House Speaker John Boehner on Thursday
announced his support for gay GOP candidates.
When asked by a reporter whether he
backs efforts by the Republican Party to support gay House
candidates, Boehner replied, “I do.”
Two promising gay candidates are Carl
DeMaio, a former San Diego city councilman, and Richard Tisei, who in
2012 narrowly lost a House bid in Massachusetts, a Democratic
stronghold.
Boehner publicly campaigned
for Tisei last year.
POLITICO this week reported on efforts
by Virginia Rep. Randy Forbes to discourage GOP leaders from donating
to the campaigns of gay GOP candidates.
(Related: Rep.
Randy Forbes irked by GOP support for gay candidates.)
“It's ironic that Speaker Boehner
used the phase 'I do' in response to the reporter's question, while
continuing to oppose marriage equality,” New York Rep. Jerry
Nadler, a Democrat, told BuzzFeed.
“He also opposes ending workplace discrimination against LGBT
Americans. So, wheat does it really mean that he supports openly gay
candidates if he doesn't support their equal treatment under the law?
Looks like GOP politics as usual to me.”
A spokesman for House Minority Leader
Nancy Pelosi echoed that sentiment: “LGBT Americans are more
interested in passing ENDA and expanding freedom and equality in our
country than Speaker Boehner's insincere efforts to marry himself to
extreme gay Republican candidates.”