Charlie Crist, current Florida governor and Independent candidate for U.S .Senate, has released a 10-point endorsement for LGBT rights. This move is in direct contrast with Crist’s previous statements as a Republican, where he campaigned on promises to preserve “traditional” values.
Crist’s endorsements include civil unions with the full range of legal protections enjoyed by heterosexual married couples, gay adoption, domestic partner benefits, appropriations for HIV/AIDS programs and the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
His campaign team approached Equality Florida, the state’s largest LGBT civil rights organization, for assistance in drafting the statement.
Equality Florida’s public policy director, Mallory Wells, said the group’s assistance should not be interpreted as support for Crist in his campaign.
“Equality Florida has not made an endorsement in the U.S. Senate Race,” Wells said. “Our PAC [Political Action Committee] does not allow federal endorsements.”
Crist’s opponent, Democratic nominee Kendrick Meek, said Crist’s endorsements are “too little, too late.”
In a media release, Meek’s campaign manager, Abe Dyk, asked: “Can anyone believe anything Charlie Crist says anymore? It’s obvious Charlie Crist is willing to say anything. The only thing Charlie Crist says today that you can believe tomorrow is that he wants to be elected.
The only thing we know about Charlie Crist’s track record is that he is a lifelong conservative Republican who has fought against every Democratic value. The governor’s charade trying to hide his lifelong conservative record just to get elected is an insult to every Floridian.”
The release also outlined Crist’s long record of working against LGBT rights, including taking a stand against the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and coming out in favor of Amendment 2, which bans same-sex marriage in Florida.
In 2006, Crist sent out campaign mailings denouncing Jim Davis, his opponent for governor at the time, for supporting gay adoption. The mailings also promised Crist “defends marriage and protects traditional values.”
“A lot of people have a lot of opinions and it’s true that Charlie Crist has gone on record against gay adoption before,” said Wells. “I think what’s important here is that we want people to evolve on LGBT issues and support our issues. I think it’s great that [Crist] decided he was wrong and now wants to support us.”
On Sept. 14, Crist followed up his LGBT issues endorsements by talking to a reporter about ways to reverse Florida’s ban on gay adoption.
He said he’d consider reviewing the lawsuit where the state is defending the ban, and the case of Martin Gill, foster parent to two brothers who wishes to adopt them. In 2008, Judge Cindy Lederman ruled that the ban is unconstitutional and the state has been taking up the opposing fight ever since. Crist said standpoint should be reviewed.
“I think that most who follow the judiciary recognize that what’s in the ‘best interest of the child’ is what should be paramount in these kinds of decisions,” he said. “That’s what I believe and I think that’s what will be the best for them.”
