Statement on the Implications of the Romney/Ryan Ticket and How Will It Affect Floridans
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
13 August 2012 Contact: Sally L Phillips, President
Cell - 813-382-8172
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Statement on the Implications of the Romney/Ryan Ticket
TAMPA - The Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus issued the following statement concerning Mitt Romney's choice of Paul Ryan as his running mate. The group is the largest organization in Florida that represents GLBT Democrats and their allies, and it is affiliated with the National Stonewall Democrats.
"Saturday's announcement by Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney of his choice of Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential running mate is yet another example of the GOP's total disregard for GLBT voters," says Caucus President Sally Phillips.
"By selecting Paul Ryan, Romney tells us he fully intends to take away rights, services, and basic security from people who are not like him -- rich and straight," Phillips says. She points to the track records of both Romney and Ryan as evidence that a Romney/Ryan ticket will harm a wide variety of people including - and especially - the GLBT community.
Ryan voted for a Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage, which would effectively dissolve the existing legal marriages of gay and lesbian couples.
Romney has donated $10,000 to the National Organization for Marriage - one of the most virulently anti-gay, anti-equality groups on the national stage.
Ryan voted to ban same-sex adoption in D.C.
Ryan supports privatizing Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, which would force Seniors, many within the GLBT community, to pay more for their health care coverage and reduce their income security. This would also adversely affect those affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Ryan supports raising taxes on the middle-class to pay for tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires.
Ryan supports cutting Pell Grants and education funding; unemployment, food stamps and disability funding; veterans services; infrastructure and transportation spending; science, medical and technology funding; and clean energy and innovation funding - all to "reduce the deficit" by paying for tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires.
Ryan voted to end funding to Planned Parenthood and co-sponsored the so-called "Personhood Amendment" that would have outlawed many forms of birth control. He also wants to ban all legal abortions and make no exceptions for rape or incest.
Ryan voted against the Mathew Shepherd Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and Romney laughed off his own leading role in bullying a fellow classmate for allegedly being gay.
Romney has said he thinks it's a 'burden' that businesses can't fire GLBT people for that reason alone.
Romney led Massachusetts in a downward spiral of to being 47th out of the 50 states in job creation while he was Governor.
"Both Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have track records of putting their own interests and preserving their preferred way of life over what is good for the vast majority of the American people -- especially the GLBT community and those living with HIV/AIDS," Phillips continues. "The top-down policies in place during the Bush years were fully supported by Congressman Paul Ryan. These are the exact policies that crashed our economy just before President Obama took office, and we cannot afford to go backwards to that level of crisis again."
Phillips concludes, "The choice of Paul Ryan as Romney's running mate has made the choice even more clear - not just for the GLBT community, but for ALL Americans. We need leaders that will look out for the middle class, seniors, and people whose rights are not secure. President Obama and Vice President Biden will work hard for everyone, and we must re-elect them. Our nation must move forward!"
Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus
P.O. Box 20392
Tampa, Florida 33622-0392
