The nation's largest real estate trade
association has dropped its endorsement of California Representative
Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican, after he said it's OK not to sell
homes to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
Wayne Woodyard asked Rohrabacher during
a meeting whether he would support a bill that seeks to extend
discrimination protections in the Fair Housing Act to LGBT people.
“He refused to support and was
adamant that every homeowner should be able to make a decision not to
sell their home to someone that they don't agree with their
'lifestyle,'” Woodyard is quoted as saying in a letter from the
National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals
(NAGLREP).
When approached by the Orange County
Register, Rohrabacher responded: “A person who owns their home,
they have a right to choose who they do business with. We've drawn a
line on racism. But I don't think we should extend that line [to
include LGBT people].”
The National Association of Realtors
(NAR), which represents 1.2 million members, said in a statement
given to the Register that it had withdrawn its endorsement of
Rohrabacher.
NAR added that it hopes Congress will
“support the elimination of housing discrimination based on sexual
orientation or gender identity.”
Rohrabacher told the Register
that he's not “anti-gay.”
“There are some fundamentalist
Christians who do not approve of their lifestyle. I support their
rights,” he
said.
Rohrabacher is facing several
challengers for the GOP nomination.