Six presidential hopefuls gathered to field questions about gay marriage, the military’s ban on openly gay servicemembers and other GLBT hot topics last week for a premiere televised forum.

Democratic candidates Sens. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.), Dennis Kucinich (Ohio), Barack Obama (Ill.), former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson participated in “The Visible Vote ’08: A Presidential Forum” Aug. 9 at Studio City, Los Angeles, Calif.

Democratic Sens. Joe Biden (Del.) and Christopher Dodd (Conn.) did not participate in the forum and, though invited, neither did any Republican candidates.

Bloomberg News and Time Magazine columnist Margaret Carlson moderated the forum, presented by GLBT television network Logo and the Human Rights Campaign, a sexual-minority advocacy group.

Out musician Melissa Etheridge, Washington Post journalist Jonathan Capehart and HRC president Joe Solmonese appeared as panelists.

Candidates spent about 15 minutes talking with the panel in front of a small studio audience.

“Most of the candidates restated their positions and were consistent,” said HRC spokesperson Brad Luna. “They all came out strong.”

Clinton, Obama, Edwards and Richardson voiced support of civil unions but not same-sex marriage, while Gravel and Kucinich said they were in favor of full marriage.

“What people are telling you when you can’t get married is you are second-class citizens and that’s just wrong,” Gravel told the panel. “You’re not second-class citizens.”

Kucinich echoed Gravel’s position.

“People who love each other must have an opportunity to express that,” he said. “I stand for real equality.”

All six candidates said they opposed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the military’s ban on openly gay servicemembers.

Steve Ralls, a spokesperson for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, an organization that works to lift the ban, said he was pleased to hear all six participants oppose the discriminatory policy.

“The Democratic candidates for the White House understand that our national security and our national commitment to equality and opportunity, are both strengthened by repealing this law,” Ralls stated in an SLDN press release. “Our men and women in uniform and their families and loved ones are ready for a commander-in-chief who puts qualification ahead of discrimination and military readiness ahead of outdated prejudice.”

When asked if homosexuality was a choice, all but one candidate, Richardson, said no.

Just hours after the forum, Richardson’s campaign issued a retraction statement.

“I do not believe that sexual orientation or gender identity happen by choice,” he stated. “But I’m not a scientist, and the point I was trying to make is that no matter how it happens, we are all equal and should be treated that way under the law.”

“That kind of a mistake goes right to the heart of an important issue in the community,” said Luna. “It’s the foundation of who you are as a person and his answer raises concerns. But that being said, he does have a long record of supporting the community and I hope he can clear this up in a way that allows the community to be comfortable with where he stands.”

Luna said the forum was a great success.

“This gave us the opportunity to present our issues front and center and it cemented the community as an important block of voters in the presidential campaign,” he said.

According to HRC, none of the Republican candidates responded to forum invitations or returned HRC’s questionnaire.

Luna said that while specifics have not yet been discussed, HRC would like to replicate GLBT political forums in the future.

Casey Bell can be reached at casey@epgn.com.