Take a stand: Pledge to vote in 2012
Have you heard some of the shocking things the GOP candidates are saying when asked about LGBT rights during their campaign for their party’s nomination?
Mitt Romney can’t remember whether he stands for equality or not. How unfortunate.
Regarding “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, at the beginning of this campaign Romney said repeal would amount to a “social experiment,” and that he “wouldn’t change it at this point.” However, when running for the Senate against Ted Kennedy he praised “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” as “the first of a number of steps that will ultimately lead to gays and lesbians being able to serve openly and honestly in our nation’s military.” Unlike then, now he’d prefer a Romney Administration that could discriminate in firing people from the military.
And clearly Mitt knows best how people should raise their families, not that he’s for big government or anything. “…The nation presumably would be better off if children are raised in a setting where there’s a male and a female.”
Rick Santorum thinks gay couples don’t live in every state, only in certain ones. There aren’t any gay people in your state, right?
When asked by students in New Hampshire why he didn’t support same-sex marriage, Santorum tried to turn the question back on the students: “So anyone can marry anybody else?” No. Never. How ridiculous!
And, well, then there’s Newt. Newt Gingrich believes our desire to gain full equality is an anti-Christianity campaign that the media refuses to cover.
Rick, Mitt, Newt, and quite a few others on the slate, seem to have forgotten that their main focus this election cycle is supposed to be jobs.
Instead they’re spending a lot of time pandering to the far-right wing of their party – disparaging families, and attempting to reverse the nation’s course toward full equality, and social justice.
We will not let them get away with this. The Task Force is moving forward in 2012:
1. Training local activists across the country and at our annual conference, Creating Change, on how to run effective campaigns to keep LGBT protections in place and defeat anti-LGBT ballot initiatives;
2. Educating voters on what’s at stake in this election and how to fight back against anti-equality legislation and candidates;
3. Ensuring eligible voters understand why it’s important to register to vote and providing them with resources to make informed decisions; and
4. Working to promote legislation and ballot measures that support full equality and knocking down any anti-LBGT measures.
This is a tough, but pivotal year… and a whole lotta lies and hate will continue to be spewed. But we aren’t going to stand idly by; we’re putting our grassroots power to work.
Will you take a stand with us, to educate yourself and your friends about what is on the ballot and what candidates are saying about LGBT rights, and to vote? As part of our core group of activists, we’ll keep you informed on what’s happening this election and what actions you can take to make a real impact.
