Gay Republicans attack Hillary Clinton ‘flip-flop’ on equal marriage
A gay Republican group has launched an attack ad against Hillary Clinton’s record on same-sex marriage – despite all the Republican candidates militantly opposing it.
The purportedly ‘pro-LGBT’ Log Cabin Republicans group – which has attracted scrutiny in the past for failing to endorse LGBT rights legislation – launched the ad targeting the Democratic frontrunner.
It plays a clip of Hillary Clinton in 2004, when she was still officially opposed to same-sex marriage, before evolving on the issue and becoming a strong supporter of LGBT rights.
The attack is quite surprising from a Republican group – given that all 12 of the Republican Presidential candidates strongly opposed same-sex marriage up until the Supreme Court ruling.
Six of the Republican candidates have backed a new ‘religious freedom’ law which would allow religious people to discriminate against married gay couples – while others including Ted Cruz plan to void same-sex marriage entirely.
Despite this, the Log Cabin Republicans accused Hillary Clinton of failing people on the issue.
Log Cabin Republicans President Gregory T. Angelo said: “Not everyone in the United States Senate supported marriage equality in 2004, but few took to the floor of the chamber to hammer home the point the way Hillary Clinton did.
“Democrats and members of the LGBT community have given Hillary Clinton a pass on past transgressions and even allowed her to rewrite the history of the gay rights movement; Log Cabin Republicans will not.
“It’s time for the people of Iowa — and the country — to know that when it mattered, Hillary Clinton was wrong on gay rights.”
However, the Advocate has published a teardown of the video – accusing the group of taking Clinton’s words entirely out of context.
While officially opposing same-sex marriage, her 2004 Senate speech was actually arguing against an outright constitutional ban backed by Republicans.
Watch the full speech in context below:
