Sharron's Angle: No Gay Rights

Sharron Angle of Nevada would be detrimental to gay people across the country if she wins the state's November U.S. Senate election against Majority Leader Harry Reid, gay and lesbian political leaders said in several different ways during a conference call on Thursday.

Callers stressed that Angle, now a Republican, was in the 1990s a member of the Independent American Party, which took out ads in 1994 warning that HIV could be spread through "contaminated water" and another 16-page advertising insert that promoted constitutionally legalizing discrimination against gay people. The ad ran in several Nevada newspapers.

As a member of the state assembly, Angle voted against three key pieces of legislation backed by gay Nevada Democrat David Parks: a state version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a bill to stop harassment and intimidation in schools, and a measure to end discrimination in public accommodations.

"We want to make sure that when someone in the LGBT community considers cutting her a check, that they know she is diametrically opposed to [gay rights]," Parks said on the call.

Human Rights Campaign steering committee member Dawn Christensen expressed her concern about Angle's staunch support of legal discrimination.

"If it were up to her, I could be fired today if my employers didn't like the fact that I'm a lesbian," she said. Christensen also mentioned nationally known conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly's endorsement of Angle on top of a $5,000 donation and an appearance in a Web video.

"I don't want Schlafly and her 40-year-old ideas to have any influence on my senator, on my life, or my state," she said.

Bill Jacobs, a board member of the National Stonewall Democrats, said Angle is not only antigay, but a hypocrite. Jacobs said Angle told supporters she wouldn't accept money from companies like Intel simply because they offered domestic partnership benefits to employees. However, he points out that she has received more than $40,000 from a cumulation of political action committees that have accepted money from such companies, including Intel.

Jacobs said GOProud, a national organization for gays and lesbians, has endorsed Angle, but Jimmy LaSalvia, the group's executive director, said GOProud has not voiced any backing of Angle or any candidate for state elections. Mark Ciavola from Right Pride, GOProud's Nevada arm, also said his organization has not endorsed Angle.

Business owner Jeff Garafalo, also a member of the HRC's steering committee, said that while he is a registered Republican, he is supporting Reid's campaign. He said that he is concerned with her association with fringe groups, and that she is "not fair minded, and is not just uninformed but also biased against the LGBT community,"

Dr. Jerry Cade from the University of Nevada School of Medicine, remarked on the IAP's controversial standing on HIV/AIDS.

"The problem with Sharon Angle and people like her is that her lack of disregard for science furthers this discrimination," he said. Cade also said Reid has been the most helpful Senate majority leader in securing funding for HIV/AIDS.

A Rasmussen poll posted Wednesday had Reid and Angle tied with 47% of voters each. Five percent preferred another candidate and 2% were undecided.