Kelli Ward, Trump-endorsed anti-LGBTQ candidate for U.S. Senate
NEW YORK – GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today released the following information on U.S. Senate Candidate Kelli Ward following a tweet by President Trump in support of her bid for the United States Senate primary race in Arizona against current U.S. Senator Jeff Flake. Ward is expected to attend the president’s rally tonight in Phoenix.
Kelli Ward has been a staunch anti-LGBTQ activist. During her time in the Arizona State Senate, Ward pushed for sweeping “religious exemptions” legislation and even attacked marriage equality. She has also enthusiastically appeared on InfoWars, the debunked conspiracy theory outlet created by Alex Jones, a discredited radio personality who used the website to push countless anti-LGBTQ statements such as claiming the Pulse Nightclub massacre was the LGBTQ community’s fault and promoting defamatory myths about transgender people.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Arizona U.S. Senate Candidate Kelli Ward’s Anti-LGBTQ Record
- Framed the U.S. Supreme Court’s marriage ruling as “massive assault” on state’s rights: “Marriage is not listed in the U.S. Constitution and should not be a federal issue at all. The Supreme Court arrogated State powers to itself in its Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) decision with sparse backing in case law and almost no Constitutional substance behind it. Neither ‘Love Wins!’ nor the Supremacy Clause justifies such a massive assault against State prerogatives.”
- Voted for Arizona’s anti-LGBTQ so-called “religious exemptions” law (which even conservative governor Jan Brewer vetoed).
- Said Gov. Brewer’s veto of Arizona’s anti-LGBTQ “religious freedom” bill was “one of the biggest disappointments during the time I served in the Arizona legislature.”
- Went after a transgender Republican who spoke at a local rally: “Joanne Lopez is speaking?!” reads the screenshot now being passed around Facebook. “Really? Are we now about transgender issues in the GOP?”
- Provided staunch opposition to marriage equality.
- Insisted that the Obama administration “prioritizes the LGBT community above our veterans,” adding that “even though the LGBT community is small, they are given a huge microphone to change the culture of this country” (Starts around 4:00)
- Fundraised off of “the extraordinary story of Kim Davis.”
- Appeared on radio show by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who has used is platform to push dangerous anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.
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www.glaad.org/blog/kelli-ward-trump-endorsed-anti-lgbtq-candidate-us-senate
