Equality Ohio released their 2020 Elected Official Scorecard on Monday, two years since their last scorecard. The statewide LGBTQ+ advocacy organization rated all members of the Ohio House and Senate based on LGBTQ+-related statements and actions from the current General Assembly. In her opening letter to the Scorecard, Alana Jochum, Executive Director, stressed the importance of informed voters on both Ohio representation and on the candidates for the nation’s highest office:
This November, possibly more so than ever before, your rights and the rights of LGBTQ+ Ohioans for generations to come are on the ballot. When you vote this year, it is our hope that you will use the information here to be as knowledgeable as possible about your Ohio Representatives, Senators, and statewide elected officials. Together, as LGBTQ-identifying people and allies, we must make sure that the people that represent us ensure that #Equality Wins!
In addition to grading state lawmakers, the Scorecard also rated the presidential and vice-presidential candidates based on statements and actions of the candidates throughout their entire career. Both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were given a failing “F” grade. From the Scorecard:
President Trump is a threat to the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ people across the country. He works closely with anti-LGBTQ+ extremists, like Vice President Mike Pence, who are actively campaigning against the Equality Act and seeking to erase LGBTQ+ people from policy discussions.
GLAAD has been maintaining a running list of President Trump’s attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, which currently stands at 168 attacks in 1313 days.
Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee, received a “B” grade. The review is generally positive, but reflects room for improvement:
We are unable to give the Vice President the highest of marks due to his voting record, which had real impacts on LGBTQ+ people across the country, and his slower evolution in support for LGBTQ+ equality compared to some of his peers. We applaud the Vice President’s personal journey on these issues facing LGBTQ+ Americans and his strong supportive platform now, and as with those in the Ohio Legislature, we hope to assist him as his journey continues.
Senator Kamala Harris, Biden’s running-mate for Vice-President, received an “A” grade.
Ignite Action:
- Read the Equality Ohio Elected Official Scorecard, look up your local representative, and compare their rating to what the grade they received two years ago.
- Registering to vote LITERALLY takes less than two minutes. Go to https://www.vote.org/register-to-vote/ohio/ to start and finish this process right this very second.
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