Press Release - October 29th, 2012

For Immediate Release

View Online: http://lgbtde.ms/PhdkwP

October 29, 2012
Contact: Jerame Davis
202-625-1382
jdavis@stonewalldemocrats.org 

New Video of Mitt Romney's Homophobic Past Surfaces
Log Cabin Republicans Endorsement of Mitt Romney Continues to be Proven Foolhardy

Washington, DC – In a recently uncovered campaign video from 2005, Mitt Romney is giving a speech to a South Carolina audience in which he says:     

"Today, same-sex couples are marrying under the law in Massachusetts. Some are actually having children born to them. We've been asked to change their birth certificates to remove the phrase 'Mother' and 'Father' and replace it with 'Parent A' and 'Parent B.' It's not right on paper. It's not right in fact. Every child has the right to have a mother and father."

National Stonewall Democrats Executive Director Jerame Davis issued the following statement: 

"The more we learn about Mitt Romney's record, the more confounding the Log Cabin Republicans endorsement of him becomes. No matter how much they try to cover for Mitt Romney, the facts speak for themselves: Mitt Romney doesn't like LGBT people. Even before this latest revelation, we knew Mitt Romney had fought tooth and nail against gay and lesbian parents' ability to obtain correct birth certificates for their children. Now we get to hear Romney explain his revulsion in his own words.

"'We are Americans first' means nothing when the candidate you support would take away the rights that make us all American. Mitt Romney refuses to acknowledge the basic dignity of our relationships, of our families, of our lives - and this new video just reinforces that message. Log Cabin Republicans justify their embrace of Romney by saying his public statements are meant to pander to the anti-LGBT base of the GOP - that he doesn't really mean all those horrible homophobic things he says.

"In both words and in deeds, Romney has repeatedly used his power and influence to curtail progress toward LGBT equality. This is just the latest example. We cannot trust Mitt Romney, who has proven time and again he will say anything to get elected. Now, after this endorsement, we obviously cannot trust Log Cabin Republicans either. 

"At one time, Log Cabin Republicans was a group of principled gay conservatives trying to make a difference. Lately, I have trouble differentiating them from the conservative performance troupe known as GOProud. Gay Republicans don't need another spectacle, they need bold and steady leadership - something that's sorely lacking in today's Log Cabin Republicans.

"LGBT voters should not allow themselves to be fooled by the Log Cabin Republicans and Mitt Romney. The GOP agenda is to dismantle all of the advances we've made over the past four years and Mitt Romney will fulfill that mandate with gusto. The Log Cabin Republicans know this, but they are so enthralled with token gestures and hollow promises that they're willing to overlook it.

"There is only one candidate in this race who stands for full LGBT equality under the law: President Barack Obama."

 

 

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National Stonewall Democrats is the national voice of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allied Democrats, with more than 80 local affiliates across the nation. Stonewall Democrats works to elect more pro-equality Democrats regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity - and to improve the Democratic Party on issues important to LGBT Democrats.