Is The GOP Aware That Romney Once Pledged To Turn Boston into the Rainbow City?

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Last updated on April 16th, 2012 at 12:46 pm

Are Republicans aware that the man they will nominate to be their standard bearer once put out a pro-GLBTQ press release pledging to turn Boston into the Rainbow City?

In 2006 the Romney administration put out a press release touting, “In celebration of their lives and diversity, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer (GLBTQ) youth and their supporters will gather by the thousands to kick off Massachusetts’ 12th annual Youth Pride on Saturday, May 13th at noon on Boston Common.”

But wait, there’s more, “One of the goals of Youth Pride is to unite the very diverse youth from Massachusetts and beyond, and celebrate the wisdom, love and courage they have gained throughout their lives so far,” says Massachusetts Youth Pride Committee (MAYPC) member Timothy James Gallant. Scheduled events-hosted by drag king Heywood Wakefield (Aliza Shapiro) – include a rally at the Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common featuring speakers and the winner of the first ever Youth Pride “Words of Wizdom” contest, as well as three awards to those the youth feel have been an inspiration to the GLBTQ community.”

The best paragraph of all, “Youth Pride is the oldest and largest event for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender andqueer youth and their allies in the nation. A youth driven and youth organized event, this year’s Youth Pride theme- “Rainbow City”- was chosen by the Massachusetts Youth Pride Committee to celebrate the diverse identities and shared spirit of GLBTQ youth. The MAYPC invites everyone to come and support GLBTQ youth while discovering that there is no place like YouthPride!”

Are Republicans aware that Mitt Romney not only promoted and supported a celebration of youth homosexuality, but that he also invited drag kings to freely roam the streets of Boston?

Fast forward to 2012 and Mitt Romney is picking up the endorsement of anti-gay groups, like the National Organization for Marriage, “Now is the time for all people who recognize the importance of marriage to come together to support a true champion, Mitt Romney, against an incumbent who has done virtually everything in his power to undermine the institution of marriage.”

In 1994 while addressing the Log Cabin Club, Mitt Romney promised that he would work towards full equality for gays, “I am pleased to have had an opportunity to talk with you and to meet many of you personally during your September meeting. I learned a great deal from those discussions and many thoughtful questions you posed. As a result of our discussions and other interactions with gay and lesbian voters across the state, I am more convinced than ever before that as we seek to establish full equality for America’s gay and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership than my opponent.”

I am assuming by “full equality” he also meant marriage. That can’t play well with the folks over at the National Organization For Marriage. It will be interesting to watch Republicans freak out in the coming months as they realize what they will have to vote for in November.

The delicious irony is that the Republicans have managed to nominate the one guy who has a track record a mile long of opposing all of their far right views. That thud you will be hearing is the mass sound of millions of conservative palms slapping their foreheads.

My guess is that their fear of the Rainbow City will meet their hatred of Barack Obama and a torrent of confusion mixed with crushing depression will result. I can imagine conservative voters standing in the voting booth asking themselves as they contemplate voting for Romney, “He really can’t still believe that? Can he?”

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

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Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association

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