MONTCLAIR, N.J.– Garden State Equality, the leading civil rights education and advocacy organization for New Jersey’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, reiterated its call for a series of major public and private companies to cease all contributions and request a refund of prior contributions to Congressman Scott Garrett following his discriminatory comments about the LGBT community.
This action follows Garrett’s support of the anti-gay First Amendment Defense Act, and Garrett’s refusal to pay his Republican national congressional campaign committee dues because his party had supported LGBT candidates. Despite repeated requests from reporters and Republican state leadership to explain his comments, Garrett hasn’t denied any of the allegations.
Several leading companies have taken steps to separate themselves from Garrett recently by canceling fundraisers and announcing that they are ending contributions to his political action committees. Garden State Equality praises these moves, but many companies have yet to take action against him.
“What we need to see is a complete divestment from candidates, like Scott Garrett, that espouse such hatred,” said Andrea Bowen, GSE’s Executive Director.
“Congressman Garrett’s bigoted comments have no place in New Jersey, a state that has a proud record of supporting LGBT rights,” continued Bowen. “We agree with the Bergen Record in their assessment that it is grounds to remove him from office, and we ask that those companies who have contributed to him this year reconsider their support. Many of these companies have very strong LGBT policies protecting their employees, and continuing to support Garrett would seemingly contradict the spirit of those policies.”
Garden State Equality has reviewed the public disclosure of PAC contributions and has asked the following companies and firms to demand their contributions back – and to commit to not making additional contributions until Garrett publicly refutes his reported statements.
I am sick of the LGBT groups bullying everyone that do not agree with them and share their opinion. What they did to that poor family of the bakery is truly bullying to the max. The will not tolerate anyone that stands against them. They want to close them down! Enough of this shit. Time to fight back. Not everyone is on the same rainbow wagon with you twisted intolerant idiots. Stop pushing your agenda on everyone because we can and will push back.
That poor bakery that published the names and addresses of the lesbians? That poor bakery? You have twisted sense of what bullying means!