Joe Walsh on Civil Rights Republican presidential primary challenger (former IL Rep.)

LGBTQ activists are "constitutional terrorists"

On LGBTQ rights:
• Walsh said he is a strong supporter of " traditional marriage" and believes "a marriage can only exist between one man & one woman."
• While in Congress, Walsh voted to prevent federal funds from being used in ways that would counteract the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
• Walsh has called LGBTQ activists "constitutional terrorists" and once said that a "transgender 'man' is a woman."
• He also said Christian vendors should be allowed to turn away LGBTQ customers.

Same-sex marriage is law of the land, but give it time

Walsh: Look, same sex marriage is the law of the land. And how are we going to get Republican voters to eventually embrace it? It's going to take time. And we have to let time play itself out. I think the answer for most Republican voters eventually is the family--over the next number of years, seeing same sex couples parent their kids. Republican voters & conservatives that I've spoken to for years on the radio value the family more than anything. I think as the years go by and they see that loving children can be raised by same sex parents--this is one of those issues that will eventually move Republican opinion.

Q: What about GLAAD's report?

Walsh: I disagree with that vehemently. I use the power of my public profile to go at the issue and talk about the issue and try to find common ground on the issue.

It's racist to say "go back to where you came from"

"To say 'go back to where you came from' is gross. It's offensive, ignorant, anti-American, and racist," Walsh tweeted. "The most racist thing Donald Trump said yesterday? Of Baltimore, he said: 'No human being would want to live there.' So all those black Americans who live in majority black Baltimore aren't human beings? That's really ugly. That's really racist.

But it was not that long ago that Walsh thought Trump's language made him a bully, but not a racist, and that Walsh was still making racist claims about Obama: "Trump treats everyone like shit. Not just black women. He's not a racist. He's a bully."

Suspended from radio show for discussing racial slurs

In a series of tweets, Walsh says: "Just got kicked off the air until further notice. Tried to have honest discussion about racist terms and management censored my language."

The WIND general manager issued a statement explaining Walsh was pulled from the air but would return: "Joe Walsh conducted a segment of his show regarding the recent controversy about the name of the Washington Redskins [football team]. During the segment Joe intended to cite several common racial slurs as examples. He did not in any way use them in a defamatory or derogatory manner, simply as examples. However, AM 560 The Answer did not allow them to go on the air. We will continue that policy."

Marriage can only exist between one man and one woman

Rated 0% by the HRC, indicating an anti-gay-rights stance.

OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2005-2006 HRC scores as follows:

• 0% - 20%: opposes gay rights (approx. 207 members)
• 20% - 70%: mixed record on gay rights (approx. 84 members)
• 70%-100%: supports gay rights (approx. 177 members)

The Human Rights Campaign represents a grassroots force of more than 700,000 members and supporters nationwide. As the largest national gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, HRC envisions an America where GLBT people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.

Ever since its founding in 1980, HRC has led the way in promoting fairness for GLBT Americans. HRC is a bipartisan organization that works to advance equality based on sexual orientation and gender expression and identity.