Following Bernie Moreno’s Tuesday win in the Republican primary to represent Ohio in the United States Senate, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ equality organization issued a list outlining his anti-LGBTQ+ record.
“Bernie Moreno’s willingness to attack LGBTQ+ Ohioans for political gain shows the depth of his extremism and the shallowness of his character,” said Geoff Wetrosky, vice president of National Campaigns at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).
Moreno, a former car dealership owner, bested Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Matt Dolan by a wide margin on Tuesday.
The Trump-backed Moreno will now face incumbent U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in the November election.
Moreno was once an LGBTQ+ supporter
As a businessman, Moreno had repeatedly spoken in support of LGBTQ+ equality.
His auto dealership group was a financial sponsor of the 2014 Gay Games, and Moreno himself penned an op-ed for Crain’s Cleveland, calling the event a “major win” for Cleveland and Akron.
He has spoken publicly about his eldest son, who is gay.
His company was listed as a member of Ohio Business Competes (OBC), a coalition supporting the Ohio Fairness Act, which would grant protections to LGBTQ+ Ohioans in the areas of housing, employment and public accommodations.
Once he became a candidate in 2021, Moreno’s LGBTQ+ views shifted markedly.
From support to opposition
When he was asked at a campaign stop in 2021 about his company’s presence in OBC, Moreno said he had no knowledge of the Ohio Fairness Act. That campaign stop was a forum organized by the Center for Christian Virtue, the anti-LGBTQ+ organization that has lobbied aggressively against the bill.
After being reminded by reporters that he met with leadership from Equality Ohio in 2017 about supporting the bill, he said he was supporting the general concept of not discriminating against LGBTQ+ employees.
HRC provided the following list to demonstrate examples of Moreno’s “spreading hateful rhetoric about LGBTQ+ Ohioans and embracing policies that take away Ohioans’ freedoms”:
- Moreno supported the ban on health care for transgender youth that was vetoed by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, and baselessly suggested this care was being provided because it’s “big business” for Ohio hospitals [Bernie Moreno, “Charlie Kirk Show,” 1/8/24]
- Moreno is endorsed by Ohio Value Voters, who oppose marriage equality and LGBTQ+ rights [Associated Press, 3/14/24]
- Moreno accused his primary opponents of supporting a “radical trans agenda” and a super PAC supporting Moreno ran a TV ad calling one of his primary opponents a “champion for trans equality” because he supported a bill that provided nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people (a bill that Moreno’s own company previously supported) [Associated Press, 3/14/24]
- Moreno backs a federal abortion ban and vehemently opposed Issue 1 (a ballot referendum to protect access to abortion in Ohio’s constitution), saying it would “open the door” to transgender people receiving healthcare [Bernie Moreno on “RestoreLiberty.US,” 10/14/2023]. Ohioans soundly rejected Moreno’s position, passing Issue 1 by a 13-point margin.
- Moreno said people who support transgender students playing sports “hate this country” and he believes schools are “indoctrinating” our kids [Bernie Moreno, “Raw With Mindy And Boots,” 03/03/24].
“It’s clear he has fully embraced an extremist brand of politics that spreads hate and seeks to take away freedoms from Ohioans–from health care to marriage equality–at every turn,” Wetrosky said. “His anti-equality, anti-abrtion record puts him squarely on the wrong side of Ohio voters–including many members of his own party–a choice he’ll pay for at the ballot box in November.” 🔥
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