Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Lauded For Representing The Human Rights Of Her LGBT Constituents

Miami-Dade Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's abysmal career-long ProgressivePunch score of 9.56 makes her the 37th "most progressive" Republican in the House. For comparison's sake Ron Paul's score is 28.54, Walter Jones' is 13.71 and fellow Floridians Richard Nugent (1.09) and Sandy Adams (1.61)-- both members of Bachmann's teabag caucus-- have far worse records. The most reactionary Democrat, retiring Blue Dog Dan Boren, boasts a 27.86 (though in the current session he's sunk to an 18.48. When it comes to gay rights issues that have come before Congress, Boren is universally considered a virulent homophobe and can pretty much always be counted on to vote against gay equality. He voted against including gays in hate crime legislation and voted against abolishing Don't Ask Dont Tell. His overall score on gay issues is 25.0. Graded on the identical votes Ros-Lehtinen has a much worse, far more homophobic voting record than Boren. Hers is a ZERO.

Ros-Lehtinen has a huge gay constituency in South Beach and Key West. She likes to come across as supportive of gay rights so she can campaign once every two years in a gay bar where drunk party boys are easily persuaded that anyone less hateful than Michele Bachmann or Steve King is pro-gay. Next time she goes trawling for votes at Twist, Cameo or Aqua, she'll have the ultimate feather in her cap. Forget that she consistently votes against gay equality when it counts most, she's now the first-- and only-- Republican co-sponsor of Jerry Nadler's marriage equality bill.

The night after a Republican audience booed a gay active duty Iraq War soldier at a presidential debate-- while the GOP candidates stood by silently-- Ros-Letinen lent her name to the Respect for Marriage Act that seeks to repeal DOMA. Ros-Lehtinen was milking it for all it was worth-- which, in her district, is a lot: “I voted against the constitutional amendment defining marriage so I’m pleased to co-sponsor the repeal of DOMA and work with my colleagues on marriage equality." 
 
The actual sponsors of the legislation are Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Barney Frank (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jared Polis (D-CO), David Cicilline (D-RI), and John Conyers (D-MI). It's been endorsed by the House Democratic Leadership and a companion bill was offered in the Senate by Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). President Obama endorsed the legislation in July. According to a press release from Nadler's office,

The legislation would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a 1996 law that discriminates against lawfully married gay and lesbian couples. The 15-year-old DOMA singles out legally married gay and lesbian couples for discriminatory treatment under federal law, selectively denying them critical federal responsibilities and rights, including programs like Social Security that are intended to ensure the stability and security of American families. 
 
The Respect for Marriage Act represents the consensus approach endorsed by the nation’s leading LGBT and civil rights stakeholders and legislators, and would ensure that valid marriages are respected under federal law, providing couples with much-needed certainty that they will have the same access to federal responsibilities and rights as all other married couples. 
 
Supporters of DOMA argued in 1996 that the law is necessary to promote family structures that are best for children, but every credible medical, social science and child welfare organization has concluded that gay and lesbian couples are equal parents. Married gay and lesbian couples pay taxes, serve their communities and raise children like other couples. Their contributions and needs are no different from anyone else’s. The Respect for Marriage Act would ensure that couples who assume the serious legal duties of marriage are treated fairly under federal law.

The Republican House Leadership is opposed to the bill and it's unlikely other Republicans will jump aboard, other than Mary Bono Mack, who also has a huge gay constituency (Palm Springs). Now that Dave Reichert's Washington district has been shorn of it's liberal northern half and has picked up deep red areas to the west, he is expected to change his pattern on passive support for equal rights to opposition. Jeff Flake and Ron Paul have sometimes supported gay equality based on their professed libertarianism, but both are running for higher office, so it's unlikely either will sign on as a cosponsor. Republican closet cases, David Dreier (CA), Patrick McHenry (NC), Adrian Smith (NE), Aaron Schock (IL), Trent Franks (AZ), etc are all too scared to stand up for gay equality. The Log Cabin Republicans and all the gay magazines were touting Ros-Lehtinen's greatness yesterday. The Log Cabin Republican response:

Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has long been on the frontlines in fighting for human dignity at home and abroad. As a founding member of the House LGBT Equality Caucus she has been a reliable ally and leader time and again on legislation to secure freedom and fairness for all Americans. Log Cabin Republicans are grateful that she has once again stepped forward as an inclusive leader by cosponsoring the Respect for Marriage Act. Marriage is a fundamental right of all Americans. The so-called Defense of Marriage Act (“DOMA”) is an offense to the core conservative principles of liberty and federalism. It has been repudiated by its author, former Congressman Bob Barr (R-GA), and is rejected by a growing majority of Americans. It is time that our law respected all marriages. There is much work to be done to make that dream a reality, but with Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen’s leadership, marriage equality is on the horizon.

Ros-Lehtinen's press releases to Spanish language media yesterday were all about Cuba and never mentioned anything about gay equality. Her district is bluer and bluer but she's very protected by South Florida Jewish Democrats who appreciate her lock-step support for the extreme Likud positions on Israel. Never mind that she wants to privatize Social Security