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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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POLITICS AND SEXUALITY - Keith Boykin, former AU professor and best-selling author, speaks on sexuality, experience working in the Clinton administration and the candidates running for president.

Boykin urges involvement

Everyone should play role in '08 election, former prof says

Every individual has an important role in the upcoming 2008 election, said Keith Boykin, a best-selling author, activist, commentator, politico and one-time adjunct professor for AU's School of Public Affairs.

"It does not matter if you are black, white, a woman, poor or a person with disabilities; if you have the courage and you are willing to fight, then you can make a difference," Boykin said during a speech titled "Race, Gender and Sexual Orientation in the 2008 Presidential Campaign" in the Kay Spiritual Life Center Wednesday night.

"Republican candidates do not want to deal with the issue of sexual orientation, gender, race or identity politics," Boykin said in describing his view on the Republicans involved in the 2008 election. "Republicans do not care about the votes of people who are not white men."

Boykin noted how Republican candidates claimed "scheduling conflicts" on multiple occasions when they declined to participate in debates dealing with race and gay and lesbian issues. Democratic presidential candidates attended those events, he said.

"I actually do not expect any candidate who expects to win to announce that they support gay marriage, but I do expect a candidate to be open about why or why not they do not support gay marriage," Boykin said.

Emily Willard, a senior in the School of International Service, said she agreed with Boykin's statements on the Republican party.

"What he said really made sense," Willard said. "When you look at their history and their stances on issues, it shows how weak the Republicans are right now."

The Democratic presidential race has become a two-person competition between New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, Boykin said.

"I believe that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama do both understand and support gay marriage - I just think they are afraid to openly say it," Boykin said.

Boykin was the highest-ranking openly gay person in the Clinton White House and a former Harvard Law School classmate of Obama, according to Boykin.

Boykin said he learned through these endeavors that the best way to accomplish change is to actively pursue it on an individual basis.

"People need to get out there and change the minds and hearts of people," he said. "Ordinary people need to get out there and change people's minds."

People need to be vocal if they want candidates to support the issues they care about, Boykin said.

"The lesson to be learned from all of these experiences is if you really want our candidates to support our issues, then we have to be willing to support our issues, too, to get our candidates to do the right things," he said.

The message of Boykin's speech affected Catherine Hummel, a junior in the School of Public Affairs.

"It was a reality check for me in how we are kind of sitting back and just letting things happen," Hummel said. "There is always more in what can be done"


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