The number of U.S. senators scoring
zero percent support for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
community doubled since the last Congress, an upcoming scorecard from
the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) found.
HRC's
Congressional Scorecard for the 111th
Congress ranks 32 senators with zero percent support for gay
rights, up from 16 in the last survey. House members ranked at zero
percent support increased from 143 to 144.
“While advancements for equality were
made this Congress, a strong and devoted group of anti-LGBT
legislators continue to stymie the progress LGBT people deserve,”
Joe Solmonese, president of HRC, said. “The fact that the first
ever vote to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' in the House of
Representatives was countered by a filibuster in the Senate
illustrates the landscape.”
However, the number of lawmakers
offering strong support has increased over the last Congress.
Lawmakers scoring 90 percent or above
increased from 128 to 145 in the House and from 32 to 36 in the
Senate. An increase of 21 lawmakers.
The scorecard ranks legislators based
on their votes or support for legislation that directly affects the
gay community, including the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate
Crimes Prevention Act, repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), repeal of the Defense of
Marriage Act (DOMA), and the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA).
The survey is expected to be released
sometime after the midterm elections, giving senators an opportunity
to consider a second attempt at repeal of the military policy that
bans open gay service.