Is Vicky Hartzler the Most Anti-Gay Candidate in America?

Mother Jones:

Is Vicky Hartzler the most anti-gay House Republican candidate in America?

Hartzler, who's running in Missouri's 4th Congressional District, opposes gay marriage, hate-crimes laws, and the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Those positions are common among congressional Republicans. But Hartzler has done more than merely take the standard GOP positions opposing gay rights--she has made a name for herself as an anti-gay crusader. Now she's locked in a surprisingly close campaign with longtime Dem Rep. Ike Skelton, who was an architect of DADT. That's right: Even in the district with perhaps the most anti-gay Democrat in the House, the Republicans still managed to nominate a candidate with a more anti-gay record.

In 2004, Hartzler drew national and international attention for her work in the campaign for a constitutional amendment in Missouri to ban gay marriage. The amendment was the first of its kind and passed--by a huge margin--in August of that year. The Human Rights Campaign and other national gay rights groups had poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the state to campaign against the amendment. Hartzler was quoted in national and international media celebrating her victory for "traditional marriage." That November, 11 other states followed Missouri's lead.

Read the whole story: Mother Jones

Comments

[xntrisity]

01:55 AM on 10/26/2010

PLEASE REPLY As both candidates are clearly against gay rights, who can I vote for? Somebody please give me a candidate.

[whowhatwhywherewhen]

12:59 PM on 10/21/2010

Can someone explain to me how we, as a country, have fallen so far off the deep end?

Did we not want to be free from Europe, so we came here to have freedom of religion and expression? So, how come we have YET to evolve and we continue to discriminate against our own kind?

I'm guessing we hit our heads on Plymouth Rock and haven't been the same since? I just don't know anymore...it's too depressing to think about.

[319]

12:49 PM on 10/21/2010

I would like to see an amendment passed in all 50 states to ban bigotry, intolerance, and ignorance by all politicians and candidates for public office.

[InABox]

12:49 PM on 10/21/2010

She's probably masking her own lesbianism. The virulently homophobic usually do.

[hallowellboy]

12:42 PM on 10/21/2010

Wait until her son comes home with his "roommate".

[Grumpy Old Dude]

12:41 PM on 10/21/2010

This saddens me more than I can express. Those that defend this woman's anti-gay hatred are deluding themselves. Right-wing Christians have posited that Islam is a religion of hate. I have found the greatest haters in christianity. I find that amusing. Christianity does not work unless christians can judge others as less than then them. They hide behind the worn out; I don't hate the sinner just the sin. I thought your book says not to hate period. I thought it says not to judge. Christianity throughout its history is replete with hate, directed at science, non-whites, gays, and non-believers. I am not a believer but I want all religions to practice their religions freely. If you are against gay marriage, and you are a gay christian, my advice to you is don't contemplate marriage. If you are a straight christian and you are against gay marriage, my advice to you is mind your own damn business.

[rchwel]

12:56 PM on 10/21/2010

F & F.... Ghandi said it best when describing the American christian " I like your God but your christains are so unlike your God " ! As long as we have this hatred, bigotry and discrimination in this country I fear I will not see the red states enter the 21st century in my lifetime.

[chaucer1]

01:17 PM on 10/21/2010

You are deluded if you think this exists only in red states.

[ebanks84]

12:05 PM on 10/21/2010

I hope she loses big time and never gets hired for anything in government ever. We don't need more prudes trying to run our lives.

[barts]

11:57 AM on 10/21/2010

I don't think we should 'wait' around for this woman to come out and expose her hypocrisy. Like a new Anita Bryant, she is not going to go away. I hope the lgbt community in MO takes this woman seriously and keep her from moving up within the republican septic system in our quest to obtain legitimacy in our OWN country.

[KenClay]

11:49 AM on 10/21/2010

Remember thou Who Protests too Much?

[KenClay]

11:48 AM on 10/21/2010

Can I ask? Why Do these People harbor such Hate ? Why do they make Hate their Platform for self acclaim? My Heart Aches that in OUR Country there are so many Issues that OUR Political Leaders can be Fighting for.... Really Makes My Heart Sad and I Have Pity for such People that elect these hate mongers to run OUR Country!

[onionboy]

11:46 AM on 10/21/2010

Who's the rootinest, tootinest hatinest varmint in all Missoura?

That's the question voters must answer at the polls.

[ANuttyReader]

11:26 AM on 10/21/2010

Wait and watch, this woman is a self hating closeted gay woman who is doing as much damage as she can until she either explodes or come out - or is outed.

[sojourning]

11:18 AM on 10/21/2010

Well, I expect next week Vicky will be caught in an airport restroom propositioning the women in the next stall--and I don't mean a proposal to pass over some toilet paper!

[frnd74]

11:09 AM on 10/21/2010

This woman is not remotely the concern. The bigger concern with her (and other rabidly anti-gay candidates) is that they are campaigning on anti-gay platforms. In these popularity contests (for what else is the current electoral process), the one who demonstrates the most hatred of gays gets the most votes. This is what is so concerning. She, and her rival are indicators of the extent of hatred held by the general voting public. As a gay person, this is what scares me. On a roadtrip across any given state, how many people would help my little family if we were in a car accident? How would the hospital staff treat us (would they let both mommies in to be with our daughter, would my wife die alone while I sat in the waiting room)? The police? The small town hotel we'd have to stay at while awaiting car repairs? The mechanic? These are the voters for whom this anti-gay show is presented - and it's an anti-gay show precisely because it panders to the prejudices of the voters.
I used to live in the US, but haven't been back in 4 years - I'm actually afraid to travel there just in case of any sort of illness or emergency - I cannot imagine my daughter being the the ER without both of her parents (I used to nurse in the US and actually saw this scenario first hand).

[IntelligentDiscussion]

11:14 AM on 10/21/2010

She doesn't hate gays, she just believes they shouldn't have the right to marry. There is a big difference.

[sojourning]

11:20 AM on 10/21/2010

Sort of like hating the sin but loving the sinner, huh? Christian Fundamentalists have failed miserably at this little trick, so I suppose Vicky has the same sort of mentality.

[ANuttyReader]

11:27 AM on 10/21/2010

really? how so, please elaborate? I don't hate you I just think you are a second class citizen?

[KenClay]

12:07 PM on 10/21/2010

My Heart Goes Out To You! AsA Gay Man Who Lives In The Northeast On Cape Cod I Can Say To You There Are Haters out there but the Vast majority of people treat us with an abundance of Love and Equality! We are blessed.... yes we gays can be Christians..... I Think by EXAMPLE and Daily Living as who we are We can Defeat the Hate... Remember knowledge is Power just like Loving People can bring Acceptance to people who are afraid for no reason! Partnered 39 years married over 6 and there have rocky roads but in the end there is No Place Like Home... Consider Coming Back and Share the Love and Equality! just a note was hospiltised for 6 days and we both were treated with Care and treated with Respect... They set a bed up in my room and he stayed with me overnight for duration of my days... ThisHospital was the Cape Cod Hospital! Terrific Caring Staff...

[noralou]

11:02 AM on 10/21/2010

Heaven help any member of her family that turns out to be gay. Every family has gay members just by virtue of the percentages of gays in the world. She is such an ugly-minded person that it really seems it would be hard to tell "mom", grandma", "aunt" or whatever that you were gay.
This type of person puzzles me very much. How do people being gay hurt her in any way? It may offend her sense of what is "right" or "decent" but, so what she offends my sense of those things and I feel no need to attack her or try to discriminate against her.