A coldly calculated move, one of many, that Romney used to create pathetic and phony "conservative" credentials after he had decided to abandon Massachusetts and pursue his presidential ambitions.
However, a broader look at Romney's actual overall record as Governor DOES NOT reveal a pro-family politician. Quite the contrary.
Homosexual "Rights"
Gov. Romney has a long history of promoting and furthering the homosexual agenda, and working closely with leading gay activists
- In February 2005, The American Spectator observed of Romney, "He is pro-choice and, aside from the marriage debate, generally in agreement with gay-rights advocates."
- American Spectator, 2/23/2005 - In March, 2005, Boston's leading homosexual newspaper, Bay Windows, told its readers that Romney's pro-gay record belies his new-found "conservatism":
"Governor Romney has been touring the country in the past few weeks, courting anti-gay right-wingers in South Carolina, Missouri, and Utah with speeches designed to show that he is firmly in their camp. Yet a look at Romney's record shows that his Rick Santorum drag act is a relatively new phenomenon."
- Bay Windows, 3/3/2005
Romney twice sought and received the endorsement of the homosexual Log Cabin Republican Club
- Both times Romney ran for public office - in 1994 running for US Senate against Ted Kennedy and in 2002 running for Governor of Massachusetts - he sought and received the formal endorsement of the Log Cabin Republican (LCR) Club PAC. This is the same group that in 2004 spent $1 million nationally in key swing states on TV ads that attacked President Bush for supporting a federal Marriage Protection Amendment.
- In his 1994 US Senate campaign, Romney actually competed with his Republican primary opponent, John Lakian, for the Log Cabin Club's endorsement! Here's how Bay Windows described it:
But what struck the gay GOP during that campaign, according to Massachusetts Log Cabin Republicans (LCR), was Romney's accessibility to and comfort within the local gay community. Romney and his Republican primary opponent, John Lakian, attended an LCR-sponsored candidate's forum during the campaign, where they both competitively vied for the organization's endorsement -- which Romney eventually won. During the course of his campaign, LCR member and former president Mark Goshko told Bay Windows, Romney held several meetings with group members and at least two LCR members joined his staff. Though gay Republicans were by no means running Romney's campaign, "it was really a multi-level involvement," Goshko stated. "Our people were very involved officially and outside of [the campaign]."
- Bay Windows, 3/28/2002 - "In seeking the support of the Log Cabin Republican Club, Romney wrote them a letter promising that 'as we seek to establish full equality for America's gay and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership than my opponent.' " [His opponent at the time was Sen. Ted Kennedy, perhaps the foremost advocate of homosexual rights in the U.S. Senate.]
- Boston Globe, 10/17/1994
Read Romney's letter to Log Cabin Club (Adobe Acrobat format)
- And in the 2002 gubernatorial race, Romney was again courting the homosexual community:
"It's 9:15 a.m. and Republican gubernatorial nominee Mitt Romney is in good spirits. He's just wrapped up a meeting with the Massachusetts Log Cabin Republicans at Mario's restaurant in Boston, where he won his first endorsement from a gay organization . . . According to Mark Goshko, a former LCR president, the group's 15-member board of governors, the body that votes to endorse candidates, made the unanimous decision after meeting with the Romney campaign and holding extensive discussions."
- Bay Windows, 10/24/2002
Romney's campaign distributed pro-gay rights campaign literature during Boston's "Gay Pride" events
- The annual "Gay Pride" events in Boston, as in other cities across the country, regularly feature obscene and degrading floats, handouts, and activities:
"During his 2002 gubernatorial run his campaign distributed bright pink flyers during Pride that declared 'Mitt and Kerry [running mate Kerry Healey] wish you a great Pride weekend! All citizens deserve equal rights, regardless of their sexual preference.' Romney also argued that he would not only support gay friendly policies but would fight on behalf of the gay community to secure benefits such as domestic partner benefits and hospital visitation rights for same-sex couples."
- Bay Windows 3/3/2005
Romney supports homosexual "anti-discrimination" laws
Such laws are usually carried out at the expense of freedom of religion and speech. For example, they would allow lawsuits against a Christian book store owner for refusing to hire a homosexual activist applicant.
- "The state LCR [Log Cabin Republican Club] worked with Romney's unsuccessful campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy in 1994. Romney won the LCR endorsement primarily based on his support for the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a pro-gay piece of legislation that at the time had little Republican support."
- Bay Windows, 10/24/2002 - "[Romney] did, however, pledge to support the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would ban job discrimination based on sexual orientation, and other civil rights protections for gays in the areas of housing and credit. He also promised to bring the initiatives begun in Massachusetts to protect gay and lesbian youth to the federal level."
- Bay Windows, 3/28/2002 - "[David] Rogers, who was president of the Log Cabin Club of Massachusetts when Romney was a gubernatorial candidate in 2002, said that while Romney made clear he was opposed to gay marriage, he said that he would fight any form of discrimination and left the impression he wouldn't crusade against gay rights.
- Boston Globe, 3/11/2004
Romney advocates homosexual couples' adoption rights be recognized by the government
- "There will be children born to same-sex couples, and adopted by same-sax couples, and I believe that there should be rights and privileges associated with those unions and with the children that are part of those unions." On another occasion, his spokesman "declined to state Romney's position on whether homosexual couples should be allowed to adopt, and declined to say whether the governor opposes gay adoptions."
- State House press conference, 6/15/2005
- Boston Globe, 3/2/2006
Romney supports homosexual domestic partnerships
- When he was campaigning for Governor, Romney positioned himself to the left of the Democrat Speaker of the House, Tom Finneran, on domestic partnerships, during an interview with Bay Windows:
"Basically I see the provision of basic civil rights and domestic partnership benefits [as] a campaign against Tom Finneran. I see Tom Finneran and the Democratic leadership as having opposed the application of domestic partnership benefits to gay and lesbian couples and I will support and endorse efforts to provide those domestic partnership benefits to gay and lesbian couples," says Romney.
- Bay Windows, 10/24/2002 - "On Gay Rights: All citizens deserve equal rights, regardless of their sexual orientation. While he does not support gay marriage, Mitt Romney believes domestic partnership status should be recognized in a way that includes the potential for health benefits and rights of survivorship."
- Romney's 2002 campaign website - Romney said at a State House press conference:
"If this [proposed constitutional marriage] amendment were to pass, at that stage I would support legislation which would provide certain domestic partnership benefits, like hospital visitation rights, and rights of survivorship, and so forth.
- State House press conference, 6/15/2005
Romney supported and promoted legalizing homosexual civil unions
- Within days of the Goodridge ruling, Romney announced that he supported homosexual civil unions:
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said yesterday he was ready to work with lawmakers to craft a "civil union"-style law to give some marriage rights to homosexual couples, even though he also supports a constitutional amendment to preserve traditional marriage . . . Mr. Romney yesterday told TV news stations that he would support a Vermont-style civil union law in Massachusetts, but reiterated his support for a constitutional amendment that would clarify that "marriage is an institution between a man and a woman."
- Washington Times, 11/20/2003 - In 2005, Romney tried to tell South Carolina Republicans that he had always opposed civil unions:
Massachusetts Governor Romney is coming under fire for comments he made about gay marriage to Republican activists in South Carolina. Romney told Monday night's gathering in Spartanburg County that he's always been opposed to same-sex marriage as well as what he called "it's equivalent, civil unions." Romney, however, has for months backed a proposed amendment to the Massachusetts constitution that would ban gay marriage but provide for civil unions with the same rights and responsibilities as marriage. Massachusetts State Representative Phil Travis says Romney can't be for civil unions when he's in Massachusetts and against them when he's out-of-state. Travis has been a leading opponent of same-sex unions.
- Associated Press, 2/23/2005 - Romney strong-armed conservative Republicans into supporting a constitutional amendment that included civil unions:
Through all the twists and shifts during the gay-marriage debate this year, there was one constant: 22 Republicans in the House of Representatives opposed every measure that would grant gay couples civil unions in the constitution. That all changed yesterday, however, when 15 of that 22-member bloc broke away at the urging of Governor Mitt Romney and voted in favor of a proposed amendment that would ban gay marriage but create Vermont-style civil unions. Those 15 members provided the margin of victory, observers from both camps said yesterday after the measure passed by just five votes. In the end, the 15 agreed that approving a measure that they viewed as highly undesirable was preferable to the possibility that nothing would be sent to the state ballot for voters to weigh in on.
- Boston Globe 3/30/2004
(Note: This amendment, which included mandated provisions for civil unions, was ultimately defeated in the Legislature and never did go to the voters.)
Romney Opposes the Boy Scouts' Ban on Homosexual Scoutmasters
- Despite the over 2,500 pedophilia cases now on record involving homosexual scout leaders, Romney stated, "I feel that all people should be allowed to participate in the Boy Scouts regardless of their sexual orientation." In the same article, a BSA official criticized Romney for opposing Scout policy.
- Boston Globe, 10/27/1994
Romney barred Boy Scouts from public participation in 2002 Olympics
- The 2002 Olympics - run by Mitt Romney - was the only Olympics that restricted the Boy Scouts from participating. According to news reports, this was apparently because of pressure from homosexual activists. (But also, according to reports, homosexual groups participated fairly prominently.) Romney would not respond to reporters' questions about that action.
The largest Boy Scout council in the country responded to the call for volunteers issued by the Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee, but the welcome mat was rolled up and the door slammed in its face. Olympic spokesmen for the 2002 winter games say the exclusion has nothing to do with recent protests by gay activists. While the organizing committee for the Olympic event is prominently displaying a call for local volunteers, they have explicitly let it be known that the Boy Scouts need not apply. "For us not to be involved is discouraging, considering the Atlanta games. The Scouting council there was extremely involved," said Kay Godfrey, professional Scout executive for the Great Salt Lake Council of Boy Scouts.
- NewsMax.com, Dec. 18, 2000
Homosexual activism in government
Romney appointed prominent homosexuals to key positions in his administration
- "Romney also continues [former Governor] Weld's tradition of appointing openly gay people to key positions in his administration. One of his first cabinet appointments was Daniel Grabauskas, who Romney chose to serve in his cabinet as Secretary of the Executive Office of Transportation and Construction. The new governor's transition team also included several openly gay people, including Grabauskas, former lieutenant governor candidate and current president of the National Log Cabin Republicans Patrick Guerriero and former Mass. Log Cabin president Mark Goshko. Other gay Romney appointees include John Wagner, commissioner of the state welfare department, Mitchell Adams, executive director of the Massachusetts Technology collaborative and Jonathan Spampinato, a member of Romney's Diversity and Equality Opportunity Council."
- Bay Windows, 3/3/2005
(Note: These appointees aren't just "gay" people, they're committed homosexual activists. Grabauskas, for example, had previously served as head of the Registrar of Motor Vehicles where he instituted a policy of placing a sex-change check-off box on drivers license renewal forms.)
Drivers license renewal form
Romney appointed prominent homosexual activists and Democrats as judges
- "Governor Mitt Romney, who touts his conservative credentials to out-of-state Republicans, has passed over GOP lawyers for three-quarters of the 36 judicial vacancies he has faced, instead tapping registered Democrats or independents -- including two gay lawyers who have supported expanded same-sex rights, a Globe review of the nominations has found. Of the 36 people Romney named to be judges or clerk magistrates, 23 are either registered Democrats or unenrolled voters who have made multiple contributions to Democratic politicians or who voted in Democratic primaries, state and local records show. In all, he has nominated nine registered Republicans, 13 unenrolled voters, and 14 registered Democrats."
- Boston Globe 7/25/2005
Romney Rewards one of the State's Leading Anti-Marriage Attorneys by Making him a Judge
- Romney told the U.S. Senate on June 22, 2004, that the "real threat to the States is not the constitutional amendment process, in which the states participate, but activist judges who disregard the law and redefine marriage . . ." Romney sounds tough but yet he had no qualms advancing the legal career of one of the leading anti-marriage attorneys. He nominated Stephen Abany to a District Court. Abany has been a key player in the Massachusetts Lesbian and Gay Bar Association which, in its own words, is "dedicated to ensuring that the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision on marriage equality is upheld, and that any anti-gay amendment or legislation is defeated."
Press release from governor's office 5/4/2005
- U.S. Senate testimony by Gov. Mitt Romney, 6/22/2004
- Stephen Abany testified at the State House in 1999 advocating a bill to repeal the sodomy laws in Massachusetts. This type of activism obviously did not bother Romney.
- Lawyers' Weekly 2/14/2000
Romney announces he won't fill judicial vacancies before term ends
- Despite his rhetoric about judicial activism, Romney announced that he won't fill all the remaining vacancies during his term - but instead leave them for his liberal Democrat successor!
Governor Mitt Romney pledged yesterday not to make a flurry of lame-duck judicial appointments in the final days of his administration . . . David Yas, editor of Lawyers Weekly, said Romney is "bucking tradition" by resisting the urge to fill all remaining judgeships. "It is a tradition for governors to use that power to appoint judges aggressively in the waning moments of their administration," Yas said. He added that Romney has been criticized for failing to make judicial appointments. "The legal community has consistently criticized him for not filling open seats quickly enough and being a little too painstaking in the process and being dismissive of the input of the Judicial Nominating Commission," Yas said.
- Boston Globe 11/2/2006
Romney's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth used huge taxpayer funding to promote homosexuality in the public schools
- During most of Romney's term in office, there existed an agency called the Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth. It was established before Romney came to power but it existed throughout his tenure. Even though he had legal control over this entity and the Commissioners served at his pleasure, he never dissolved the Commission, nor attempted to dictate who its members were, nor even restricted how it used its funding. Romney could have appointed pro-family people or representatives from ex-homosexual groups to serve on this Commission, but he never did.
- The Governor's Commission was perhaps the largest government-sanctioned promoter of the homosexual agenda to children in the United States. This entity spent millions of state tax dollars promoting the gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender (GLBT) radicalism in Massachusetts schools by inundating them with GLBT speakers, presentations, films, books, parades, dances, posters, handouts, and help establishing GLBT clubs on campus. These events provided a model for homosexual activists around the country.
(Note: See entire section below - "Romney's Commission organized public gay 'Youth Pride Day' parades and 'transgender proms' which promote unhealthy and risky behavior.") - Instead of dissolving the Commission, Romney continued to fund it:
More recently Romney proposed allocating $250,000 for the Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth for fiscal year 2006, twice what he proposed for FY05. The Legislature ultimately funded the commission at $250,000 for FY05, so Romney's proposal for next year amounts to level funding, and the proposal is still a far cry from $1.6 million the commission received in the mid-'90s before the state budget crisis. Yet as commission co-chair Kathleen Henry said, Romney could just as easily have dissolved the program. "We serve completely at the will of the governor," said Henry.
- Bay Windows 3/3/2005 - When Romney was criticized for Commission's funding, the homosexual activists came to his defense:
Kathleen Henry, chairwoman of the Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, defended Romney. Henry said the governor's fiscal 2006 budget plan included $250,000 for the commission, twice as much as he proposed spending in 2005. ''The fact that he doubled last year's [proposed budget allocation] this year is huge to us. It's really huge. It says to us clearly that he gets the service for what it really is," said Henry.
- Boston Globe 7/1/2005 - Twice after the Legislature approved funding for the Commission, Romney then appeased pro-family activists by vetoing it! However, since there are not enough Republicans to sustain vetoes, a veto is largely a charade, and the homosexual lobby was never seriously concerned when it happened. And Romney never put any effort into sustaining the vetoes. This enabled Romney to appear "pro-family," while the homosexuals still got their funding.
- When Romney vetoed money for his Governor's Commission, here's what he told the Boston Globe his reasons were (still pandering to the homosexual activists):
Romney said his vetoes were motivated by fiscal prudence, not opposition to the programs or presidential politics. Even with his vetoes, the state would spend more than $1 million on teen pregnancy prevention and $250,000 on the programs for gay and lesbian youth. . . [Romney said,] ''The work that they're doing to prevent suicide and prevent violence is important work, and we support the work which they're doing . . . [but] we didn't see a need to raise their budget by 40 percent."
- Boston Globe, 7/1/2005 - In May 2006, as he prepared his run for the presidency, MassResistance presented the Governor's office with shocking photographs of events and activities sponsored or organized by the Commission. A few days later, Romney announced his intention to dissolve the Commission. But within hours of that announcement, under pressure from the homosexual community, the Governor changed his mind. "We inundated him with outrage," one homosexual activist told the Boston Globe. So instead, the governor simply told the Commission members that it must focus on its "original mission" [which involves affirming homosexuality to children in the schools].
- Boston Globe, 5/12/2006 - In June 2006, fearful that a future Governor might dissolve the Governor's Commission for Gay and Lesbian Youth, homosexual activists in the Legislature slipped an item into the 2007 budget creating a much more powerful "Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth" which is independent of control by the Governor. Under extreme pressure from pro-family activists Romney vetoed that line item, but he made no effort to sustain the veto (the effort to sustain it was led by a Democrat!) and the veto was overridden. At that point, Romney simply dissolved the old Governor's Commission because, he said, it was now "duplicative."
Governor's executive order.
Romney's Commission organized public gay "Youth Pride Day" parades and "transgender proms" which promote unhealthy and risky behavior
- The Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth had no restrictions on the mixing of unscreened adult homosexuals and children. The Commission sponsored a "Youth Pride Parade" each year which features boys - some wearing women's clothes -- and adult homosexual activists.
Photos of this parade
Details of the homosexual youth group funded by Romney which organizes "Youth Pride" - Youth Pride Day ends with a "GLBT Prom" at Boston City Hall Plaza where children as young as middle school age are allowed to mingle with cruising homosexual adults. Perhaps Romney should have proclaimed this day "Pedophile Heaven Day." The prom is promoted by the Governor's Commission and sponsored by the Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth (BAGLY), a group that has promoted adult-child sex and has received funding from the Governor's Commission. (The executive director of BAGLY is a male-to-female transsexual.)
Photos of the prom and a flyer handed out by pedophiles seeking boys at that event.
Info on the BAGLY, pedophilia and its connection to the Commission
More info on BAGLY and its connection to the Commission
- This shocking and sad spectacle of promoting the homosexual lifestyle to youth continued right through 2006. On March 27, 2006, Romney's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth issued a statement on Romney's Governor's Commission letterhead stating, "There's no place like Youth Pride….In celebration of their lives and diversity, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer (GLBTQ) youth and their supporters [mostly adult homosexuals] will gather by the thousands to kick off Massachusetts' 12th annual Youth Pride on Saturday, May 13th at noon on Boston Common."
Press release from Governor's office on this event
Romney issues a proclamation celebrating gay "Youth Pride Day"
- In 2004, Romney issued an official state proclamation celebrating "Gay Youth Pride Day" even though there was no legal reason requiring him to do this. The proclamation proudly touted "landmark" gay rights legislation in Massachusetts and boasted of supporting "the Commonwealth's gay and lesbian youth through school-based and educational programs."
Proclamation from the Governor's office - Note by always using the phrase "gay and lesbian youth," Romney has accepted the dangerous myth that homosexuals are born that way despite zero evidence. He has also accepted the homosexual movement's propaganda that young teens can understand and "declare" themselves to be gay. The Proclamation also urges, "all citizens to take cognizance of this event and participate fittingly in its observance." So not only does Romney honor this shocking event promoting a dangerous and immoral lifestyle to children, but he wants the rest of the state to honor it as well!
Romney's Department of Education promotes the homosexual agenda
- Under Romney's leadership, the Massachusetts Department of Education (DOE) continued to be rabidly pro-homosexual. The Department's website is full of "How To" information for homosexual activists within the public schools. One document titled "10 Easy Steps to Starting a GSA [Gay/Straight Alliance]", advises organizers to "find a meeting spot that gives members a sense of security and privacy." Other documents discuss "coming out to friends and family." Many of the programs come under the name of "Safe Schools" or "Anti-Bullying" programs but the goal of these activities is to reassure children that "It's OK to be Gay." This is a horrible fraud perpetrated on children and nowhere on this website do they mention groups that counsel sexually confused youth, state that the behavior is reversible or even mention the names of ex-homosexual organizations. To see the DOE's pro-homosexual propaganda, go to the DOE website or go to these links on that website:
The Safe Schools Program for Gay & Lesbian Students
"Outright" pamphlet distributed to kids
How to start a Gay/Straight Alliance at school
Gay/Straight Alliance Student Guide
Gay/Straight Alliance resources page
- In conjunction with The Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, the DOE has worked hand and hand with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and Parents, Friends, and Families of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) to sponsor radical pro-homosexual assemblies and workshops at public schools. Before Romney was elected, one such session was taped by pro-family activists at which presenters described to children how to engage in a highly dangerous homosexual activity called "fisting" which violated both health and obscenity codes. This received nationwide publicity. Despite this incident, the incoming Romney administration did nothing to institute new regulations to prevent such atrocities from happening again. Indeed, during Romney's tenure, the Commission and the DOE continued to work closely with GLSEN and PGLAG, organizations that distribute literature and books with highly inappropriate sexual themes including adult-children sex.
Full report on the "fisting" incident
Info on how GLSEN works with the Governor's Commission
How PFLAG promotes pedophilia - The DOE's "Youth Risk Behavior Survey", given to school children across the state in several grades, asks them if they are heterosexual, gay or lesbian, bisexual, or "not sure" and how frequently they engage in hetero and homosexual sex.
Info on 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey
- Romney's DOE has failed to properly enforce the state's Parental Notification Act, the parents' right to opt their children out of sex ed curricula, when school systems have claimed that the law's "human sexuality issues" phrase does not apply to homosexuality or transgender subject matter. This has caused enormous stresses for parents trying to uphold their own values, and has led to incidents such as in Lexington, where parent David Parker was arrested and spent a night in jail over the school's refusal to obey the notification law regarding his 6-year-old son in kindergarten. As there was no redress within the DOE, Parker ultimately initiated an expensive federal Civil Rights lawsuit which is still in process.
Information on the David Parker incident
Romney's Department of Public Health (DPH) cooperates with the homosexual activist movement
- Romney's Department of Public Health contributed to the The Little Black Book: Queer in the 21st Century, a shocking publication apparently in violation of obscenity codes. Distributed to middle-school and high-school students at a GLSEN conference at Brookline High School, it discussed highly dangerous homosexual practices such as fisting and what homosexuals call "water sports." To be more specific, here's one quote: "There is little risk of STD infection and no risk of HIV infection from playing with pee." Massachusetts physician John Diggs commented that this book is "alarming, disheartening, and medically unethical." It is clear that one of the major themes of Romney's DPH (including the outreach programs it supports for homosexual adults) is how to have homosexual sex "safely," a philosophy that in reality endangers the health of its own citizens.
Full report on Little Black Book
- After The Little Black Book attracted statewide and nationwide attention, Romney belatedly issued a statement that the book is "grossly inappropriate," but no DPH employees suffered any consequences, nor did this incident result in any restrictions on how the DPH spends its money. As usual, Romney's statement was just rhetoric.
- Romney's Director of the HIV/AIDS Bureau in the DPH, Kevin Cranston, is a long-time gay activist with no known medical training and was a co-founder of BAGLY (see above). Cranston fought compliance with the CDC's recommendation to track HIV-infected patients by name rather than anonymous ID numbers (as demanded by gay activists).
- Bay Windows, 2/9/2006 - The above stories should be considered in light of the Boston Globe's report that Romney keeps a tight rein on his DPH.
- Boston Globe, 9/10/2006
Romney opposed federal legislation that would stop public schools from promoting homosexuality
- When Romney was running against Sen. Ted Kennedy, Bay Windows asked him how he would have voted on an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that would ban federal funds from public schools which are “encouraging or supporting homosexuality as a positive lifestyle alternative.” He answered:
"I would have opposed that amendment. I don’t think the federal government has any business dictating to local school boards what their curriculum or practices should be. I think that’s a dangerous precedent in general. I would have opposed that. It also grossly misunderstands the gay community by insinuating that there’s an attempt to proselytize a gay lifestyle on the part of the gay community. I think it’s wrong-headed and unfortunate and hurts the party by being identified with the Republican party."
- Bay Windows, 8/25/1994
Romney's Dept. of Social Services honors homosexual "married" couple as adoptive "Parents of the Year"
- The Massachusetts Department of Social Services (DSS), run by the Romney administration, honored a homosexual "married" couple (two men) as their adoptive "Parents of the Year" for 2006. The DSS has gained a reputation for being aggressively pro-homosexual over recent years. This incident sparked outrage across the country, but to our knowledge no policies or personnel at DSS were changed as a result.
- Waltham Daily News Tribune, 8/4/2006
Homosexual "Marriage"
Romney refused to endorse the original 2002 Mass. constitutional amendment absolutely defining marriage as one man and one women
- In 2002, before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court declared same-sex marriage protected by the Constitution, Romney denounced as "too extreme" the effort by pro-family groups to enact a preemptive state Marriage Protection Amendment prohibiting homosexual marriage, civil unions and same-sex public employee benefits.
- Boston Phoenix, May 14-20, 2004
- "Mitt Romney's wife, son, and daughter-in-law signed a petition in support of a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban both gay marriage and domestic-partner benefits in Massachusetts - an amendment that Romney himself condemned as too extreme after being told of his family's support for it. … Eric Fehrnstrom, a Romney campaign spokesman, said Romney opposes gay marriage but also opposes the amendment, since he sees no reason to change the current laws, which allow for domestic-partner benefits to public employees.… 'Mitt did not know they signed it, and Mitt does not support it,' he said. 'As far as Mitt is concerned, it goes farther than current law, and therefore it's unnecessary.' "
- Boston Globe 3/22/2002 - "Romney was unaware his family members had signed the amendment petition, said Fehrnstrom, and he does not support the "Protection of Marriage" amendment. "He is opposed to gay marriage, but in the case of the 'defense of marriage' amendment Mitt believes it goes too far in that it would outlaw domestic partnership for non-traditional couples. That is something he is not prepared to accept."
- Bay Windows 3/28/02
Romney unnecessarily (and unconstitutionally) implemented homosexual marriages in Massachusetts
- After the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling that same-sex "marriages" were protected by the Massachusetts Constitution, Romney (1) issued altered marriage licenses and (2) ordered town clerks to issue the licenses and Justices of the Peace to perform same-sex marriages when requested, or be fired. However, he did not have to do this, and there is strong evidence that this was illegal. The Court ruling simply advised the Legislature to pass legislation codifying its opinion on changing the marriage statutes. Romney was NOT bound to enforce same-sex marriages prior to legislative action. Yet Romney jumped the gun and needlessly advanced the homosexual agenda by granting the marriage rights without a fight. Furthermore, Romney still has the authority to reverse his actions via Executive Order before his term is out.
Research & report on Romney and same-sex marriage in Mass.
For a legal review of Romney's implementation of same-sex marriage
- Many pro-family leaders inside and outside Massachusetts, including columnist Patrick J. Buchanan, Professor Hadley Arkes of Amherst College, and Mathew Staver, Esq. of Liberty Counsel all urged Romney to defy the Court ruling and halt the marriages via Executive Order. But there was no public response from Romney.
- Patrick J. Buchanan, 2/9/2004
- Agape Press, 3/30/2004
- Prof. Hadley Arkes, in National Review Online, 5/17/2004
- Matt Staver, Esq., Liberty Counsel, July 2004 - Despite his rhetoric against judicial activism, Romney refused to support the "Bill of Address" resolution to remove the judges. (Similar to impeachment, this is a procedure whereby a judge is removed for abusing his office. Interestingly, it was sponsored by conservative Democrats!) Romney would not support this effort even though it was obvious by the wording of the ruling that the judges had displayed their personal biases - and ignored facts - to rule in favor of homosexual marriages. But more troubling was that Chief Justice Margaret Marshall had clearly violated the Code of Judicial Conduct by appearing as keynote speaker advocating expansion of homosexual rights at a Mass. Lesbian and Gay Bar Association fundraiser in 1999. (Judges are forbidden to speak at any fundraiser, and must recuse themselves from a case if they have publicly advocated a position relating to it.) Yet Romney ignored all this, and he told a press conference in June 2005, "I'm not looking to recall the judges."
- State House press conference, 6/15/2005 (Romney quote)
- WorldNetDaily, 4/24/2004 (Bill of Address)
- WorldNetDaily, 5/8/2004 (Chief Justice Marshall's ethical issues) - In February 2004, Romney wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal attacking judicial activism and urging legislators around the country to strengthen their marriage statutes. But he later made no effort to support bills which were in the State Legislature to remove the four Mass. Supreme Court judges (the "Bill of Address") and to strengthen the definition of marriage.
- Wall Street Journal, 2/5/2004
- MassNews, 12/2/2004 (bills filed by Article 8 Alliance)
Romney had marriage licenses changed to allow same-sex marriages
- Some time in early 2004 (no record can be found of the order), Romney directed his Department of Public Health to change the state marriage license to read "Party A" and Party "B", replacing "Husband" and "Wife". None of this was required by any law passed by the legislature or even ordered by the court.
See an actual copy of a Massachusetts marriage license - But later in 2005, Romney made it clear that he understood that only the Legislature could change certificates of this nature, when he refused to alter birth certificates for children of same-sex couples to say "Parent A" and "Parent B", instead of "Mother" and "Father".
- Boston Globe, 7/22/2005
Romney administration ordered Justices of Peace to perform homosexual "marriages" when asked - or be fired!
- Gov. Romney's Legal Counsel issued a directive to the Justices of the Peace that they must perform same-sex marriages or "face personal liability" or be fired. The directive was given to perform the homosexual marriages without citing any statute permitting this, though a statute is cited as a basis for not marrying out-of-state homosexual couples. (No date is given on the directive; it was apparently issued approximately 4-27-06.) Said Romney's Chief Legal Counsel, David Winslow: "Your task is straightforward and can be summed up in three words: follow the law."
Directive by Romney's legal counsel (See Section E)
- New York Times, 4/26/2004 - At least one Justice of the Peace, Linda Gray Kelley, was forced to resign for religious reasons because of the Romney Administration's strict requirement that Justices of the Peace perform same-sex marriages when asked or be fired.
Justice of the Peace resignation letter, Justice of the Peace Assoiation Newsletter, Summer 2004 - It was reported that Romney first led Justices of the Peace to believe that there would be "conscientious objector" status available for those who had moral or religious objections to same-sex marriage, but he apparently later reneged on this.
"On April 26, Gov. Mitt Romney's chief legal counsel, Daniel Winslow, told the state's 1,200 justices of the peace that they had to marry same-sex couples, or be fired…. After being assured in February that the justices would be able file for conscientious-objector status, [a JP] was shocked to hear Winslow say they couldn't-and to hear an official from the state board of discrimination warn that trying to get out of officiating same-sex ceremonies could get them sued for $25,000 to $1 million." David Fried of the Mass. Commission Against Discrimination (a Romney appointed agency) said "that justices could be personally liable under the state's antidiscrimination law if they turned away same-sex couples who requested their services."
- Citizen (Focus on the Family online), 7/2004 and
- New York Times, 4/26/2004
Romney administration's training of Town Clerks (on how to issue same-sex marriage licenses) states that marriage statutes were not changed
- There is no Executive Order or record of Town Clerk training sessions on any official government web page source. Interestingly, only the homosexual legal advocacy organization GLAD (Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders) has any record of the content of these sessions. The training document admits that the marriage statutes have not been changed. Yet the Town Clerks are told they must "implement" the Court decision and uphold the law. [See training document (slides)]
- Associated Press, 4/12/2004 - Apparently, Romney was paying attention to mistaken reports in the press, instead of the Constitution. From a typical mainstream article during this period of confusion, an AP report stated: "The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in November the state must begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples by mid-May, which means changes for clerks and justices of the peace."
- Associated Press, 4/24/2004 - When it came to same-sex couples from outside the state wanting to marry in Massachusetts, Romney made it clear that a statute still on the books (from 1913) would prevent this from being legal. Romney said that he does not want Massachusetts to become ''the Las Vegas of same-sex marriage.'' But he did not choose to follow the other sections of the marriage statute (never changed by the Legislature after the Goodridge ruling), which made it crystal clear that marriage in Massachusetts is between a "husband" and "wife", or a "man" and a "woman".
- New York Times, 5/19/2004
Romney signs bill eliminating Sexual Transmitted Disease (STD) testing requirement for marriage
- In October 2005, Gov. Romney signed a law eliminating the section of the marriage statute requiring an STD health certificate before receiving a marriage license. (This is apparently the only part of the marriage statutes altered since the Goodridge marriage ruling.) Was this because many homosexual males would not have been able to obtain marriage licenses with the syphilis clean-bill-of-health requirement intact? Why did he eliminate this bulwark of public health?
Letter from the DPH Registry of Vital Records & Statistics
When requested of him, Romney personally issues special one-day certificates to allow otherwise unqualified people to perform homosexual "marriages"
- Romney has issued many special one-day marriage certificates (allowing anyone of the couple's choice to perform the marriage ceremony) to homosexual couples. But, because of the special nature of these certificates, it would be his prerogative as Chief Executive to refuse to issue them for any reason. Yet he gave out 189 one-day certificates in 2005 to homosexual couples, including one to a leading openly homosexual activist state senator. His legal counsel said that in granting these special marriage certificates to homosexual couples, Romney is evenly applying the "statute" [what statute?].
"His harsh criticism of what he calls ''judicial over-reaching" always wins applause from Republican audiences. But the governor has at times taken pains to promote tolerance of gays and lesbians. When an administration official was dismissed and asserted that the action was related to her intention to marry her lesbian partner, Romney strongly denied it and noted that several high-ranking officials in his administration were gay…. The applications Romney approved from same-sex couples included at least four from state legislators, including Jarrett T. Barrios, a state senator from Cambridge, members of the clergy from out-of-state, family members, and friends …"
- Boston Globe, 1/2/2006
Was Romney's public opposition to homosexual "marriage" based on expediency, not principle?
- "Romney's meeting with Log Cabin Club members in October of that year [2002], less than a month before the gubernatorial election, led members to believe he was not morally opposed to gay marriage. "He said, `Right now, it's not popular, and it would cost money,' " he said. "He didn't say, when we met with him, `I'm sorry, folks; I'm against gay marriage because it's morally wrong.' He didn't say that." [said David Rogers, vice-president of Log Cabin Club.]"
- Boston Globe 3/11/2004 - At an October 2002 endorsement meeting with the Log Cabin Republicans of Massachusetts, a 300-member organization of GOP gays, Romney led attendees to believe that his anti-gay-marriage stance stemmed from political considerations. According to David Rogers, who served as the group's president at the time, "Candidate Romney said he wasn't for gay marriage because it wasn't popular yet. But he didn't seem to care one way or the other."
- Boston Phoenix, 5/14-2/2004In summary, Romney has never said that homosexual marriage (especially the sodomy characteristic of the male unions) presents a problem for values, morality, public health, or parental rights in the schools. In almost every speech he gives on the topic, he simply focuses on "every child needing a father and a mother."