Scott Brown Slammed for Not Supporting Gay Families

Saturday, May 12, 2012

GolocalWorcester News Team

Senator Scott Brown has been under fire recently from the "lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender " (LGBT) community leaders for his outstanding record of voting against legislation that supports equality for gay and lesbian families.

In response to these claims, Brown’s spokesperson, Colin Reed, said, “Gay marriage has been settled law in Massachusetts for nearly a decade, and Scott Brown believes that individual states should be able to decide this issue.”

“He believes all people should be treated with dignity and respect,” Reed said. “With nearly 23 million Americans out of work, Scott Brown’s top priority is putting people back to work and getting this economy going again.”

Brown has repeatedly voted down gay marriage bills in the state and has supported the Defense of Marriage Act. He was also the only member of the Massachusetts congressional delegation who refused to participate in an “It Gets Better” video in response to gay suicides and bullying.

Meeting in Washington

In light of Present Obama’s endorsement of marriage equality, Brown’s record of anti-equality voting has become a hot button for the campaign recently and the Family Equality Council claims he refused to speak with them. Jennifer Chrisler, the head of the group, plans to spotlight LGBT issues next week by bringing hundreds of families to Washington D.C. to speak with lawmakers.

“I’ve asked personally to sit down with Senator Brown next week to discuss these important issues, but he will not make himself available,” Chrisler said.

Chrisler and Brown already have a shaky background. In 2001, Chrisler’s wife, former state Sen. Cheryl Jacques, heard some negative comments from Brown and claims he said “it’s just not normal” for two women to raise a child together", with no apology.

Personal attack

In 2001, Chrisler claims Scott Brown personally attacked her and her wife over the couple’s decision to have children.

“Scott Brown’s track record and rhetoric are of great concern to our organization and the 1 million LGBT families we represent across the country,” Chrisler said. “This is a man who purports to represent the interests of all families in Massachusetts, including LGBT families, but his political actions and personal statements have been hurtful and harmful. He has had the opportunity to demonstrate leadership on the issues of marriage equality, safe schools, adoption and foster care and employment non-discrimination, but has failed to do so."

State Rep. Liz Malia (D-11th Suffolk) called out the Senator for his hypocritical actions.

“Now that it’s an election year, Scott Brown is claiming to be an independent thinker, but the simple fact is that his anti-equality positions are more in line with Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and the Republican Party than Massachusetts families,” said Malia. “As someone who knew Scott Brown as a colleague in the Massachusetts legislature, I know that Scott Brown has a long, long history of opposing LGBT equality.”

Brown’s spokesperson Colin Reed added, “With so many unanswered questions about her false Native American status, it’s difficult to take anything Elizabeth Warren and her supporters say seriously these days.”

Organizing Director for MassEquality, Wes Ritchie has also attested to Brown’s lack of connection to the LGBT community.

“Scott Brown was the only member of the Massachusetts congressional delegation who declined to lend his voice to a video letting GLBT young people know that life gets better,” said Ritchie. “He continues to say that he has an independent voice, but when it comes to sticking up for gay and lesbian families and standing against bullying he has shown that he has no voice at all.”