Log Cabin: Romney Should Back ENDA

"As a candidate, Barack Obama vowed to sign an executive order adding LGBT people to the list of groups federal contractors are barred from discriminating against. The White House then made it clear that no executive order would be signed, leaving 1.8 million Americans unprotected. It is wrong that federal contractors who are paid with taxpayer money are allowed to fire people for being LGBT. Romney has said that he opposes workplace discrimination. By vowing to sign an executive order preventing federal contractors from firing people for being LGBT, and joining Paul Ryan in support for ENDA, Romney can draw a favorable contrast between himself and the president.

"Today, 4.3 million LGBT Americans live in the 31 states without basic protections from workplace discrimination. In rural Texas (or the swing states of Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania or Virginia), same-sex marriage is a beautiful dream, but especially in this job market, the fear of losing a paycheck for being gay or transgender is very real. By supporting ENDA and the federal contractor executive order, Romney and Ryan can turn the conversation about LGBT equality back to the economy." - Log Cabin Republicans head R. Clark Cooper, via press release.

UPDATE: Zack Ford reacts at Think Progress:

The distortion Cooper attempts is nothing short of delusional. There is no liberal strategy to paint Republicans as anti-gay — they proudly own that in all of their position statements, much as it may chagrin the Log Cabin Republicans to admit it. Romney openly opposes ENDA, and given Ryan’s refusal to offer a nondiscrimination statement for his own Congressional office, it seems that neither has truly demonstrated “leadership” on the matter. Despite the fact that President Obama has not signed the executive order Cooper mentions, it would take a whole lot more than that for Romney to “draw a favorable contrast”; his opposition to ENDA, marriage equality, and all other LGBT issues would easily maintain a significant imbalance. Cooper’s clinging to a position that neither Romney nor Ryan actually holds. Cooper’s motives are clear: he’s a Republican, he identifies with other Republicans, and he wants Republicans in power for economic reasons, even if LGBT equality has to take a backseat.

Ford concludes by suggesting Cooper join GOProud. Suh-NAP!