Kudos to Josh Israel at The American Independent to highlight this to help us kick of the first day LGBTQ+ Pride Month by highlighting how much of a homophobic piece of shit U.S. Senate candidate, Rep. Ted Budd (R. NC-13), truly is:
The American Family Association, a Southern Poverty Law Center-designated anti-LGBTQ hate group, sent a questionnaire to Budd and other candidates for its "iVoterGuide." One of the questions asked was whether "Sexual orientation and gender identity should be protected classes in non-discrimination laws." Budd answered that they should not and that individuals and businesses should not "be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs."
In February 2021, Budd voted against the Equality Act, a bill to explicitly ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. On the day of the vote, Budd shared a critical opinion piece published in the Washington Examiner by Emilie Kao of the right-wing Heritage Foundation on social media, agreeing with her that "The so-called Equality Act is 'the triumph of cancel culture over facts, reason, and empirical knowledge."
In March 2020, Budd introduced H.R. 6099, the Equal Treatment of Faith-Based Organizations Act, a bill that would have enshrined in federal law a series of special civil rights protections for social services organizations that discriminate against LGBTQ families.
"Sadly, despite the positive impact these organizations make every day, there is an ongoing crusade to shut them down or strip them of federal funding if they continue to follow their sincerely-held religious beliefs," he said in a statement announcing the bill. "That is why I'm proud to introduce legislation that ensures that faith-based providers of social services are not unfairly discriminated against for their religious beliefs.”
In 2019 he joined an amicus brief submitted on behalf of a number of Republicans in Congress to the Supreme Court in the case of Bostock v. Clayton County that argued federal laws barring discrimination on the basis of sex should not be deemed to include sexual orientation or gender identity. Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the majority of six justices, disagreed, ruling that firing someone just for being gay or transgender is indeed sex discrimination.
Click here to read the full piece. It covers everything from Budd’s constant attacks against transgender children and soldiers to his backing from hate groups. The piece also highlights this about Budd’s opponent, former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, Cheri Beasley (D. NC):
Today, Human Rights Campaign (HRC) PAC announced their endorsement of Cheri Beasley for U.S. Senate. The HRC PAC strives to end discrimination of LGBTQ+ people and works to elect pro-equality leaders who support policies that will support the rights and lives of LGBTQ+ people.
“The Tar Heel State needs a Senator that will be a fierce ally to the LGBTQ+ community, and Cheri Beasley is the one. The Human Rights Campaign is proud to support Beasley’s campaign for Senate, and is looking forward to working side-by-side with her to pass key legislation that will advance the lives of North Carolinians and beyond. Cheri Beasley is a trailblazer, and during her time as Chief Justice she worked diligently to ensure accountability across the state. We cannot wait to work with her and her campaign to pass meaningful federal legislation, like the Equality Act, that will protect people across North Carolina and our country,” said Human Rights Campaign Interim President Joni Madison.
“North Carolina should be a safe and welcoming home to all. Throughout my career of public service, I’ve fought hard to ensure the law is applied equally for all North Carolinians – and I will continue to fight for fairness and equality in the Senate. I am proud to be endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign PAC,” said Cheri Beasley.
Health and Democracy are on the ballot and we need to get ready to flip North Carolina Blue. Click below to donate and get involved with Beasley and her fellow North Carolina Democrats campaigns:
Cheri Beasley
North Carolina Democratic Party
Don Davis for Congress
Wiley Nickel for Congress
Jeff Jackson for Congress
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