Udall launches gay rights attack on Gardner

[dropcap]O[/dropcap]n the same day that Senator Mark Udall introduced the Social Security and Marriage Equality (SAME) Act of 2014, a bill that would entitle same-sex married couples to uniform Social Security benefits even in non marriage states, his re-election campaign launched a social media blast targeting challenger Congressman Cory Gardner for a history of LGBTQ unfriendly votes.

The ads feature a black-and-white Gardner over a tattered rainbow flag and comes with the twitter hashtag “TakingColoradoBackwards.” They refer to votes Gardner made between 2006 and 2009, back when gay marriage was a successful wedge issue for Republican candidates.

The Gardner campaign did not respond to several requests for comment.

Udall himself did not officially come out in support of gay marriage until August 2011, though his campaign notes his open support for civil unions and opposition to gay marriage bans dates back to 2004. Udall himself later detailed his evolving views on the issue in a POLITICO op-ed.

This recent push marks a second round of Udall’s team claiming majority territory on social issues. Most recently they pushed back on Gardner’s recent announcement that he doesn’t support personhood — neither do Colorado voters, as 70 percent voted against personhood in 2010. Despite Colorado being one of 33 states to officially ban gay marriage, last month’s Quinnipiac poll showed Coloradans supporting gay marriage at a rate of two-to-one.

[Photo by Julie Podair]