Elizabeth Warren, Brown's chief Democratic rival, has called for full legal equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered citizens while the Massachusetts Republican, when pushed on the topic, has defended his push to repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.
FILE - In this Jan. 19, 2012, file photo U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., shakes hands and signs autographs for supporters during his re-election campaign kick-off in Worcester, Mass. Republicans' clear shot at winning control of the Senate is attracting tens of millions of dollars from GOP-allied outside groups eager to spend on a surer bet than the White House race. Control of the U.S. Senate will hinge on some tight races, including the Massachusetts race, seen by Democrats as one of their best chances of unseating one of the newest Republican senators, Brown. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)One day after President Barack Obama completed his "evolution" on the subject of same-sex marriage, coming out with striking support for marriage equality, U.S. Sen. Scott Brown found himself under fire for what critics call a "troubling" history on gay rights issues.
Elizabeth Warren, Brown's chief Democratic rival, has called for full legal equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered citizens while the Massachusetts Republican, when pushed on the topic, has said the election isn't about social issues but rather jobs and the economy.
During a conference call organized by the Massachusetts Democratic Party Thursday afternoon, Brown was criticized for legislation he has supported as well as bills he has opposed which LGBT activists say has negatively impacted the community.
“Now that it’s an election year, Scott Brown is claiming to be an independent thinker, but the simple fact is that his anti-equality positions are more in line with Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and the Republican Party than Massachusetts families,” said State Rep. Liz Malia, D-Suffolk. “As someone who knew Scott Brown as a colleague in the Massachusetts legislature, I know that Scott Brown has a long, long history of opposing LGBT equality. Massachusetts wouldn't have led the way for marriage equality if Scott Brown got his way."
Malia was referring to Brown's 2004 vote for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Massachusetts after the Supreme Judicial Court legalized it a year prior, becoming the first state in the nation to do so. Since that vote as a state senator, Brown has reiterated his opposition to same-sex marriage but called it a settled issue in Massachusetts and following the presidents statement this week, Brown said it is an issue that should be tackled by each state.
Jennifer Chrisler, executive director of the pro-LGBT rights Family Equality Council, said she believes Brown's view of gay and lesbians would change if he made an effort to get to know some such families.
"Next week, we have LGBT families from across the country coming to Washington to educate Congressmen about the issues important to us, but Sen. Brown has refused to meet with us," Chrisler said. "It is obvious that he is not a man who understands or cares to know the LGBT families he claims to represent."
Wes Ritchie, organizing director for pro-LGBT rights group MassEquality, said Brown's refusal to stand with the rest of the Massachusetts delegation to participate in an "It Gets Better" video aimed at uplifting bullied LGBT teens, highlights his "lack of outreach to the LGBT community.
“Scott Brown was the only member of the Massachusetts congressional delegation who declined to lend his voice to a video letting LGBT young people know that life gets better,” said Ritchie. “He continues to say that he has an independent voice, but when it comes to sticking up for gay and lesbian families and standing against bullying he has shown that he has no voice at all.”
The group also took aim at Brown for supporting the federal Defense of Marriage Act which defines marriage as an institution between a man and a woman.
"His opposition to full marriage rights affects me as a taxpayer," Malia said. "We are talking about legal rights. My partner is laid off and we are in different tax situations. This affects us. He won't address LGBT issues and only wants to talk about jobs and economics, but it is related."
Brown's decision not to support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would prevent employers from discriminating on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation, was also criticized by the group.
When asked about the accusations of the group, Brown's campaign spokesman Colin Reed reiterated what a Senate aide said the day before in relation to Brown's stance on same-sex marriage.
"Gay marriage has been settled law in Massachusetts for nearly a decade, and Scott Brown believes that individual states should be able to decide this issue," Reed said. "He believes all people should be treated with dignity and respect. With nearly 23 million Americans out of work, Scott Brown’s top priority is putting people back to work and getting this economy going again."
Relating to LGBT issues, Brown did vote to repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy which prohibited lesbians and gay people from openly serving in the military. He was one of the few Republicans who voted to lift the ban, a move earning him an honor from the Log Cabin Republicans, a group which promotes equality for gay and lesbian citizens.