- Michigan Republican Kim Meltzer sent out campaign materials that depicted primary opponent Leon Drolet's face superimposed over a rainbow flag, included two male figures holding hands, and claimed that Drolet "would allow homosexual gross indecency in public places," "exposing our children to that filth."
- Oklahoma State Representative Sally Kern defended her previous statement that gays and lesbians are more dangerous than terrorists, telling local TV, "Here in America we've had what, maybe three known real big terrorist attacks on our nation? But every day our young people especially - all of us, but our young people especially - are in a sense bombarded with the message that homosexuality is normal and natural."
- Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate Nathan Deal ran a series of ads that attacked primary opponent Karen Handel for having supported LGBT teen group YouthPride and for having been in favor of domestic partner benefits. The ads called Handel's past support for gay issues "the last straw" for voters.
- Failed Iowa gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats lost in the primary, but then launched a campaign called "Iowa for Freedom" to oust three Iowa Supreme Court justices who ruled in favor of marriage equality in the state. He said removing those justices could be "the most important election in our country."
- Utah Senator Orrin Hatch disparaged millions of gay and lesbian people of faith when he remarked at a town hall meeting that, "Gays and lesbians don't pay tithing, their religion is politics."
- Texas Governor Rick Perry, who is running for re-election, told an audience, "There is still a land of opportunity, friends — it's called Texas. We're creating more jobs than any other state in the nation." He then asked, "Would you rather live in a state like this, or in a state where a man can marry a man?"
- Iowa Republican Jeremy Walters, a candidate for the State House, wrote on his Facebook page that to be gay "is not of God," quoted Bible verses that said gay people should be "put to death; their blood shall be upon them," and suggested that AIDS was God's punishment.
"It's troubling that many candidates still think they can win support by disparaging LGBT people," said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. "Media have a responsibility to present stories that truly reflect the changing tide of public opinion in favor of our community and expose attempts to use our lives as a political wedge issue. GLAAD urges journalists who cover these campaigns to spotlight the motivation behind these ugly anti-gay tactics that put our community in harm's way. As more and more fair-minded people hear our stories and learn what's at stake for us, they are overwhelmingly supporting our full equality."
GLAAD is continuing to monitor the local and national dialogue in this election season to inform the media and the American public when candidates put forth such inaccuracies and defamation.
