Dem Senate hopeful accuses Rubio of speaking to ‘hate group’

Democratic Senate candidate Patrick Murphy on Thursday slammed Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for speaking before a Christian organization that he said is a hate group. 

Rubio agreed to speak at the event titled “Rediscovering God in America,” hosted by The Florida Renewal Project. The event came on the two-month anniversary of the mass shooting at a Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando.

{mosads}“Marco Rubio is commemorating the two-month anniversary of the Pulse shooting by speaking at a bigoted rally that features advocates for discrimination against LGBT people,” Murphy said in a statement.

“It is difficult to imagine something more offensive to families in Orlando and the LGBT community across our state who are still mourning this horrific hate crime. This adds insult to injury from a Senator who has seized every opportunity to fight against equal rights for LGBT Floridians.”

“Since Marco Rubio won’t tell the truth, I will. The American Renewal Project is a hate group, and Marco Rubio’s decision to speak at their rally is an act of bigotry,” he added.

Rubio rejected the criticism of the group.

“The event I will be speaking at in Orlando is a gathering of local pastors and faith leaders. Leave it to the media and liberal activists to label a gathering of faith leaders as an anti-LGBT event. It is nothing of the sort. It is a celebration of faith,” Rubio said in a statement to the Tampa Bay Times.

“Because I believe that a strong America is not possible without strong families and strong values, for years now I have participated in events hosted by faith leaders to speak about the cultural and social issues before America, including the importance of parents and families, religious liberties and combatting poverty,” he added.

The president of Florida Renewal Project, David Lane, has a history of anti-LGBT statements, calling homosexuality a “symptom of advanced cultural decay.”

Rubio leads Murphy by an average of 4 points in the Senate race, according to a RealClearPolitics average. Before squaring off against Rubio, Murphy will need to win the Democratic primary later this month.

The Florida Senate race is crucial in the battle for the Senate majority, with Democrats hoping to flip the seat back into their column.