John McCain's VP choice is the Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, right-wing, pro-life, antigay former Miss Wasilla (running for the Miss Alaska pageant in 1984). She is 44, and has only been governor for two years and was quitting, fed up with the job. Also has a few scandals in her background. If this is the best they could do, they're really in trouble!
Her record on LGBT issues, from the Human Rights Campaign:
Summary of Gov. Palin’s positions on LGBT issues:
1. Prior to being elected governor, Palin supported the 1998 constitutional amendment barring marriage for same-sex couples and has said she would support a ballot measure overturning a state supreme court decision mandating benefits for domestic partners of state employees
2.She is close to “traditional values” groups, like Family Research Council, because she is strongly anti-choice
Overall impression: Gov. Palin is strongly opposed to marriage equality and even domestic partner benefits for same-sex couples. However, her brief term in office (starting in December 2006) provides little evidence of her positions on other LGBT issues.
Additional details
Marriage and Relationship Recognition
Palin has said that she supported the 1998 constitutional amendment on marriage.
She told the Anchorage Daily News that she would support a ballot question that would deny benefits to the domestic partners of public employees, which was ordered by an October 2005 decision of the Alaska Supreme Court because “honoring the family structure is that important". http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/elections/governor06/story/8049298p-7942233c.html
While agreeing to do her duty and implement the Court’s decision, she also signed legislation –her first as Governor of Alaska—to put the issue to a nonbinding advisory vote by the public in April 2007. This was the only issue on the ballot and cost the state taxpayers $1.2 million. This measure passed, but did not translate into further legislative action to put forward a constitutional amendment
She did, however, veto legislation that would halt the provision of DP benefits in defiance of the Supreme Court’s ruling. She did this after the Supreme Court had already ruled and the Attorney General (Republican) advised her that the legislation was unconstitutional.
Ties to Anti-LGBT Groups
She will be honored alongside Michelle Bachman at an event at the 2008 Republican Convention, the “Life of the Party,” sponsored by Phyllis Schlafly.
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