Gay GOP groups on Saturday cheered Mitt
Romney's selection of Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate.
R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of
Log Cabin Republicans, said that “nobody is more qualified to
articulate a conservative economic vision to restore the American
economy and stimulate job creation.”
And while Ryan scored zero on the Human
Rights Campaign's (HRC) latest Congressional Scorecard, a measure of
an elected official's support for gay rights, Cooper praised Ryan's
“consistent willingness to engage with Log Cabin on a range of
issues,” saying it “speaks to his record as a fair-minded
policymaker.”
GOProud Executive Director Jimmy
LaSalvia echoed a similar sentiment: “[T]here is no better pick for
Vice President than Paul Ryan.”
Both groups noted Ryan's 2007 vote in
favor of the Employee Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). But that
version of the workplace discrimination bill only included
protections based on sexual orientation. The current bill adds
gender identity.
(Related: Paul
Ryan boosts GOP ticket's opposition to gay rights.)