For the sake of US LGBT expatriates, I thought I'd examine US Presidential candidates and their stances on various issues of interest to LGBT Americans. A spoof ad for Hillary Clinton The Advocate's Michelle Garcia tallied the above from the various candidate voting records. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards (Democrats) all say much the same thing. That is, they all believe in an end to military service and workplace discrimination, and while none are prepared to back same-sex marriage, all of them also support federal recognition of civil unions. Clinton and Edwards back partial or full repeal of the contentious Defence of Marriage Act, which means that the federal government will recognise same-sex marriages in Massachuesetts and any other state. All of them also support increased funding for HIV/AIDS related services and assistance for LGBT immigrants to the United States. Would that the Republicans cited were as promising. As one might guess though, they aren't, although there are nuances apparent. Rudolph Guiliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney all favour continuation of current US military service discrimination for LGBT soldiers. Guiliani supported a state task force on antigay hate crimes and a New York State bill against hate crimes, but doesn't regard it as a federal issue. McCain voted against federal US hate crimes bills in 2000 and 2002. Mitt Romey stopped funding the Massachuesetts State Task Force on Hate Crimes while governor there, effectively disbanding it. Guiliani initially supported civil unions, but now opposes them as well as sane-sex marriage. John McCain is against same-sex marriage, but supported a failed Arizona ban on such marriages, while also opposing the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would have amended the US Constitution to ban same-sex marriage throughout the United States. Romey campaigned against same-sex marriage, recognised in his home state of Massachuesetts, while he was its governor. In terms of HIV/AIDS, Guiliani supported cutting HIV/AIDS funding to ethnic minority groups as New York Mayor, while Romney favoured cutting thirty eight percent from the HIV/AIDS budget as well as refusing to legislate for a needle exchange while he was Massachuesetts Governor. McCain's stance is unknown. When it comes to workplace discrimination, Guiliani supported a New York State lesbian/gay inclusive antidiscrimination law in 2000, but his stance on the proposed US federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is unknown. McCain voted against ENDA, while Romney opposed such legislation. As for LGBT immigration issues, Guiliani's stance is unknown, but McCain supports retention of the current discriminatory ban against HIV+ immigrants, and Romney supports tougher immigration restrictions in general. Mike Huckabee's voting record was not cited in Garcia's article. Craig Young - 21st January 2008