What is Mitt Romney's position on gay rights ?
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1 vote
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8% | |||
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4 votes
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33% | |||
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3 votes
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25% | |||
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4 votes
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33% | |||
Mitt Romney's position on gay rights doesn't quite lend itself to a bumper sticker. Depending on whom you ask, it is either too thoughtful and nuanced, or too inconsistent and politically expedient. Either way, it's definitely got the GOP presidential candidate on the defensive.
There was a reminder of that Monday when Mitt Romney was forced to defend his opposition to gay marriage during a restaurant encounter with a grizzled Vietnam veteran named Bob Garon, who happened to be gay.
"The story on same-sex marriage is that I have the same position on that I had when I ran from the very beginning," Romney said in an interview last month with the Nashua Telegraph in New Hampshire.
"I'm in favor of traditional marriage. I oppose same-sex marriage. At the same time, I don't believe in discriminating in employment or opportunity for gay individuals. So I favor gay rights; I do not favor same-sex marriage. That has been my position all along."
Always Opposed Gay Marriage
The second part of his statement is clear: Romney does not favor gay marriage. He supports the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that bars federal recognition of gay marriage, as well as a constitutional amendment to do the same.
As governor of Massachusetts, Romney did everything he could to stop gay marriage there after the state's high court allowed it.
Romney responded to the 2003 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision by vowing to keep the state from becoming, as he put it, "the Las Vegas of gay marriage." At the time, Romney stated: "I agree with 3,000 years of recorded history. ... Marriage is an institution between a man and a woman."
But back during his first political run in 1994, Romney aggressively courted gay voters, promising to do more for "full equality" for gays and lesbians than his Massachusetts opponent, Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy.
Today, Romney denies any inconsistency.
"What happened was that the gay community changed their perspective as to what they wanted," Romney told CNN's Piers Morgan this summer, elaborating that when he talks about gay rights, he's never meant gay marriage, but rather equal opportunity in jobs and housing.
"I oppose same-sex marriage," Romney told Morgan. "At the same time, I would advance the efforts not to discriminate against people who are gay."
Romney declined an interview with NPR for this report.
"You cannot in the same breath say that you support non-discrimination against LGBT people and that you support DOMA," said Ned Flaherty with Marriage Equality USA. "It makes no sense."
It lasted peacefully for a week but when the anti-gay stronghold of the party got wind, the reaction was a meltdown. Fischer (American Family Association )and other rabid right-wingers took great exception to the presence of Grenell in the Romney campaign, declaring him a “loose cannon” and anathema to what the party stands for. Fischer especially held great disdain for Grenell’s sex life, which as a gay man, Fischer assumed to contain "random, frequent, and anonymous sexual encounters.” ( Grenell has been with the same partner for 9 years) It didn't take long for Fischer to make it very clear to Willard that in the world of Republican politics, religious obedience trumps common sense and modern reason. Romney got the message, loud and clear. So did thousands of gays and gay supporters who will be voting.
Hey, why not just put a fking raging drag queen in the White House and be done with it!...
Mitt tells a gay worker to "shut up" in front of junior staff members!
Does not seem Mitt is to Gay Friendly!
Romney gay spokesman quit after he was ‘told to shut up’ in front of junior staff
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 21:54 EST, 2 May 2012 | UPDATED: 21:58 EST, 2 May 2012
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Mitt Romney's openly gay spokesman Richard Grenell left the campaign because he was 'silenced' while his boss refused to defend him against personal attacks.
Sources told the Huffington Post that Mr Grenell, Mr Romney's former foreign policy and national security spokesman, felt like his reputation was being destroyed by far right criticism that he would advocate for gay marriage inside a Romney White House.
Mr Grenell resigned after less than a month on the job and cited 'personal reasons' as the cause for his departure.
Quit: Mitt Romney's openly gay spokesman Richard Grenell left the campaign because he was 'silenced' while his boss refused to defend him against attacks
His employment by the Romney campaign was heavily questioned by Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association, who said Mr Grenell posed a national security risk because of his sexual orientation.
The criticism ballooned into a major talking point, spreading to...
Mitt tells a gay worker to "shut up" in front of junior staff members!
Does not seem Mitt is to Gay Friendly!
Romney gay spokesman quit after he was ‘told to shut up’ in front of junior staff
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 21:54 EST, 2 May 2012 | UPDATED: 21:58 EST, 2 May 2012
Comments (8)
Share
Mitt Romney's openly gay spokesman Richard Grenell left the campaign because he was 'silenced' while his boss refused to defend him against personal attacks.
Sources told the Huffington Post that Mr Grenell, Mr Romney's former foreign policy and national security spokesman, felt like his reputation was being destroyed by far right criticism that he would advocate for gay marriage inside a Romney White House.
Mr Grenell resigned after less than a month on the job and cited 'personal reasons' as the cause for his departure.
Quit: Mitt Romney's openly gay spokesman Richard Grenell left the campaign because he was 'silenced' while his boss refused to defend him against attacks
His employment by the Romney campaign was heavily questioned by Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association, who said Mr Grenell posed a national security risk because of his sexual orientation.
The criticism ballooned into a major talking point, spreading to numerous publications and a discussion on the National Review's website.
'In the scale of things, we didn't view it as a major story and in fact thought it had blown over,' a source close to the Romney campaign said to the Huffington Post.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/ne...