Florida House Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has announced that she will be the first Republican to co-sponsor the Respect for Marriage Act which seeks to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. Ros-Lehtinen supports anti-hate crime laws, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, LGBT adoption, has voted against a 2006 federal constitutional amendment banning marriage equality, was one of fifteen Republican House members to vote for the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal, and is one of two Republican members of the House LGBT Equality Caucus. Now can she just get her retrogressive Republican colleagues to get with the times?
Little Kiwi
Well done. So far she is the first Republican to sign on against DOMA. This is a smart, canny woman who knows the course of history and knows how everyone at this moment in time, at the time of this historic administration, will be remembered and written about.
We are indeed in the midst of the ongoing journey and fight for Civil Rights, and as such the intelligent people are aware of how history will look back on all of this.
The smart ones have realized that this is the time to decide how history will remember you.
Note to GOP-defending gays – vote for women (or men) like this woman. anything less is selling yourself, and the rest of us, out.
christopher di spirito
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen will need to be sent to a Christian Republican re-education camp and brought back into the fold of Scripture-informed conservatives who are adamantly opposed to marriage equality.
BigWoody
She needs those South Florida LGBT votes…
GayGOP
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is the type of Republican we need more of.
Confused
So who is she? She’s a Republican by her economic views but a Democrat by her social opinions, something like that? A kind of hybrid?
Little Kiwi
correction, GayGOP – people like Ileana Ros-Lehtinen are the ONLY type of Republican that Gay republicans and non-bigoted Republicans should be voting for.
You guys need to change your party from the inside on their historic anti-gay bigotry and that will ONLY come by letting them know that you will NOT VOTE FOR THEM if they run on an anti-LGBT Equality platform.
don’t just say “oh, we need more like her” – make it known that you will all ONLY VOTE FOR PEOPLE LIKE HER.
THAT is how you change things.
Politically Incorrect Thug
What-what-WHAT?!? You guys are defending a Republican? How many times have you same haters referred to the party as myriad childishly nasty names? But now one of them shows compassion toward you publicly, so she’s OK? And if she hadn’t? You’d be trashing her as easily as you do every other right-of-center individual on this site. My point being, yesterday you would have smeared this woman as being a homophobe, simply because of the R after her name. Now she’s the hero of gay rights. Maybe the lesson here is to stop judging people by their party affiliation alone. Lesson of the day: Not all Democrats are socialists, and not all Republicans are homophobes.
Cam
If you want to donate to her…
https://secure.piryx.com/donate/XwKCvdno/Ros-LehtinenforCongress/
Put in Gay dollars in one of the spaces reserved for your employer etc… let her know that her stances are paying off in money.
Justin
She’s been good on LGBT issues for years. I think one of the reasons is South Beach and a lot of other gay enclaves fall into her congressional district. I think her daughter is a lesbian too but that I can’t confirm.
Jollysocks
I’d be looking at California’s Mary Bono Mack (Sonny Bono’s widow) if we’re looking for a second House GOPer to support the repeal of DOMA (she represents Palm Springs).
Obviously one sane voice in a chorus of lunatics doesn’t make a difference. But if the Dems lose big time in 2012, we are going to need to know who the pro-equality Republicans are in order to stall a constitutional amendment against marriage equality. If the GOP takes back the White House and they get a 60 filibuster proof majority in the Senate AND they hold onto the House — their wet dream will be a constitutional amendment. They know it’s their last real shot and doing it. DON’T think that because it didn’t happen under Bush that it wouldn’t happen now — the GOP has gone much further to the right since the last real attempt in 2006.
CaliberGuy
Refreshing to see a enlightened republican, some one that actually believes in equality for all and is on the right side of social issues. I never quite understood why so many in the republican part seem to think that to have “conservative” fiscal views they have to also have frengy right wing christian views too! As it is more and more church goers are supporting LGBT equality then ever before. She is going to be the type of republican that takes over the party if they don’t want to die of obscurity with possible conservative youth soon. (like even McCain’s daughter said there is no room for her and her generation in today’s republican party, as they socially want equality for their LGBT friends, and are not really willing to give that up just over spending issues)
Robert in NYC
No. 6, exactly right. Gays voting for the likes of Ron Paul who supports DOMA if any state wishes to legislate that way is voting against themselves. We’ll NEVER get equality in every state if people adhere to Paul’s policy. He’s not proactive on equality and hasn’t taken a stand against any of the antigay rhetoric among the parade of clowns running for office. He’s a phony and a psychotalker like the rest of them in the republican party. He’d be content letting his own son die (Rand Paul) if he had a serious illness and had no health insurance, that shows how wacked out and dangerous they are. He’s ok letting poor people die who can’t afford insurance and loves to reminisce about the good old days of no health coverage when the churches supposedly stepped in and took care of them which is a fallacy anyway.
Rod
Don’t let this one issue fool you. She’s one of the most conservative, vile, and hawkish female republicans in congress. She’s only for this one issue because of the number of gays that make up her constituency. She’s 99% neo-conservative in every other way imaginable if you follow her politics and the things she lets fly out of her mouth.
Baird
@Justin:
Actually, her daughter used to be her son.
Red Meat
Hey look my state… lolidontknowwhosheis
JoeyB
It’s always been rumored she’s a lesbian.
Riker
@Jollysocks: Even if Republicans win both houses of Congress AND the White House, they can’t just pass a Constitutional amendment. If they pass it, and the President signs it, then it is up to the states to ratify it. I believe 2/3 of them have to vote yes on it. They won’t get more than half. There’s no way to force the states to vote. Hell, proposed amendments like the ERA are still just a few states shy of ratification, as they have been for decades and decades. Even the Titles of Nobility amendment (proposed by Jefferson, I believe) is technically still active, but the states simply don’t feel like voting on it.
Person, Somewhere
@ Little Kiwi: ???
Why are you always telling other people what to do and that they’re wrong ?
The way you bring things is incredibly annoying and pedantic, not everyone is going to have the same political convictions, the rainbow comes in all colours.
Michael
@Person, Somewhere:
Finally someone speaks the truth. đ
Trey
It’s nice to see, for a change that at least one republican doesn’t fit into the stereotypical mold the republicans seem to have going for them, not in this case that is. Hopefully more and more views like this start to appear in our government in the future.
Little Kiwi
@Trey, more Republicans like this woman will only appear if more GOP-voting people demand that they appear. That’s the reality. If one continues to vote for anti-Equality Republicans it gives the GOP no reason to change their ways. They don’t need to promote, or even support, Equality for LGBT People – they get votes anyway.
What needs to start happening within the GOP is a real show of backbone – let it be known you will no longer support anti-Equality candidates. The GOP will change their stances if they realize they will not win while they run on anti-gay platforms. It’s truly that simple – let them know they will not get your vote, nor your family’s, if they continue to promote anti-gay discrimination, or are not progressive on Equality issues.
Give them a reason to change.