
FORIMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 2, 2012
Dan Rafter
What to Watch for Tomorrow Night: Romney’sReality Gap on LGBT Issues
Romney lives in two different worlds on LGBTequality: what he tells people he believes, and what his actions reallyindicate
Washington – Mitt Romney mayface questions regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)equality during tomorrow night’s presidential debate, and if his past remarksare an indicator, he is likely to mask his anti-LGBT policies with vaguestatements declaring that he stands against discrimination. However, Romney’sown words and actions paint a markedly different picture of a politician who isaligned closely with groups that seek to demonize LGBT people and theirsupporters.
The HumanRights Campaign has compiled an extensive report tracking Mitt Romney’sincreasingly anti-LGBT animus. The Romney who famously declared in 1994 that hewould be “better than Ted [Kennedy] for gay rights” has since devolved into an extensionof the far-right who stands against everything from relationship recognition toworkplace protections for LGBT people. HRC’s report can be accessed at www.hrc.org/romney.
“Mitt Romneylikes to portray himself as a compassionate figure who would never want todiscriminate against anyone, but his policies point to just the opposite,” saidHRC Vice President of Communications Fred Sainz. “Mitt Romney advocates againstissues that impact virtually every area of an LGBT person’s life – from theirability to marry the person they love and start a family, to ensuring theycan’t be fired from their job simply because of who they are, even down tomaking it more difficult to address bullying in schools.”
Here are a fewpotential issues that may be covered in tomorrow night’s debate, and the factson where Mitt Romney really stands on LGBT equality:
Marriage& Relationship Recognition
Mitt Romneysays: “I do not favor marriage between people of the same gender, and I do notfavor civil unions if they are identical to marriage other than byname. My view is [that] domestic partnership benefits, hospital visitationrights, and the like are appropriate, but that the others are not.”
The Facts:Romney tries to place himself somewhat closer to mainstream public opinion byimplying that he supports some benefits for same-sex couples, but only canpoint to hospital visitation – which same-sex couples already enjoy because ofPresident Obama. His statement is hollow and wholly without meaning – thereremain hundreds of critical benefits and protections under state law, and over1,100 more under federal law, tied to marriage that Romney refuses toacknowledge same-sex couples deserve. The one benefit he has gone on-recordsupporting – hospital visitation – is a right same-sex couples already enjoy.
Romney alsosupports the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act and a federal marriageamendment (FMA). The FMA would not only ban same-sex couples from marriage, butit also essentially would divorce same-sex couples who are legally married –stripping them of rights and benefits they currently receive under the law.
LGBTFamilies
Mitt Romneysays: Every child deserves one mother and one father.
The Facts:Romney’s refusal to acknowledge the dignity and respect LGBT families deserveis much more insidious than he lets on. At a campaign stop in South Carolina inthe run-up to his first presidential bid, Romney bemoaned to a crowd that ofthe same-sex couples marrying in Massachusetts, “some are actually havingchildren born to them.” In 2004, Romney told a resident who asked him what sheshould tell her daughter about why her moms couldn’t marry: “I don’t reallycare what you tell your adopted daughter. Why don’t you just tell her the samething you’ve been telling her the last eight years.”
Romney alsohas demonstrated that he is blind to the obstacles same-sex couples face instarting families. In a May 2012 interview, Romney said “I think all states butone allow gay adoption – that’s a position that’s been decided by most of thestate legislatures, so I simply acknowledge the fact that gay adoption is legalin all of the states but one.”
The truth isthat in the vast majority of states, adoption by LGB individuals and familiesis unclear and left to the discretion of judges, state agencies, and adoptionagencies that may discriminate.
EmploymentNon-Discrimination Act
Mitt Romneysays: He opposes discrimination against anyone. During his tenures at BainCapital and as governor of Massachusetts, he hired and appointed openly gaypeople.
The Facts:Romney’s vague opposition to discrimination is utterly false. In fact – despiteonce promising to support a federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act, Romneynow claims that such legislation would place an “undue burden” on employersthat would “open a litigation floodgate.”
LGBTYouth
Mitt Romneysays: Every child deserves to feel safe and nurtured in school and in home.
The Facts:Romney has isolated and stigmatized LGBT youth at multiple points in his past.As a high school student, Romney led recurrent anti-gay bullying. According toa May 2012 Washington Postarticle,Romney relentlessly teased a classmate perceived to be gay, at one pointyelling to the long-haired classmate, “He can’t look like that. That’swrong. Just look at him!” Eventually the verbal harassment turned intophysical violence, when Romney led a group of students who tackled him, pinnedhim to the ground, and cut his hair with a pair of scissors.
As governorof Massachusetts, Romney blocked the publication of an anti-bullying guidesimply because it included words like “bisexual” and “transgender.” He alsoabolished the Governor’s Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth – which wasinitially founded by a previous Republican governor - after the group lent itsname to a flier for a local Pride parade. Previously, Romney had vetoed afunding increasing for the commission.
Romney’strack record is disturbingly indicative of a man who will say anything to getelected – regardless of his personal beliefs. He originally supported openservice in the military, then opposed it, but now says he won’t reverse therepeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” He originally supported ENDA, and now heopposes it. He has vowed to push for a federal marriage amendment, but also hasacknowledged that he no longer believes it has the support necessary to pass.Learn more about Romney’s anti-LGBT policies and head-scratchinginconsistencies at www.hrc.org/romney.
TheHuman Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working toachieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring andengaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizensand realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
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