After marriage equality became law of the land in the United States last year, it seemed that LGBTers were able to celebrate for a very brief time before new laws were cast across the land. We held onto the joy and the legal fact that we could marry as others could. Maybe that would lessen the pain that we were being treated differently and attacked from another side by laws like North Carolina's HB2. Many of us saw this as a retaliation for us being treated as equals in the eyes of SCOTUS. The question was, how long will this retaliation last and what other ways would haters try to lash out at us for "ruining the sanctity of marriage?"
In watching the developments in the Arizona congressional race, we must ask ourselves, are we beginning to see a turn in the hatred? That is what Matt Heinz is hoping.
WASHINGTON ― Matt Heinz has a tough climb ahead. He’s a Democrat in a red state, Arizona, and he’s trying to unseat Rep. Martha McSally (R), who’s currently got a double-digit lead over him.
But he’s out with a new campaign ad highlighting something McSally did that could turn people off in both parties: She voted for a bill that would allow federal contractors to fire people because they are gay.
The ad, called “Something Less,” shows a mix of people smiling at the camera, but then their smiles fade as they hold up signs suggesting they lost their jobs because of their sexual orientation.
Heinz is referring to McSally’s vote in May on the National Defense Authorization Act, which this year included a provision to dismantle President Barack Obama’s 2014 executive action that made it illegal for government contractors to fire employees based on their sexual orientation. In its place, Republicans voted to apply a broad exemption that opens the door to contractors discriminating against LGBT people based on a contractor’s religious beliefs. (The bill didn’t go anywhere in the Senate.) – huffingtonpost.com
Yes, we've seen sports teams and performers boycott states for their anti-LGBT stances, we've had the backing of the SCOTUS to give us marriage equality, but will this ad sway Arizona into backing Heinz in his run for office? LGBT rights is just one part of a candidate's platform, but maybe Heinz, putting McSally's vote out there will sway more people to his side. Time will tell.
h/t: huffingtonpost.com