I just received the following statement from the Equality Maryland PAC announcing their support for Jim Rosapepe in the District 21 senate race. They had supported John Giannetti in the primary due to his support for various bills and his opposition to an anti-marriage equality constitutional amendment. I remember vividly his comments to the Equality Maryland awards dinner in 2005 when, in receiving the award for championing the gay community, he said that a constitutional amendment would pass only "over his dead body." Now that his political career appears dead, he is willing to change his opinions.
Equality Maryland PAC has made the decision to endorse Jim Rosapepe in the General Election as our choice for the next senator in District 21. Equality Maryland PAC endorsed Sen. Giannetti in the primary, based upon his opposition to a constitutional amendment banning equal marriage rights for same-sex couples, his solid voting record on LGBT issues, and his sponsorship and stewardship of a bill to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the state's existing hate crimes statute.
In recent days, Sen. Giannetti announced that he is becoming a Republican. Equality Maryland is a non-partisan organization that appreciates allies from all political perspectives. However, it appears that the LGBT community is being used as a political pawn and wedge issue in the District 21 race by members of the Republican Party who are backing Sen. Giannetti.
Sen. Giannetti was recruited by rabidly anti-gay State Senator Alex Mooney of Frederick. Another anti-gay senator, Nancy Jacobs of Harford County, told the Baltimore Sun that "He's so much in line with a lot of what we believe in." John Stafford, the Republican Primary winner in District 21, told the Baltimore Sun that he declined the nomination in favor of John, "noting Giannetti's credentials as an opponent of abortion and gay marriage."
Equality Maryland PAC is deeply troubled when minority groups are used as political footballs to garner votes. Attacks on LGBT Americans continue unabated across the country and must be condemned.
Equality Maryland PAC has asked Sen. Giannetti to reiterate his opposition to writing discrimination into the Maryland Constitution and to publicly condemn the attacks on LGBT Marylanders by his Republican supporters. He has failed to do so, calling into question our trust in his support of fairness and justice.
We believe that former delegate Jim Rosapepe will be a solid ally of the LGBT community. A former U.S. ambassador to Romania, Rosapepe was a friend to ACCEPT, the first Romanian non-governmental organisation [sic] established to defend and promotes LGBT rights at the national level in that country. He is opposed to constitutional amendments to ban marriage for same-sex couples, and supports domestic partner benefits for state employees, a statewide transgender anti-discrimination law, and an equal benefits in state contracts law. For these reasons, Equality Maryland PAC is endorsing Jim Rosapepe for State Senate in District 21. We look forward to working with him next January.
