WHAT'S NEXT

Tell GOP Chairman: Focus on Jobs, Not Demonizing LGBT Families
  1. Signatures
    1,549 out of 2,500
    Petitioning
    1. Chairman, Republican National Committee (Reince Priebus)
  2. Created By
    Human Rights Campaign
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates
How We Won

Apr 12, 2011

The Republican National Committee (RNC) launched a website earlier this Spring, hopeisnthiring.com, that attacked lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender American families. Among the issues the RNC politicized were "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal, hospital visitation, housing non-discrimination and relationship recognition -- criticizing efforts to eradicate discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in all of these areas.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) launched a petition campaign on Change.org calling out the RNC for this homophobic website, and urged RNC chair Reince Priebus to pull the hopeisnthiring.com website.

HRC President Joe Solmonese said that anger over the hopeisnthiring.com website should send a loud and clear message to the GOP that attacking LGBT families is offensive.

"Hopefully the Republican Party leadership has come to their senses and realized that attacking LGBT families offends the great majority of Americans," said Solmonese. "Polling overwhelmingly shows that Americans support LGBT equality and the Republican Party would be foolish to campaign on a platform based on discrimination and ignorance."

A new RNC "Hope Isn't Hiring" website unfairly demonizes the hopes and ambitions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans, as well as straight allies who support them. 

Reasonable people who visit the site would conclude that the RNC believes in discrimination against LGBT people. It sensationalizes issues like hospital visitation rights for loving families and ending housing discrimination, even though most Americans agree that these are the right things to do.

As chairman of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus has the chance to do great things, but unfortunately, that same power can also be used to harm people. The “Hope Isn’t Hiring”  site makes LGBT families out to be the enemy when all they want is an America that treats everyone respectfully and equally.

The great irony is that many of the civil rights victories criticized on the site were made possible by Republicans, and others are supported in large numbers by members of the GOP. The historic passage of the law that would repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” – supported by 77 percent of Americans – was made possible by the votes of eight Republican U.S. Senators and 15 Republican members of the House. 

Sign on to a letter urging Reince Priebus and the Republican Party leadership to end more mean-spirited campaigns against particular groups of Americans and focus instead on pressing national priorities.

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Stop mean-spirited campaigns and focus on pressing national priorities

Dear Chairman Priebus:

As chairman of the Republican National Committee, you have the chance to do great things for your party and your country. Unfortunately, that same power can also be used to harm people. Your new website, “Hope Isn’t Hiring,” unfairly demonizes the hopes and ambitions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans, as well as straight allies who support us. The site makes us out to be the enemy when all that we want is an America that treats everyone respectfully and equally. The great irony is that many of the civil rights victories that you criticize were made possible by Republicans, and others are supported in large numbers by members of your own party.

From the way in which certain issues are detailed, reasonable people would conclude that the RNC believes in discrimination against LGBT people. You sensationalize issues like hospital visitation rights for loving families and ending housing discrimination when the truth is Americans agree that these are the right things to do. Your website effectively expatriates former Vice President Dick Cheney’s family, and ostracizes Republicans like First Lady Laura Bush and her daughter, Barbara, who support marriage equality. Furthermore, the historic passage of the law that would repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” – supported by 77 percent of Americans – was made possible by the votes of eight Republican U.S. Senators and 15 Republican members of the House.

Is this website what we can expect from the Republican Party under your leadership? Should we anticipate more mean-spirited campaigns against particular groups of Americans rather than focusing on pressing national priorities?

You lead a party that could be an example of making equality a cornerstone of your agenda, as the GOP has done in the past. As President Lincoln said over a century and a half ago, "We have, as all will agree, a free Government, where every man has a right to be equal with every other man. In this great struggle, this form of Government and every form of human right is endangered if our enemies succeed." Don’t make yourself the enemy.

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

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