Bill Richardson: “Pass ENDA, give the gays rights already!”

Yes, Bill Richardson made some clumsy remarks during the big Logo/HRC Presidential Forum, back when he said that he thought being gay was “a choice.” But in that now infamous response, he also tried to stress that whether being gay was biological or otherwise it shouldn’t matter: All Americans should have equal rights and be treated fairly under the law. 

Of course, all that got obscured by his lumbering “choice” misstep. Which is too bad, because the New Mexico governor does have an impressive record of stepping up to fight the fight for his LGBT constituents.

And yesterday he continued that tradition by penning a brief post on The Bilerico Project blog in which he speaks out avidly, stating “LGBT Americans have been denied their rights for too long.” He’s all about Congress finally passing ENDA, and also for making sure that “the Senate finally passes a decent hate crimes law that protects LGBT Americans from heinous, hate-motivated crimes.”

Richardson also quotes Martin Luther King on our behalf, invoking King’s statment of “Injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere” and noting further “until the rights of every American are guaranteed, the rights of all Americans are demeaned.” Bring it, Bill!

Of course, I’m not sure this is going to suddenly prompt a groundswell of support for Richardson among LGBT voters. He can make as many good points as he wants (like his jabs at fellow-Dems Clinton and Obama this past weekend at the big Harkin Steak Fry in Iowa when he quipped, “We do not need nostalgia. We do not need on-the-job training. We need proven leadership with real results.”), but frankly, he’s still a massive longshot as a candidate.

But I’m hoping that if the Dems win the big showdown next November, Richardson nabs at least a good Cabinet seat. He’s a strong and experienced leader who works hard for good causes. Keep at ‘em, Bill.