Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel apologized to RNC members over a new outreach program to LGBTQ voters, assuring Republicans that it does not mean the Republican Party supports LGBTQ rights.
Republicans were up in arms after McDaniel, along with the LGBTQ conservative group Log Cabin Republicans, announced an initiative to encourage LGBTQ Americans to vote Republican called “RNC Pride Coalition” at an event at Mar-A-Lago in early November.
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McDaniel said that LGBTQ conservatives “don’t just share our vision for a free, secure and prosperous America — they enrich it by adding unique perspectives to our party and recruiting even more diverse candidates and supporters to join our cause.”
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This pronouncement led to uproar among Republicans, with many of them saying that working with LGBTQ Republicans was a betrayal of party’s long-held values and might indicate the GOP was actually trying to be… inclusive.
Tony Perkins, an influential evangelical leader, called on McDaniel to resign in disgrace while Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene took to Twitter to express her outrage.
“Using people for their identity is what the Democrats do, not Republicans,” Greene insisted in a tweet to McDaniel. “And don’t forget, the rainbow is God’s sign.”
Using people for their identity is what the Democrats do, not Republicans.
This actually hurts the Log Cabin Republicans by grifting their fundraising & weakens their effectiveness.
And don’t forget, @GOPChairwoman the rainbow is God’s sign.https://t.co/MRFN709sS4
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) November 10, 2021
Now, Metro Weekly reports that McDaniel has issued an email apology to the RNC’s 168 members, assuring them that the GOP has no plans to actually support LGBTQ equality and that the initiative was merely a ploy to get LGBTQ voters to vote for Republicans anyway.
“The RNC hiring this new staffer does not mean we are advocating for ANY policy or RNC platform change on these issues,” she wrote, adding that the RNC is “actively committed to fighting the radical left on culture issues and standing up for religious liberty, family values, and Republicans of faith.”
“We would never, ever organize or communicate with organizations that undermine our values,” she continued. “You have my word on that. The goal of this new outreach is simply to get more voters to vote Republican in 2022. That’s it.”
McDaniel said the initiative was simply a continuation of the Trump campaign’s “Trump Pride” coalition and added that the GOP is also focused on outreach efforts to a variety of faith communities, including Catholics, evangelicals, and Jews.
“We need to stay united,” she said. “The mainstream press, Democrats, and organizations that are opposed to the RNC want nothing more than to divide and weaken us. We are thankful for every legal vote and welcome Americans from all backgrounds, communities, and organizations who understand the wisdom in voting for Republicans and the foundational principles that strengthen our nation.”
