By ThinkProgress War Room on May 14, 2012 at 4:39 pm
Opposing More Than Just Marriage Equality
Over the weekend, a top Republican pollster put out a memo urging Republicans to recognize the magnitude of the rapid change in public opinion about LGBT issues and start supporting a least some rights for gay people. And today, Gallup reported that societal acceptance of gays and lesbians is “the new normal.”
Most Republicans appear to have not gotten the memo, as it were, and have reiterated their opposition various rights for LGBT people in the wake of President Obama’s historic embrace of marriage equality.
Here’s the rundown.
- Mitt Romney flip-flopped on support for gay adoptions less than 24 hours after signaling his approval. He also falsely claimed it was already legal in all but one state. (It’s not.)
- Romney ally Frank McNulty (R), the Speaker of Colorado House, killed civil unions today after Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) called a special session in order for the legislature to pass the bill, which enjoys strong bipartisan support.
- Mitt Romney, speaking at the extreme anti-gay Liberty University, reiterated his view that marriage is between one man and one woman.
- Rep. James Lankford (R-OK) said that it should be OK to fire people just for being gay, because he says being gay is a choice:
- Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) made an anti-gay joke about the president that was too offensive for even anti-gay crusder Tony Perkins:
- Rep. Allen West (R-FL) denied that workplace discrimination against LGBT people, which is legal in 29 states, even exists:
- Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-TX), who voted against a bill to protect LGBT people from workplace discrimination (ENDA), mistakenly claims that ENDA is already the law:
IN ONE SENTENCE: While most elected Republicans probably won’t come around to supporting marriage equality any time soon, they still have a lot of evolving to do just to support basic rights for LGBT Americans.
Evening Brief: Important Stories That You May Have Missed
Shades of 2000: Is Florida going to purge 180,000 Hispanic voters from the rolls?
Why does TV still perpetuate the stereotype that close male friends must always be mistaken for a gay couple?
A visual comparison of Barack Obama and George W. Bush’s records on issues of national security.
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus responded to JPMorgan’s huge losses by calling for even less financial regulation.
A former National Review writer thinks white supremacy is “one of the better arrangements history has come up with.”
Even the conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board is starting to turn against austerity.
The Bain of Romney’s existence is back.
The Romney campaign massively downgrades claims about job creation, still can’t backup claim.
Romney camp names its main criteria for picking a Vice President: “incredibly boring white guy.”
Other recent Progress Reports
May 11, 2012: Meet Liberty University
A Severely Conservative University As we discussed yesterday, Mitt Romney has a radical anti-gay record and agenda. So it’s fitting that tomorrow he will be giving the commencement speech at Liberty University, a radically conservative, anti-gay Virginia university founded by the late televangelist Jerry Falwell. How radical? This is who the university’s founder blamed for [...]
May 10, 2012: Discrimination Today, Discrimination Tomorrow, Discrimination Forever
Mitt Romney’s Extreme Anti-Gay Agenda Following yesterday’s historic endorsement of marriage equality by President Obama, Mitt Romney wasted no time in reminding Americans that he believes that LGBT relationships must be both separate and unequal. Romney reiterated his longstanding opposition to both marriage and civil unions: “Well, when these issues were raised in my state [...]
May 9, 2012: Thank You, President Obama!
An Historic Day for Equality “I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those [...]
May 8, 2012: Republicans Pick Wealthy Tax Dodgers Over Students
Republicans Block Senate Action on Bill to Prevent Student Loan Rate Hike As we’ve discussed before, student loan interest rates are set to double on July 1 unless Congress takes action. Before it recess, House Republicans passed a mean-spirited bill that paid for the extension of current rates by robbing an important preventive health fund [...]
