The Trump era will be known for many things. The mass exodus of Republican lawmakers from Congress will be one of them. Like rats leaving a sinking ship, GOP members of Congress are making for the exits in record numbers.
Many of them won’t be missed in the LGBT community. They were never exactly friends of ours anyway. In fact, their absence might make the fight for LGBT equality a little easier.
The one exception? Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.) The mother of a transgender son, Ros-Lehtinen has a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s congressional scorecard.
Here are the Republicans who have left or are leaving Congress so far.
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Rep. Joe Barton (Texas): Joe Barton announced his retirement in November 2017, after nude photos of him surfaced on social media. Barton has a zero on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (Utah): In 2010, Chaffetz tried to overturn Washington, DC’s marriage equality law. He has a zero on the HRC scorecard.
Sen. Thad Cochran (Miss.): Cochran voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a well as a bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, earning him a zero rating as well. Cochran was a solid anti-LGBT vote on a variety of issues. He has a score of 16 on the HRC scorecard.
Sen. Bob Corker (Tenn.): Corker voted to prohibit federal contractors from discriminating against LGBT people. He has a score of 32 on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Charlie Dent (Penn.): Dent often voted against party lines, and opposed an appeal of Obamacare. He has a score of 68 on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Jimmy Duncan (Tenn.): Duncan failed to cosponsor the Equality Act and dropped from a score of 30 to a zero on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Blake Farenthold (Texas): The man in the duck pajamas leaves Congress with a score of zero on the HRC scorecard. Farenthold used $84,000 in taxpayer funds to settle a sexual harassment case with a member of his staff.
Sen. Jeff Flake (Ariz.): Flake failed to cosponsor the Equality Act, and has a score of 32 on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Trent Franks: Franks once claimed that marriage equality for same-sex couples was a “threat to the nation’s survival.” He scores a zero on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (N.J.): Scion of a political dynasty reaching back to the 1700s, Frelinghuysen leaves Congress with a score of 48 on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Bob Goodlatte (Virginia): The House lost another vote against LGBT equality when Virginia Republican Bob Goodlatte announced he would retire. He has a score of zero on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Trey Gowdy (S.C.): Gowdy was another zero on issues like ENDA and marriage equality. He has a score of zero on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Greg Harper: Harper was a supporter of anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training in the House, but not so much anti-discrimination legislation to protect LGBT Americans. He has a score of zero on the HRC scorecard.
Sen. Orrin Hatch (Utah): Though not exactly a friend of the LGBT community, Hatch broke with his party to oppose a federal ban on same-sex marriage, and supported civil unions as an option to preserve “traditional marriage.” He has a score of 16 on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Jeb Hensarling: Texas Republican Jeb Hensarling announced in October that he would retire to spend more time with his family, but couldn’t bring himself to help LGBT families by supporting marriage equality. He has a score of zero on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Darrell Issa (Calif.): Issa voted to prohibit anti-LGBT discrimination by federal contractors. He has a score of 32 on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Lynn Jenkins (Kan.): Jenkins voted against prohibiting anti-LGBT discrimination by federal contractors, and failed to cosponsor the Equality Act. She has a score of zero on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Sam Johnson (Texas): Having voted against prohibiting anti-LGBT discrimination by federal contractors, Johnson leaves Congress with a zero on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Frank LoBiondo (N.J.): Having voted to prohibit anti-LGBT discrimination by federal contractors, LoBiondo leaves Congress with a score of 68 on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Patrick Meehan (Penn.): Meehan voted to prohibit anti-LGBT discrimination by federal contractors, and has a score of 48 on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Tim Murphy (Penn.): Murphy was staunchly anti-abortion, until he had an affair, got his mistress pregnant, and asked her to get an abortion. He was also staunchly against protecting LGBT Americans from discrimination. Murphy leaves Congress with a zero on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Ted Poe (Texas): After voting against prohibiting anti-LGBT discrimination by federal contractors, Poe dropped from a score of 30 to zero on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Dave Reichert (Wash.): Reichert voted to protect LGBT Americans from discrimination by federal contractors, and has a score of 48 on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Tom Rooney (Fla.): An opponent of anti-LGBT discrimination by federal contractors, Rooney has a score of 32 on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Dennis Ross (Fla.): Ross has gets an A+ from the National Rifle Association, but after voting against protecting LGBT Americans from discrimination by federal contractors he has a zero on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Ed Royce (Calif): Having voted once to prohibit anti-LGBT discrimination by federal contractors, Royce has a score of 16 on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Paul Ryan (Wis.): House Speaker Paul Ryan announced that he would not seek re-election, to spend more time with his family. Though he voted to prohibit anti-LGBT discrimination by government contractors, Ryan did not cast enough votes to receive a rating on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Bill Shuster (Penn.): Another vote against LGBT equality in the House, Shuster announced in November 2017 that he wouldn’t be returning to the House. He has a score of zero on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Lamar Smith (Texas): Without a single pro-LGBT vote in this Congress, Smith leaves with a score of zero on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Pat Tiberi (Ohio): With one vote to protect LGBT workers from discrimination by federal contractors, Tiberi has a score of 16 on the HRC scorecard.
Rep. Dave Trott (Mich.): Trott will leave Congress without casting a single vote for LGBT equality, earning him a zero on the HRC scorecard.
