At forum, six Democrats grilled on gay marriage

Can you be a true believer in equality for gays and lesbians without supporting same-sex marriage?

That was the question at the heart of last night's presidential forum in Los Angeles on issues important to the gay and lesbian community, as Democratic candidates wrestled with what marriage means and tried to square that with their views on civil rights.

None of the leading Democrats backs same-sex marriage, supporting instead civil unions that would confer all the rights of marriage without the name. They struggled to explain to a largely gay and lesbian audience why they were not willing to go all the way.

Senator Barack Obama of Illinois said he identified closely with gays and lesbians who had faced discrimination, explaining, "When you're a black guy named Barack Obama, you know what it's like to be on the outside."

But Obama would not directly answer why he did not support same-sex marriage, arguing that the difference between civil unions and marriage was about "semantics."

"As I proposed [civil unions], it wouldn't be a lesser thing from my perspective," he said.

Former senator John Edwards of North Carolina said he believed in equality "to my core" and said he had been wrong to say in a previous debate that his faith informed his opposition to same-sex marriage. But he reiterated that opposition last night without giving a reason.

When Senator Hillary Clinton of New York was asked what led her to oppose gay marriage, she quipped, "I prefer to think of it as being very positive about civil unions."

"We have made it very clear in our country that we believe in equality," Clinton said. "How we get to full equality is the debate we're having."

Last night's forum, the latest in a series of appeals Democrats have made to interest groups and constituencies important to the party, drew six of the eight Democratic candidates, who generally agreed on issues such as the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military, which they all want repealed. Prominent gay panelists, rock star Melissa Etheridge, journalist Jonathan Capehart, and Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese, grilled the candidates one by one, for 15-minute segments.

Only two Democratic candidates, US Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and former senator Mike Gravel of Alaska, voiced support for same-sex marriage.

But the significance of the forum, which was sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay rights group, and the Logo TV network, a channel serving the gay and lesbian community, was not so much the candidates' positions but the event itself: It was the first major, televised presidential candidates forum on gay and lesbian issues.

The event was considered a milestone for the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender) community, which is gradually gaining acceptance and political recognition from the American people and from politicians. Americans are divided over same-sex marriage, but polls show increasing support for gay rights and opposition to discrimination.

Organizers and gay-rights advocates say the willingness of the Democratic presidential candidates to participate enthusiastically in such a forum reflected that progress, even if all the Republican candidates declined invitations to take part in their own event.

"It's incredibly significant when essentially you've got the bulk of the Democratic pack stepping forward on these issues, and not to answer one single question in a debate, but to really put themselves out there for 15 minutes and have a much deeper conversation," said Mary Breslauer, a long-time gay-rights activist in Massachusetts who is supporting Clinton.

Activists say much has changed since the 2004 presidential race when Democratic nominee John Kerry struggled to explain his positions on gay rights and angered many in the community by shying away from his past support for them.

The 2008 Democratic candidates proudly tout their support from gay and lesbian leaders. Some campaigns have full-time staffers devoted to GLBT issues and outreach. Clinton's campaign held a post-forum reception in Los Angeles last night and encouraged supporters around the country to gather for debate-watching parties.

In Boston, hundreds of people gathered to watch at Club Cafe in the South End, a popular gay and lesbian nightspot that broadcast the forum on 19 TV screens.

Scott Helman can be reached at shelman@globe.com.