans, including gay Americans. There simply is no way to make a joke out of this kind of disaster.

Either you need a new speechwriter, or your sense of humor is really off the mark. Your state is home to almost 9,000 same-sex families, according to 2000 U.S. Census data. These constituents also faced devastating losses caused by the hurricanes, and I doubt they found any humor in your jokes.

More than 1,100 rights, responsibilities and protections are denied to same-sex couples without the right to marry. That means the same-sex couples who lost loved ones in the hurricanes will be unable to receive Social Security benefits as other spouses will. They won't get tax-free access to their spouses' pensions. For families already facing hardships from the hurricanes, they have these obstacles and more to confront. The last thing they need is their elected officials mocking their misfortune.

At the very least, the people of Louisiana are due an apology.

Sincerely,
Joe Solmonese
Human Rights Campaign President

Thanks Joe, it's the truth.

Posted by Bryan Harding

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 at 11:05 AM. Want to discuss? Leave a comment below.