08/21/2012

Washington– The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization – is condemning remarks from Kansas Secretary of State and Mitt Romney surrogate Kris Kobach, in which he compared LGBT people to drug users and polygamists. ThinkProgress reported that Kobach made the remarks while debating the GOP platform’s marriage equality language today in Tampa.  Family Research Council President Tony Perkins authored the platform’s marriage section, which comes out strongly against marriage equality and LGBT families. Kobach and Perkins serve as the latest glaring examples that the GOP platform and the Romney-Ryan ticket are not representative of mainstream or even conservative values, but instead influenced by the agenda of a few anti-LGBT extremists.

While arguing against an amendment that would have ended the party’s support for the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act, Kobach said: “Our government routinely judges situations where you might regard people completely affecting themselves…like for example the use of controlled substances, like for example polygamy, that is voluntarily entered into. We condemn those activities even though they are not hurting other people, at least directly.”

“Kris Kobach’s remarks are offensive and just the latest sign that the GOP platform is being influenced by people who certainly do not speak for the majority of Republicans,” said HRC Vice President of Communications Fred Sainz. “It’s time for leaders within the GOP to take some responsibility and realize that their outdated platform – and the incendiary and vitriolic language used by some of their colleagues like Kris Kobach – sends a dangerous message and has a very real impact on the LGBT community, particularly youth.”

Kobach, who is perhaps best known for using fear tactics to spread his anti-immigration agenda, employs similar tactics when it comes to matters of LGBT equality. In 2004 he claimed that HRC and other LGBT organizations supported “homosexual pedophilia.” Despite these remarks, Mitt Romney was quick to embrace Kobach’s endorsement earlier this year – saying he was “so proud to earn Kris’s support” and was pleased to “stand with this true conservative.”

Kobach’s remarks come a day after the GOP’s draft platform revealed that the Republican Party was continuing to ignore the mainstream values embraced by a majority of Americans and an increasing number of conservatives by doubling-down on its refusal to embrace marriage equality. Despite calling for Americans to be treated with dignity and respect, the GOP platform appears only to represent voices like those of Kris Kobach and the Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins – people who say LGBT Americans are akin to drug users and pedophiles.

To learn more about the Romney-Ryan ticket, visit www.hrc.org/romney.

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.