Two major gay political organizations have announced that U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Miami has become the first Republican co-sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act.
From Freedom to Marry:
Today, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen announced that she would be the first Republican member of Congress to cosponsor the Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 1116), sponsored by Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act.
"Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's support for this important bill confirms that equal respect for all marriages is a bipartisan, mainstream value,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry, the campaign to win marriage nationwide. “Working with Representatives Ros-Lehtinen and Nadler, and the Respect for Marriage Act's 124 co-sponsors, Freedom to Marry will continue to make the case to Republican and Democratic members of Congress that it's time to return the federal government to its proper role of honoring all marriages legal in the states -- without a gay exception."
Freedom to Marry’s bipartisan lobby team met with Ros-Lehtinen’s office in July along with the Log Cabin Republicans. The meeting was part of Freedom to Marry’s national campaign effort to make the case on Capitol Hill, inside the Beltway, and throughout the country that the freedom to marry is a mainstream American cause rather than a partisan one. The campaign is geared toward growing public support and helping to create an environment for Congress or the U.S. Supreme Court to dismantle discrimination in marriage.
“Freedom to Marry has two goals in our GOP lobbying work – enlisting the first Republican cosponsors on the Respect for Marriage Act, and educating GOP members of Congress about why same-sex couples want to marry and the harms of DOMA,” said Freedom to Marry National Campaign Director Marc Solomon. “Since we embarked on this effort several months ago, Freedom to Marry’s bipartisan lobby team has met with more than a dozen GOP House members. Each of them has told us that they'd never been engaged directly on this matter before and they have welcomed the conversation."
To grow support in DC, Freedom to Marry, in addition to direct congressional visits, is hosting salons with DC opinion leaders including GOP operatives and right-of-center thought-leaders to generate conversations about the political and moral case for the freedom to marry.
Rep. Ros-Lehtinen will become the unprecedented 124th cosponsor on the bill, surpassing last Congress’s total of 120 cosponsors.
Log Cabin Republicans have also issued a statement:
Log Cabin Republicans thank long-time ally and pro-equality champion Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen for becoming the first Republican member of Congress to co-sponsor the Respect for Marriage Act.
"Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has long been on the frontlines in fighting for human dignity at home and abroad. As a founding member of the House LGBT Equality Caucus she has been a reliable ally and leader time and again on legislation to secure freedom and fairness for all Americans. Log Cabin Republicans are grateful that she has once again stepped forward as an inclusive leader by co-sponsoring the Respect for Marriage Act,” said R. Clarke Cooper, Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director. “Marriage is a fundamental right of all Americans. The so-called Defense of Marriage Act (“DOMA”) is an offense to the core conservative principles of liberty and federalism. It has been repudiated by its author, former Congressman Bob Barr (R-GA), and is rejected by a growing majority of Americans. It is time that our law respected all marriages. There is much work to be done to make that dream a reality, but with Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen’s leadership, marriage equality is on the horizon.”
Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen said, “I’m pleased to join the Log Cabin Republicans in our fight for marriage equality. I co-sponsored the repeal of DOMA because I firmly believe that equality is enshrined in our constitution and in our great democracy.”
why does it take so much to pull republicans out of the time capsule they live in
Posted by: broward resident | September 23, 2011 at 08:31 AM
Imagine the military when General Peter Smith marries Sergeant Joseph Brown, and Major LuAnn Todd marries Private Maria Perez.
Posted by: Brendan | September 23, 2011 at 08:38 AM
General Peter Smith will be gorgeous in his organdy Dior white dress!
Posted by: Brendan | September 23, 2011 at 08:42 AM
another deviant pervert that needs to be voted out of office. wake up to the fact that the majority of people in the usa are totally against same sex marriages.. it is un-natural and deviant.
Posted by: Vic | September 23, 2011 at 08:52 AM
You can tell, Ros-Lehtinen, she is Lesbian
Posted by: Luis | September 23, 2011 at 09:18 AM
Folks, have an intelligent conversation but please don't stereotype people.
Thanks.
Steve
Posted by: Steve Rothaus | September 23, 2011 at 09:26 AM
How will she explain to the TeaParty Neanderthals her support for gays AND evolution?
Posted by: Suave Bolla | September 23, 2011 at 09:29 AM
The entire bill is a waste of time. DOMA is unconstitutional. Money & energy should be spent elsewhere. The question is "did Rep. Ros-Lehtinen vote for DOMA in the first place?" That will show whether she has wisdom or not.
Posted by: Rick Kendle | September 23, 2011 at 09:31 AM
Yes, Ros-Lehtinen was among 342 "yes" votes for DOMA in 1996: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/1996/roll316.xml
Posted by: Steve Rothaus | September 23, 2011 at 09:35 AM
The only reason Ros-Lethinen has involved herself in this issue is because she has a transgender son named Rodrigo born as Amanda Michelle, otherwise, she wouldn't give the issue a minute of her time.
Posted by: Lou | September 23, 2011 at 10:47 AM
Personally, I respect homosexuals, in the sense that they deserve to live in peace, and I treat them with the respect I treat everyone. Nevertheless, I am against the concept of "gay marriage." Why? Because I believe that homosexuality is a perversion that goes against "nature" or more importantly to me, the will of God (as I interpret it from the Bible). True, those are my personal beliefs, and they should not be imposed on others, but at the same time, I do not want my kid to be taught in school that gay marriages are "normal" as that might confuse him and other youngsters. As a society, we decide what is "normal" and "correct" to us, and I believe most Americans view homosexuality as deviant, yet tolerable behavior, so long as it is between two consenting adults. Once that lifestyle is "approved" by the government in the form of official marriages, then kids will be taught that this lifestyle is perfectly normal and okay. As stated earlier, I believe it is sinful, disgusting, and detrimental to a person's spiritual, psychological, and even physical well being. Homosexuality is born from confusion, experimentation, and a surrendering of the self to base, perverse passions.
Please, if you disagree with me, don't resort to calling me infantile names. Deal with what I said. I believe God loves homosexuals, as he does everybody, but I believe God does not love homosexuality (at least that's what it says in the Old Testament).
Final point: I will NEVER vote for Ros-Lehtinen again!
Posted by: This is a Sinful Nation | September 23, 2011 at 11:18 AM
Lou, yes, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has a transgender son named Rodrigo.
But when I first wrote about Ros-Lehtinen and her stands on gay rights -- in 2003 -- she had no idea her daughter Amanda would later transition.
Posted by: Steve Rothaus | September 23, 2011 at 11:34 AM
Ros-Lehtinen is a vary lost person and produced a very dysfunctional family. How sad.
Posted by: Vic | September 23, 2011 at 11:40 AM
And while the American Jobs Bill is just sitting on her deak CAPTAIN CUBANA !!! is working on this WTH !!
Posted by: Nando | September 23, 2011 at 12:20 PM
Theives are ROBBING Medicare blind in her district and look what Subject she puts her Attention to; Priceless
Posted by: Papi_Chulo | September 23, 2011 at 01:23 PM
My congratulations to Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen for co-sponsoring the Respect for Marriage Act! Too bad there are still so many (mostly Republican) politicians who are so backward, intolerant, and anti-gay!
Posted by: Pedro | September 23, 2011 at 01:24 PM
Another Sign of the Times We are living more Abomination Against God's Laws ;)
Posted by: Salvation Tweet | September 23, 2011 at 01:41 PM
Let's now get her to support polygamy, the most persecuted and prosecuted group in America. Homosexuals and lesbians have openly opposed polygamy but want different rights for themselves.
Posted by: Alfonso | September 23, 2011 at 01:42 PM
Many of your comments hateful and ignorant. I question who is in a time warp. The 1950's were not so great for many.
Posted by: Ger | September 23, 2011 at 03:07 PM
Yaaawwwwhnn!! who cares God will be the final judge..((Chuckle)) I had a hot cousin I wanted to marry once lol damn those moral rules!!!Don't you miss the old lawless days when everyone was doing everyone everywhere, bestiality, Incest wherever the perverted little bastards saw fit? who needs logical intellectual reasons for procreation....I find it so funny that Homosexuals want to take part in a Hebrew/Christian ceremonial law yet reject everything about the Bible lol..
I look forward to the days when divorce is outlawed again..then you "GUYS" are stuck together...no pun intended.buhahaha
Posted by: John 3:16 | September 30, 2011 at 02:01 PM
We spend all this time trying to get legislature, hate crimes bills etc., to get passed simply to prove that All behavior is not learned, whether conscious or subconscious...why is it so difficult or politically incorrect to say that "I believe the definition of marriage is one man one woman" without being demonized? yet it somehow seems OK to call a Pedophile sick? or incestuous relationships twisted, or Polygamy adultery...where does it begin and end..what do we use as a measure of right and wrong or morality? I guess in the secular humanistic world everything is moral according to your own conscience right?
Posted by: John 3:16 | September 30, 2011 at 02:24 PM