National LGBT rights group endorses Fallon

by: desmoinesdem

Sat Mar 15, 2008 at 16:39:44 PM CDT

The full text of the release from Fallon's campaign is after the jump.

Contact: Stacy Brenton
Fallon for Congress
(515) 822-3029
stacy AT fallonforcongress.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fallon Receives New National Endorsement from LGBT Organization

Des Moines, IA. - Today, Ed Fallon announced he is the recipient of a new national endorsement for his congressional candidacy from eQualityGiving; an organization that works to achieve legal equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) Americans.This year, Fallon is just one of nine federal candidates that has earned this recognition, and he is the only candidate in the nation to earn this endorsement twice.

Ken Ahonen-Jover, MD, co-founder of eQualityGiving.org said, "He [Fallon] earned this endorsement because he is in a close race for federal office and is pro-equality, meaning he supports all the Equality Goals - those rights and benefits that all discriminated groups, except LGBT Americans, already have. This includes Ed Fallon's commitment to having civil marriage equality, which was openly expressed in his famous speech in favor of same-sex marriage in 1996."

Ahonen-Jover further noted, "Ed Fallon understands that there is no middle ground when it comes to supporting equality. Either you want equality for everyone, or you want to discriminate against selective groups. With more pro-equality Representatives in Washington, laws forbidding discriminating against LGBT Americans can get passed, such as the employment non-discrimination law, adding sexual orientation and gender identity to existing hate crimes laws, and repealing the ban against gay and lesbians from serving openly in the military."

Fallon says, "I am pleased to have the endorsement from eQualityGiving. Social justice is something I've always been passionate about and it's time that we ensure equality for everyone. And as someone with a strong libertarian streak, I'm committed to keeping government out of people's lives and personal decisions."