{"id":506094,"date":"2020-10-26T21:04:47","date_gmt":"2020-10-26T21:04:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glaad.logalt.net\/tap\/joni-ernst\/"},"modified":"2023-04-21T22:29:44","modified_gmt":"2023-04-21T22:29:44","slug":"joni-ernst","status":"publish","type":"gap","link":"https:\/\/glaad.org\/gap\/joni-ernst\/","title":{"rendered":"Joni Ernst"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2014<\/span>Signed<\/a> brief<\/a> for U.S. Supreme Court to defend taxpayer-funded agency\u2019s right to reject qualified same-sex couples looking to become foster parents.<\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Expressed support <\/a>for allowing taxpayer-funded adoption and foster care agencies to discriminate against same-sex couples during a town hall event. The case<\/a> is the Trump administration\u2019s third to go to the U.S. Supreme Court to allow discrimination against LGBTQ Americans, including as customers, employees and potential parents of foster and adoptive children.<\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Despite initially criticizing<\/a> the Trump administration\u2019s plan to ban transgender people from military service, Sen. Ernst also said the government should stop paying for gender confirmation surgeries and later did not join<\/a> in supporting a bipartisan effort to protect those servicemembers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Sen. Ernst has been a featured<\/a> speaker<\/a> numerous<\/a> times at the Family Leadership Summit organized by anti-LGBTQ group The Family Leader, which is affiliated with<\/a> the Family Research Council, labeled a hate group<\/a> by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). The group gained national prominence for its \u201cThe Marriage Vow\u201d<\/a> pledge, which it asked 2012 presidential hopefuls to sign, vowing to oppose same-sex marriage and civil unions, as well as same-sex and single parenting, and to allow for anti-LGBTQ discrimination on the basis of religious beliefs. The vow also included language condemning judges it said had \u201cpersonally rejected heterosexuality and monogamy,\u201d and argued for separating LGB soldiers from their fellow same-sex servicemembers in \u201crestrooms, showers, barracks, tents, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Voted against<\/a> an amendment which sought to protect LGBTQ students from discrimination in public schools<\/a>, grades K-12.<\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Released statement criticizing<\/a> the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling legalizing marriage equality nationwide, saying she was \u201cdisappointed by the Supreme Court\u2019s decision and its failure to recognize the freedom of our states to make their own decisions about their respective marriage laws\u2026. While it is my personal belief that marriage is between one man and one woman, I maintain that this is an issue best handled at the state level,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Voted against<\/a> amendment to provide benefits to the same-sex spouses of veterans and their children<\/a> in states where their marriages weren\u2019t recognized.<\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Voted against<\/a> an amendment to ensure same-sex spouses had equal access<\/a> to Social Security and veterans benefits.<\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>During debate<\/a> while running for U.S. Senate said, \u201cI do believe that marriage is between one man and one woman, and I also believe that this is a state\u2019s right.\u201d Ernst also said she would support a federal constitutional amendment<\/a> to define marriage as between a man and a woman.<\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Co-sponsored<\/a> Iowa state constitutional amendment that would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":507,"featured_media":506095,"template":"","categories":[138754],"tags":[],"region":[138565],"hashtag":[138636,138632],"class_list":{"0":"post-506094","1":"gap","2":"type-gap","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"category-gaps","7":"region-national","8":"hashtag-anti-transgender","9":"hashtag-politics"},"aioseo_notices":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t