Washington- Today the Human Rights Campaign - the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization - announced the endorsement of Democrat Chris Coons for the U.S. Senate from Delaware. Coons, the current New Castle County executive, is a steadfast supporter of equality who has pledged to be a voice for fairness in the Senate. His opponent, Republican nominee Christine O'Donnell, holds wildly radical views on LGBT and other issues.

"Chris Coons will serve as a strong antidote to the poisonous extremism of Christine O'Donnell," said HRC President Joe Solmonese. "While Coons respects all families, her stances go well beyond the debate over equality - they are crafted from lies that harm our children and our families."

In the 1990s, O'Donnell founded the SALT (Savior's Alliance for Lifting the Truth). According to the SALT's website in 2000, the SALT existed to "encourage young people to live a life of chastity - as opposed to abstinence - for chastity is a concept which goes beyond saving sex until marriage, and in fact is a lifestyle which Christ calls us to live out through our entire lives, be we single or married, man or woman." The website also stated the SALT sought to cure homosexuality and "sexual brokenness" through prayer - a practice debunked as harmful to individuals by the American Psychological Association. O'Donnell has also publically stated that masturbation is wrong. Additionally, O'Donnell appeared at a press conference on Capitol Hill opposing openly-gay Ambassador nominee James Hormel, saying they were concerned about his supposed "ties to the pedophile rights movement."

O'Donnell doesn't stop with anti-equality stances. During the Delaware Republican primary, her campaign mocked her perception of her opponent saying, "You know, these are the kind of cheap, underhanded, un-manly tactics that we've come to expect from Obama's favorite Republican, Mike Castle. You know, I released a statement today, saying Mike this is not a bake-off, get your man-pants on."

"O'Donnell's lack of civility on the campaign trail is telling," Solmonese added. "In a time when many Republicans are on the right side of history by supporting equality, O'Donnell couldn't be further from the mainstream. We are confident that the fair-minded people of Delaware will reject O'Donnell's extremism and instead elect pro-equality Chris Coons."

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.