Josh Snyder, Husband Of Gay Soldier Booed At GOP Debate, Speaks Out On Defense Of Marriage Act

Josh Snyder, the husband of the gay soldier booed at a September Republican presidential debate, appeared on MSNBC Thursday to discuss the incident and the lawsuit he is a plaintiff in seeking to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act.

In a Sept. 22 GOP debate in Orlando, Fla., Stephen Hill, a soldier serving in Iraq, said in a video submitted via YouTube that, up until that week, when the "don't ask, don't tell" policy was repealed, he had to "lie about who [he] was to serve in the Army." Hill asked the candidates what their position was on gays in the military. There were audible boos from the audience. Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum said that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly was "playing social experimentation with our military."

"It was all a little overwhelming. We basically were kind of excited to see the question be asked, to get the response. But it didn't really register until a little bit later," said Snyder on MSNBC.

Snyder is a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network seeking to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act, which bans the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages. The suit also seeks to overturn Titles 10, 32, 38 of the U.S. code, which prevent gay spouses from getting the same benefits as heterosexual couples.

Though Snyder declined to speculate on the lawsuit's chances, he said the response the couple had gotten was positive. "I would say from the response that Steve and I have seen from the public and the Army itself, I feel confident," he said. "They [the Army] were just very supportive," he said. "This is family, and they don't see anything wrong with it."

Many of the contenders vying for the Republican presidential nomination have weighed in on the matter. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have also sounded off. Check out their reactions in the slideshow below:

Comments

[Nutul]

05:49 AM on 11/04/2011

why is a person's sexual orientation so important such that people with a different orientation should receive different treatments? hope to see a more tolerant world even if you don't agree to another person's lifestyle. period.

[Fiona Mackenzie]

11:28 PM on 11/03/2011

People's drive to run the lives of other people, those like gay men and women whom they consider (or want) to be their inferiors--gay people, women, the poor, minorities...--is inexplicable to me. Are they afraid they won't exist if they can't dominate and humiliate everyone not identical to them?

[aldo717]

05:26 PM on 11/01/2011

The GOP does not hate real soldiers, Obama was never in any army (probably too whimpy to get through basic training since you can't just talk you way through it like he did the presidency) the GOP just does not like degenerates... especially ones that want everyone to favor their sick behavior, very simply actually!

[Sean Stephenson]

01:52 PM on 11/03/2011

I find this offensive.

[Fiona Mackenzie]

11:30 PM on 11/03/2011

It's hard to know where to start with aldo's remark--with the ignorance, or the defensiveness, or the mindless free-floating hate.

[CAMBEL]

11:16 AM on 10/31/2011

Tea Party and GOP voters don't like the Military unless it's a slogan or a poster. They actually hate REAL soldiers.

It is the same way with 911. The GOP would continually talk about the first responders and how heroic they were, but then when they actually needed medical care the GOP blocked it.

Again, they hate the military, soldiers, first responders etc.. unless it can be used in a phony way like wearing a flag pin and pretending they are patriotic.

Of COURSE they booed a gay soldier. He wasn't a slogan, he was a real person.

[Rich Cash]

02:01 AM on 11/01/2011

I'm sorry, and I don't mean to be disrespectful, but you obviously have no idea what you're talking about. I am a veteran of two wars, Viet Nam and Desert Storm. During the Viet Nam war, the so-called "Democrat" war protestors spit on us in the airports when we came home and Jane Fonda was applauded for congratulating Ho Chi Minh for shooting down B-52's. The military discouraged us from wearing our uniforms when we came home in order to avoid confrontations. Johnson, McNamara, and the Democtratic Congress sent more than 800,000 troops to Viet Nam and then crippled their ability to defend themselves because it looked bad on TV for Americans to fire first. As flawed as Nixon was in his domestic policies, he authorized the bombing of Hanoi and brought the North Vietnamese to the bargaining table for a negotiated peace. The communists violated those treaties and subjugated South Viet Nam. Jimmy Carter gutted the military to the point where Iran felt comforable enough to successfully sack our embassy and take our people hostage. After Reagan and Bush Sr. defeated communism, Clinton gutted the military again and then committed them to the Sudan and the former Yugoslavian states where they were slaughtered because of democratic politics. The GOP did all they could to keep me and by brothers alive, while the Democrats continually sacrificed us in favor of public opinion.

[talkstocoyotes]

08:48 AM on 11/03/2011

Everything you're citing is from 12 to 45 years in the past. Fast-forward to 2011: do you think this soldier should have been booed? What do you think of his husband's involvement in the lawsuit against DOMA?

[Join Diaspora]

09:48 PM on 10/29/2011

Equality still eludes gay service members. Thanks to DOMA legally married same-sex military spouses are denied health insurance, commissary, housing allowance and other base privileges as compared to their opposite-sex married counterparts. For those interested - http://OUTmilitary.com has been providing a supportive environment for friending, sharing and networking between Gay active military, vets and supporters since December, 2010.

[mitchpeter]

11:24 AM on 10/29/2011

Get the gays out of the military and get the Republican politicians in.
We would see some quick changes everywhere I suspect.
More importantly, booing a fellow American is unaccepatable behavior, expecially those related to our fighting men and women overseas.
www.gaynycdad.com

[truth be told again]

11:14 PM on 10/29/2011

Nice commercial site you plugged there, 'dad'.

Your call to get the gays out of the military - good luck with that.

[Sean Stephenson]

01:55 PM on 11/03/2011

I almost called you out on this, but I can also see where you may be saying that Republican politicians should go in the military in place of homosexuals. In that case... kind of agree?

[Stan Cunningham]

02:21 AM on 10/29/2011

Be in a real Marriage and that wont happen!!!!!

[EmmaDarian]

08:43 AM on 10/29/2011

What do you consider a "real" marriage?

You could be, but I doubt you are, making an argument for marriage equality. While their marriage is real, without federal recognition, it is less than what straight couples get, and thus these men are being discriminated against. Even in MA, marriage for same-sex couples is a separate water fountain, a space at the back of the bus. It's separate, less than, not equal. DOMA needs to go and marriage couples must be identical, regardless of the gender mix of the couple.

But you weren't saying that, were you?

I suspect you're saying that these gay men should have married women. I assume you're straight. Would you want to marry someone who isn't and never will be romantically interested in you? Would you want your daughter or son to?

Would you want to fall in love and want to make a life with someone, but marry someone else just so you can risk or even give your life for this country without being booed or discriminated against?

Just how much pain are you willing to wish on others?

[eddw88]

08:52 AM on 10/29/2011

CLOWN!!

[Big Jap]

10:22 PM on 10/28/2011

I am not sure why the gays are excited, Don't Ask Don't Tell only says you can pronounce your Gayness, you are still not authorized as military members to engage in homosexual activity. Don't believe me, refer to UCMJ Article 125.

[shryock]

10:49 PM on 10/28/2011

Actually, if you read the descriptions of the prohibited acts in Article 125, lots of straight servicemen are probably engaging in illegal behavior as well. Wonder who polices them?

[Big Jap]

12:56 AM on 10/29/2011

Anyone who breaks article 125 should be discharged gay or straight!

[whoknew42]

08:27 PM on 10/28/2011

Good for him for speaking out!

[sfizi]

06:59 PM on 10/28/2011

...and no more froot loops for you

[Chudye]

04:51 PM on 10/28/2011

DOMA is indefensible!

People who want to "marry" can go to the courthouse and get a license and get "married" and UNLESS they want to take it a step further and have a ceremony in a church, it is a done deal. Those who do take it a step further are CHOOSING to do so. People cannot, however, skip the license because without it, they wouldn't be "married".

This is called contract law and is the same law that governs divorce and child custody and has absotutely nothing to do with a person's faith and/or beliefs.

Religion is a choice. The license, however, is not.

[mrld20]

04:30 PM on 10/28/2011

Obama is right... Regardless of one's beliefs about LGBT people that man was a soldier and a veteran... He deserves our support and respect! He's laying his life on the line for this country and a group of so called "patriots" booed him and every candidate on that stage was silent! There is no excuse!

They should be ashamed of themselves...

[Big Jap]

10:25 PM on 10/28/2011

That soldier needs to be booted out of the military under Article 125 of the UCMJ. Don't Ask Don't Tell being rescinded only says you can pronounce your gay, without actually engaging in it!

[Christopher Nagy]

01:04 AM on 10/29/2011

So... you have proof then? Are you the bedroom police?

[Lady Saera]

04:14 PM on 10/28/2011

So, we still haven't progressed beyond this, bigotry is alive and well, such uncivlized and inhumanity shown by our leaders, or anyone. I may not be gay, but how in the world can we set ourelves up as judge and jury for their union in marriage? Give them legal marriage rights and let them be as miserable as the rest of us;)..hehe, ok ok, I had to tease a bit to lighten things up,...but Im sincere on feeling their really should have that right...and yes, well....enuff said;)

[talkstocoyotes]

08:53 AM on 11/03/2011

**Give them legal marriage rights and let them be as miserable as the rest of us;)..hehe­, ok ok, I had to tease a bit to lighten things up,**

That one is older than God, and got tiresome a very, very long time ago.

[Lady Saera]

11:56 PM on 11/03/2011

Well, I didnt know that, I heard it and liked it, so for me grumpy, its brand new:)

[jdkinpa]

02:45 PM on 10/28/2011

Arlen Specter no longer carries much political clout; however he was a well respected moderate Senator who had the support of his constituents in that area between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia that has been called ‘Pennsyltucky’. He recently had this to say about the current state of politics in DC.
"Today there isn't a moderate in the Republican Party," he said. "The rise of the tea party has driven moderates out of Washington. Specter also spoke about the Wall Street protests in New York City and other cities around the country, which he said are clear signs that people are upset.

This story will not get much play outside of PA, I read it in one of the local ‘weekly’ newspapers that thousands of Republicans that make up the majority of voters here in ‘Pennsyltucky’ read religiously and I guarantee you that they still hold ole Arlen in high regard. Now that those voters have had a chance to see the TEApubs in action over the last several months; I’m going to predict that there will be more blame placed on the ‘do nothing’ TEApubs in DC than on the President and the Democrats who are at least trying to get something done. The only job plan that the TEApubs have endorsed since Jan of this year is the on about making President Obama a ‘one term President’. Once that has sunk in to even the hardest headed conservative, it will not bode well for the TEApubers come November 2012.

[BOBinPS]

08:49 PM on 10/28/2011

I wish you were right. I hope you are right.

Sigh.......

[joe1964]

01:41 AM on 10/29/2011

sigh. me too.

[JustMyOppinion]

02:38 PM on 10/28/2011

Its 2012, Hetero Supremacy no different to White Supremacy. Argue all you want. Give me the “your calling us bigots and that makes you a bigot” argument. Doesn’t matter what a person thinks of how they are viewed, the way people view a person is how is viewed.

Anti gay is bigotry. I wouldn’t be happy with a neighbor, coworker, family member, friend, doctor, lawyer, etc, etc that was a bigot.

[GDWhiteman]

04:06 PM on 10/29/2011

I had one once - asked a mixed race couple invited to our house-warming party to "accidentally" ring his doorbell first and then come to the party to report.