Romney Proclaimed Boston "Rainbow City" Then Took It Back
As governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney nearly killed the "The
Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth" after it used his name
in connection with a Pride event.
By Lucas Grindley
As governor, Mitt Romney's administration once proclaimed that it
would "transform Boston Common into 'Rainbow City,'" according to a
2006 news release dug up by BuzzFeed.
The Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth made the promise as
part of its Youth Pride celebration in March 2006. But that doesn't
necessarily mean Romney supported the idea.
Although Romney's name is featured at the very top of the
announcement's official-looking letterhead, he actually tried to scrap
the whole thing, BuzzFeed reports.
"Rainbow City" was the theme for the 2006 festival, which included a
parade, a drag king host, awards for young people who inspired the
LGBT community, and performances of songs from The Wizard of Oz by the
Boston Women's Rainbow Chorus.
But BuzzFeed points out that Romney tried to abolish the Governor's
Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, which had long preceded his
tenure. The governor was reportedly angry that his name was being used
in connection with the event.
Announcements in 2003 and 2004 of Youth Pride, headlined dramatically
as "A Proclamation By His Excellency Governor Mitt Romney," sounded
very positive for LGBT youth.
"Whereas gay youth and their straight supporters are joining together"
and "whereas young people, particularly gays and lesbians, are at a
high risk for suicide, abuse of drugs and alcohol and running away
from home," plus a few more "whereas" classes, therefore Romney would
declare one day in May as Youth Pride Day.
A Romney spokesman told the Boston Globe at the time that Romney
considered abolishing the LGBT-focused commission and replacing it
with one for all youth but decided that would be "too harsh." Instead
he required that taxpayer money stop being spent on "parades and
parties."
Antigay activist Brian Camenker, now of MassResistance, had met with
the governor's staff to complain about photos from past parades,
according to the Globe.
"They had boys in fishnet stockings and high heels parading down
Boylston Street," Camenker said, according to the Globe, that he
informed Romney's staff. "They had boys dressed as women embracing. We
presented stuff, and they were visibly sickened by what they saw. I
said, basically, this group has to go. It's so manifestly destructive
to kids that you have to get rid of it. They said they'd do
something."
More:
http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Romney_Proclaimed_Boston_Rainbow_City_Then_Tried_to_Take_It_Back/
--
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy
--
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy
--
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