U.S. Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) is facing heat for an editorial published Tuesday in Massachusetts LGBT newspaper, Bay Windows. Brown, who has not historically supported the Employment Non-Discrimination Act or the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, said in his editorial that “[supporting] everyone’s pet project” was not his M.O. as a U.S. Senator.
“Being an independent voter and thinker means I am never going to satisfy one group or political party 100 percent of the time,” wrote Brown. “Since my election, I have crossed the aisle to work with the opposing party on many key issues, and I was recently named the second most bipartisan member of the Senate. I have never subscribed to the theory that good ideas or good policies are limited to one political party.”
Brown added, “I don’t come before you with a checklist of items promising that I will be an advocate for you on each and every one of them. My opponent has already started down that road, promising to support everyone’s pet project. That’s not the way I have ever operated.”
Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren has been a voice for LGBT issues in Massachusetts and has promised to work against anti-gay legislation if elected as U.S. Senator. Brown’s comment comes in wake of his opponent’s promise to become a leader on a DOMA repeal should she be elected.
“In his feeble attempt to woo LGBT voters, Scott Brown not only failed to make his case, but he also managed to insult the entire LGBT community in the process,” said National Stonewall Democrats Executive Director, Jerame Davis. “Our community’s struggle for equality is not a ‘pet project’. The right to find and keep a job or the freedom to marry the person you love are fundamental to the American dream. The passage of ENDA and the repeal of DOMA are not just items on a checklist; they are wrongs that must be righted before LGBT Americans can claim anything other than second class status in our nation.
“LGBT people face a myriad of issues every day that Senator Brown will never truly understand, but he has now made it clear to the voters of Massachusetts that he simply doesn’t care.”
“Pet Projects” ? Passage of EDNA and repeal of DOMA are “Pet Projects” ?
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