New WaPo: Walker Campaign Refuses to Say Whether Scott Walker Believes Children Need to be 'Protected' from LGBT Americans

WASHINGTON - July 15, 2015 – The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, released the following statement after Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's campaign refused to answer a question from a Washington Post columnist about whether Walker "thought children needed to be protected from gay men." According to the story, Walker's spokesperson "did not respond."

HRC's Director of Policy and Political Affairs JoDee Winterhof released the following statement:

"Scott Walker claims to be a new face on the national stage, but he's introducing himself to a national audience with an outdated and offensive idea.  He and his campaign should answer this simple, straightforward question: Does he think we pose a threat to the health and safety of children? Yes or no?  His campaign's attempt to duck this simple question is unworthy of a candidate who is seeking an office that is responsible for representing all Americans – including LGBT people."

Yesterday, Walker asserted that he supports the Boy Scouts of America (BSA)'s current discriminatory policy that bars gay, lesbian and bisexual adults from serving as employees and troop leaders because it "protected" children.

Earlier this year, Boy Scouts of America (BSA) President and former Secretary of Defense under both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, (under George W. Bush) Robert Gates characterized BSA's discriminatory policies as"unsustainable." The Boy Scouts of America last year began allowing openly gay youth to participate in the organization as scouts, thanks in large part to grassroots work by Scouts for Equality and its executive director Zach Wahls, and advocacy by supportive scouts, scout leaders, and scouting parents.

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. HRC envisions a world where LGBT people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

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