AFER Backer Gave to Antigay Candidates

to william ,its not that i have any sympathy for the democratic party i dont, but the republicans have as there stated platform anti gay planks, agaisnt dadt, no equal marriage or adoption rights for gay people, so please before you try and let them help us get marriage equality the repubs need to change their stance on gay rights period and then we might support them

Since I live in Virginia and have seen first-hand the McDonnell and Cuccinelli duo, I have to agree that supporting this tag-team was horrible. One of the first acts of McDonnell as governor was to rescind (yes, rescind) protections for gays and lesbians in state employment. Now, isn’t that just a little bit of heaven, huh? Then his evil twin, Cuccinelli, writes to our state universities telling them that they have no authority to including gays and lesbians in their employment protections and need to eliminate such protections from their policies. What the hell is that but bigotry? If Singer is such a friend of the community, why would he provide a $125,000 to these bigots? As Norbert has correctly stated, their positions as right-wing “Christians” was well know before they took office. Singer funding is unconscionable. And surprise that Ken “Capo” Mehlman is a friend?

Accepting money from rich Republicans to ease their consciences is not the issue - it is the impact their other donations to powerful political candidates can have on our movement for equality. In the NY Times article on Singer, it references he raised almost $150,000 for Carly Fiorina, a staunchly anti-marriage equality candidate for California's US Senate seat. Fiorina is challenging Barbara Boxer, a sitting US Senator on record supporting marriage equality. If Boxer loses, this is one less vote for all our rights and freedoms, from DADT to DOMA to marriage equality. So let's not be stupid lemmings. If we take this money, let's do it with our eyes wide open and absolutely no conditions attached. Singer is not a hero, he is just a rich guy who also supports US Senate candidates that will vote against our interests.

ah....Mehlman also still supports anti gay candidates- McCain, Ben Quayle, etc....look into his donations

Hmmmm..... from reading the responses below, its as if you really don't want marriage equality. What I hear is "we want marriage equality if and only if it is done buy 'our guys' and on our terms, and only by us." If I remember correctly you guys were saying the same thing about Ted Olson, that is before he won. We need to get over the Republican = evil; Democrat = good mentality. Its not that simple. Yea these guys have worked against us in the past, so what! If they want to help us now, and are willing to donate, then let them. Sometimes our biggest obstacle is our own pride, especially when we condemn those who want to help. While some may say that we cannot let immoral politicians who are looking at poll numbers instead of their hearts to be part of this movement, I say show me a completely moral politician and I will give you $5.

"He's definitely a Republican, no question. But gays rights seems to be his one main social issue, and he supports it" What the hell? So it would not seem unusual for an African-American to have donated substantial amounts of money to David Duke or the local KKK? And keep in mind that the KKK is the more apt analogy, because even David Duke didn't want to strip Blacks of basic civil rights like marriage. We are entering Crazyville when we start blurring these lines and call everything ok. Of course, that is exactly what these GOP operatives desire.

Let's not re-write history. McDonnel and Cuccinelli were known "right wing Christians" who opposed LBGT rights well before the last election. The Advocate reported several articles on them. Seems some rich Republicans want to ease their consciences by donating to causes that support their values while also donating to candidates that oppose those same values but who act to maximize their sizable personal fortunes. Hummmm, blood money does not sound that far off to me....

This article links to a New York Times article that's much more balanced and provides a better sense of Mr. Singer's contributions. He's definitely a Republican, no question. But gays rights seems to be his one main social issue, and he supports it. From the article: “With no public disclosure, Mr. Singer has given more than $4.2 million to groups supporting gay rights and same-sex marriage, like the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund, associates said. ‘Several of Paul’s family and friends are gay activists, and he has learned a lot from their work over the years,’ said Myron Kaplan, a longtime friend and lawyer for Mr. Singer. ‘He supports the work of these groups...’ If I recall, McDonnell and Cuccinelli didn’t show their true colors until after the election. Republicans here and Tories in the UK are coming out more openly in favor of gay rights. I say, let them come. The sooner we get our rights, the better.

"When is the glbt community going to get wise to these Republican scam artists?" -- A scam artist does not blow one million dollars away on a charity. A scam artist will steal money (ie the DNC taking millions from gay people only to support DADT and DOMA) Please rethink your babel before you press submit.

I saw this stuff the minute Mehlman made his self-serving announcement. When is the glbt community going to get wise to these Republican scam artists? Their #1 priority has always been to get Republicans elected, regardless if they literally want to execute gays. They follow the GOProud credo that "our sexual preference is only a tiny part of our idenity". It's like Blacks not only accepting Jim Crow and miscegenation laws, but financially supporting them. Why is the gay community always so easily duped into taking blood money?