Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of
gay GOP group GOProud, has said his group backs Mitt Romney because
gay people need jobs before they can marry.
GOProud was the first gay conservative
group to endorse Romney for president. The GOP candidate opposes
recognizing gay and lesbian couples with either civil unions or
marriage.
The group's Homocon party at the
Republican National Convention took place on the same day Republicans
ratified a platform which supports a federal constitutional amendment
defining marriage as a heterosexual union.
During a CNN appearance, Piers Morgan
asked, “How can you really support a ticket which is so resolutely
opposed not just to gay marriage but to most gay rights?”
“Right. I know, but look, here's the
deal,” LaSalvia explained. “The answer is you gotta have a date
before you get married. Everyone knows you can't get a date without
a job. … Gay Americans are living in the Obama economy and that's
the reality that all voters are facing when they go into the voting
booth.” (The video is embedded on this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)