Log Cabin Republicans expected, defend Romney endorsement

Log Cabin Republicans’ Casey Pick writes that her group expected the backlash it received for issuing a qualified endorsement of Mitt Romney, but adds that it's a mistake to equate Romney with Republicans such as former Sen. Rick Santorum. 

"Far from a fire-breathing ideologue, Governor Romney is somebody we can work with to improve the lives of LGBT Americans, including on the vital issue of workplace discrimination," Pick writes.

Just in case you're wondering where Romney stands on marriage equality ...

A campaign adviser for Mitt Romney reiterated this past weekend that the former governor of Massachusetts favors banning marriage equality through an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. 

Bay Buchanan had previously suggested that Romney believed marriage was an issue best left up to individual states, causing some to wonder if the campaign was softening its position on the Federal Marriage Amendment. 

In response, Log Cabin Republican Executive Director R. Clarke Cooper issued a statement saying the conservative position should be to respect decisions by states to recognize married same-sex couples. 

Romney has signed a pledge written by the National Organization for Marriage that promises he will advocate for the FMA if he wins the White House.

Log Cabin issues "qualified endorsement" of Romney

Log Cabin Republicans yesterday issued a "qualified endorsement" of Mitt Romney for president. 

The group acknowledged differences with Romney on issues such as marriage equality, but said Romney would produce "actual tangibles" on issues important to the LGBT community. R. Clarke Cooper, Log Cabin's executive director, called Romney's signing of a pledge to oppose marriage equality "merely symbolic."

A New York Times blogger says the endorsement proves "that they won’t challenge the party when it’s necessary."

New survey from MileHighGayGuy shows Denver's gay community plans to vote for Obama

A new survey of MileHighGayGuy.com readers and Denver's gay community provides information on the upcoming Presidential election, political affiliations, and the issues that are most important to gay voters in swing-state Colorado.

According to the survey, the vast majority of Denver's gay male voters identify as Democrat (76 percent) with only five percent identifying as Republican. Another fifteen percent of respondents identified as independent, unaffiliated, or as members of a third party such as Libertarian, Green, or Socialist.

As for the upcoming Presidential election, approximately 80 percent of respondents say they are voting for Obama. Five percent of respondents say they will be voting for Mitt Romney with fifteen percent either "undecided" or planning to vote for other candidates including Gary Johnson and Roseanne Barr.

Stay tuned for more survey results and coverage from Denver's gay community as the 2012 Presidential Election campaigns continue.

Romney funded Prop 8 through anti-gay group?

Mitt Romney's political action committee contributed $10,000 to help pass California's Proposition 8, but did so through a hard-to-detect PAC donation to the National Organization for Marriage, according to documents provided to the Human Rights Campaign by a whistle-blower at NOM. 

"It’s clear now that Romney was a major financial donor to Prop 8, but it’s also clear that his campaign very cleverly hid this contribution," said Fred Sainz, HRC's vice president for communications. NOM was a key player in the passage of Proposition 8, which ended legal marriage for same-sex couples in California.

HRC Launches New Site Showcasing Mitt Romney’s Constantly Changing Positions on LGBT Issues

Showcasing Mitt Romney’s constantly changing positions on issues important to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, the Human Rights Campaign today launched a new website to educate voters about the former Massachusetts Governor’s record.  “Mitt ‘N Match” cleverly allows users to see his various stances on open military service, workplace non-discrimination and relationship recognition. The site is at www.MittNMatch.com.

“Mitt Romney changes positions on LGBT issues more often than he changes clothes,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “It is mind boggling that someone can go from once saying he would be more pro-gay than Ted Kennedy to signing a draconian pledge sponsored by the National Organization for Marriage.”

 

On “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the site outlines his original opposition to the ban on gay servicemembers to his statements supporting DADT.  On workplace non-discrimination, he promised to co-sponsor the Employment Non-Discrimination Act before turning around and saying he opposed ENDA. And on relationship recognition, he once indicated he supported domestic partnerships but as a presidential candidate he’s signed on to the agenda of the National Organization for Marriage. By aligning himself with NOM, Romney isn’t just agreeing to support a federal marriage amendment and the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act – he’s even throwing his support behind a McCarthy-like commission to investigate allegations of “harassment” against NOM’s rabidly anti-LGBT supporters.

 

“Mitt Romney is someone that voters just can’t trust,” said Solmonese. “The only thing clear about his record is his willingness to say or do anything to get elected.”

Romney’s “glitter bomber” faces possible jail time, fine

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Peter Smith, a 20-year-old Univeristy of Colorado student who attempted to shower Mitt Romney with glitter as a form of protest against Romney's stance on LGBT rights and other issues, could be sentenced to up to six months in jail for the stunt. Smith was charged by Denver police with creating a disturbance and throwing a missile.

S.C. evangelicals criticize Romney over LGBT positions

Mitt Romney, Homophiliac?

Three South Carolina evangelical leaders last week announced their support of Rick Santorum for president, saying they could not support Mitt Romney because of his "homophilia." 

The trio praised Santorum’s views on homosexuality, but said Romney "very clearly endorses dangerous, unhealthy homosexual conduct."

GOP presidential candidates weigh in on homosexuality

Three Republicans who have announced their candidacies for president answered questions about LGBT issues this week. Herman Cain, a former business executive, said he believes homosexuality is sinful and a choice. Rick Santorum pledged his support for amending the U.S. Constitution to ban legal marriage for same-sex couples. 

Meanwhile, former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney (pictured) declined to say whether he believed homosexuality is a sin, but reiterated his opposition to marriage equality.