Local Republicans Attack West Hartford's LGBTQ+ Community.

Dear Friends,

We are less than a week into this municipal campaign, and West Hartford's Republican charade about not being the party of Donald Trump has been completely disproven with the horrific statement they put out yesterday about our LGBTQ+ youth and Town Councilor Barry Walters.

The first thing we need to address is their claim that their party "has long been a strong supporter of LGBTQ+ rights and community," and they "We feel that nobody should ever be marginalized or discriminated against." 

Nothing could be further from the truth. In recent posts on their social media, their contempt for the LGBTQ+ community is evident.

One post in particular stands out, on the topic of allowing LGBTQ+ stories in high school libraries, the West Harford MAGA Republican Party declared that folks who support doing so are "groomy, radical, and apparently perverse."

In yet another post during Pride Month, they objected to the use of a photo of a child and a Pride flag, and again insinuated that members of the LGBTQ+ community are predators.

In making these statements, they invoked one of the oldest and most hurtful myths about the LGBTQ+ community. A political party that actively promotes this vile and hateful rhetoric is not a supporter of West Hartford's LGBTQ+ community. 

While Councilor Walters can certainly defend himself, we want to point out, for the record, that by going after the only gay member of our town council, the MAGA Republicans' goal of this statement is as transparent as it is disgusting. 

They have fully embraced Trump's cruelty and lack of humanity. Not to mention, they also get the science and facts completely wrong. 

Make no mistake, if this is how the Republican candidates campaign, this is how they will govern. JUST. LIKE. TRUMP. 

All that said, what gives us hope are the residents of this town. West Hartford is a proud and diverse community that celebrates differences as strengths. And three times, voters have overwhelmingly rejected Donald Trump and his beliefs at the ballot box. 

Now we're calling on the residents of West Hartford to meet this moment and reject Trump's acolytes and the politics of hate they practice by voting for the Democrats on Row A this election.

Best,

Peter Andrews & Megan Wallett

DTC Chair and Vice Chair