Subscribe to Breaking NewsWithers: Coming to the defense of gay Republicans
My Log Cabin brothers and sisters are in deep doo-doo if I’m defending them; however, it is hard not to recognize the loony tunes in Peter LaBarbera’s screed against the group. The president (translation: professional bigot) of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (translation: homophobes who publish crappy scholarship) sent RNC chair Michael Steele a letter asking him to keep gay Republicans at arm’s length.
“If the Republican Party is to turn itself around, it must reach out aggressively to real, pro-family minorities like Steele himself — not homosexual activists whose agenda would restrict our precious religious and First Amendment freedoms by using the government to promote aberrant sexual lifestyles.”
Let’s leave aside the LaBarbera’s blatant plea to pit gays and lesbians against conservative people of color (a smart political move by the way); his description of his gay brothers and sisters as “homosexual activists” is the standard hyperventilation of a Republican who wants to remain in the political hinterland
LaBarbera and his ilk are not going to listen to me (unless to call me a dirty sodomite), but I’ve spoken to gay Republicans. Ate with them. Drank their booze. Don’t know if I slept with one but it is possible. In all of this interaction, the phrase “homosexual activist” has never come to mind. Not once, even when I imbibed a large quantity of gay Republican purchased liquor. What activist extols the greatness of Ronald Reagan and hates everything Kennedy? Name an activist who wishes for fiscal restraint and a smaller federal government?
At its heart, LaBarbera’s pitch shows why the Republicans are out of power. The GOP loves to snipe its own. Instead of recruiting soldiers to fight the three headed beast Obama, Pelosi, and Reid, Republicans now spend their time trying to decide who is GOP pure and who fails the test. Political purity is a fools game (ask the Democrats) and a big tent, even with serious disagreements, is the path to political power.
As a bigot though, this idea has too many syllables for the LaBarbera.
Holy flying tampons… I’m so glad for this article. I have been considering trying to bring back moderate hip hop republicans myself. Ever since my own democratic party abadoned me with the white guilt of electing our current president.
Once obama was the D’s candidate I actually attended a log cabin function and frankly, it wasn’t any better or worse than the democrats. A third party would never work because this country is filled with lemmings.
Or…..how about supporting a party that ACTUALLY has marriage equality as PART of its ACTUAL platform. Like….um….ahhh….say…The GREEN party!! Oh wait, those “communist” greens are just to “anti” american and just to oh so radical for our community to ever support right?!? I mean we’re the new 21st century homos now. That means we have to be like mainstream heteros and embrace the ONE party system err….two party system(excuse me). No more of this “radical” “hippy”"communist” foolishness for us, right? Sometimes you Republicrats make me want to die laughing! LOL!
tjr Said: “TigerTzu…we live in a 2 party system of government. A 3rd party will NEVER work.”
Actually, our system of government is quite capable of accommodating more than 2 political parties at once. There is no law limiting political participation to only two parties. The main reason there is rarely a viable 3rd party candidate with a real chance at winning is because some gloom & doom prophet starts committing the initiative to failure before ever putting forth any effort to try and make it work. In other words, many have convinced themselves that it could never work without giving it a chance or even making a feeble attempt. Many other governments worldwide function nicely with more than 2 parties, as could we if we could just get over this “football game rivalry” mentality where one must choose one team or the other.
“How can you possibly make change when your 3rd party never wins the halls of Congress?”
Why do they “never win”? Is it because people give up before even making an effort? Who is to say that a 3rd party candidate would never win the Congress or Senate? I doubt even Nostradamus would have the psychic mojo to make that prediction.
“The Democratic party is the best and only option.”
Then we are fucked. Our “best and only option” has sold us down the river at every opportunity and so far not seeing much difference in Obama’s administration. Once you give up the misguided and underserved notion that the Democrats are the saviors of the SCC Community, then other options become more feasible.
Au contraire, Withers, there is right now a seismic shift occurring. A titantic struggle to wrest control of conservatism from the fakers (neo-cons, et al.) going on.
1994 didn’t require a big tent. They just let it get hijacked by the traitors among them.
Traitors that will be rooted out and sent packing.
Steele knows this. Watch and learn. Political power is not about who has more people in the party kind of numbers game. Political power is based on who has more dedicated true believers. Not who has the biggest tent.
Obama won the primary based on that.
I think it is absolutely absurd that people are trying to advise the Republican Party how to turn things around. In the first place, I don’t want them to turn things around. I want them to die an ignominious death under the weight of the policies that have ruined this country. I the second place, the whole concept of a gay republican is offensive and rediculous.
La Barbera is definitely a bigot. So are most ‘pubs.
“gay Republican” = “Jew for Hitler”.
I’m amazed that this is even a topic on a gay site. As far as I’m concerned, “Log Cabin Republicans” is like Jews for Jesus. It just doesn’t add up. When we were kids and other kids didn’t want to play with us…did we push ourselves on them, or just let them play by themselves and we find other people like us to play with…if a paticular group doesn’t like you…why would you want to push yourself on that group? I say leave the Republicans alone…they have enough problems of their own…The Republicans HATE gays and do not accept them…so don’t start staying you do now…just to help your party out…hate is hate…any way you want to look at it…
TigerTzu…we live in a 2 party system of government. A 3rd party will NEVER work. How can you possibly make change when your 3rd party never wins the halls of Congress? The Democratic party is the best and only option.
I watched a few minutes of Sicko the other day. I caught the part about why is it our last administration had us convinced the French are a-holes who hate us. The answer was astounding to me. In their hospitals all they ask for is name and date of birth, no insurance cards or credit cards. They treat those who are sick because they are sick. Period. The government bends over backwards for it’s citizens because…..THEY FEAR THEM! Imagine if our government were to ever fear revolt from it’s citizens! Doubtful in my lifetime…we have been brainwashed into thinking they call all the shots and we are the passengers on this train. Damn shame!
I’ve often thought it would be our community that would show the way to the “promised land” for lack of a better word. Does anyone else think we have it in us?
Hi, James! Just wanted to say that I always enjoy your pieces. Good food for thought.
Morgan Said: “The Democrat party is full of crap at times, but until something larger, better and more influential in the voting booth comes along, that is where I will have to stay.”
We need to find a 3rd party and get behind it. Republicans are open about their hate for us. Only the most naieve among us believe the democrats are our friends. We need to make the Libertairian our own, elect our own candidates and help ourselves instead of 2 party that have used and abused us for decades. We may not win any elections anytime soon but the option of a viable thrid party would soon appeal to those tired of the governmental status quo. Before someone says anything about throwing away votes on a third party, ask yourself this…”Do you vote just to be on the winning team or to make actual changes for the better of our country?” This isnt a football game or wrestling match and we should stop acting like fans and more like citizens responsible for the direction of our country.
Reading these comments is enough to make me laugh myself to death!
I fled the GOP party about 8 years ago and hell will freeze over before I return the party my grandfather and father (both deceased)belonged to.
From Nixon (who soured Dad on this party and he became an Independent)on down to this very day the GOP party as become more and more rotten, more brazen, corrupt, win at all costs and beholden to the ayatollahs and the radical far right-wing ultra conservative crazies of Christendom (Ayatollah James Dobson of False Focus On My Family one of them and now Ayatollah Tony Perkins of the “Christian” “Family” “Research” “Council”
UnChristian, antifamily, not doing any “original” “research” of any type council of antigay “yammerers”)
who want the all our policy-makers to come meekly and childlike to them, hat in hand and head bowed and grovel before them.
The Democrat party is full of crap at times, but until something larger, better and more influential in the voting booth comes along, that is where I will have to stay.
Daniel is correct. I’m a reformed republican. I truly, truly believe in fiscal restraint and halvin the government….James, there are activists that write letters about and believe in this, I’m one of them.
But the republicans simply sold out conservatism. Nowhere does conservatism say it has to be anti-gay. In fact small government focused SOLELY on border protection, international relationship building, education and business promotion doesn’t care about who you marry or what happens in your bedrooms.
False religious idealogical conservatism does care about such things and they have taken over the party. They may be religious conservatives (I prefer idealogues) but they are absolutely not political conservatives. True political conservatives do not want the government to even have the resources to think about sexuality and marriage or abortion for that matter.
Until republicans renounce religious conservatism and start proving their fiscal conservatism, I will remain with the libertarians.
Yes, the democrats talk about my civil rights and I applaud them for that. I’d sure like to see more action instead of just words but I have to agree they are most likely to confirm our equal rights.
I just can’t vote for a party that believes in handouts (like this HORRIBLE stimulus package…if you need a stimulus, pass one, not this handout to people who don’t even pay taxes but will get a check. I already support a few dozen of these families) and unfair tax policy.
I could type a long list but its all about taxing success vs. usage. The more you make the LOWER your tax rate should be…you don’t use services at the higher levels associated with increasing tax rates on your income. It is criminal to tax income the way we do.
So no, no respect for the LCR’s who should become libertarians. As for a conservative party in this country? I’m waiting for one to come around. The republicans aren’t anymore and the religious base are total nutcases.
The fundamental problem, and why I have a low regard for Log Cabin Republicans, is that the GOP has consciously and aggressively allied themselves with every conservative religious group that they can squeeze into their tent, which makes their base almost overwhelmingly anti-gay.
LCR gays usually argue that they support the GOP because they’re into “fiscal discipline”, “lower taxes” and “smaller government”. But the last eight years proved that the GOP does NOT actually want any of those things. So I find it impossible to condone gay support for the GOP because even those rationales that have nothing to do with LGBT rights fail to hold up against the reality.
It would be easier to bring fiscal conservativism to the Democrats (the so-called Blue Dog Group champions this) than to try and convince a bunch of religious fundamentalists to sit back and allow LGBT rights laws to pass.
Notice that religious conservatives frequently claim that gay rights represents a denial of THEIR freedom of religion and speech. Poor people, the nasty liberals are trying to force them to tolerate the existence of “sinners” that in the good old days they could have beaten to death with impunity. It’s just so unfair!
The U.S. Republicans are nothing like the U.K. Conservatives, who still have many homophobes in their ranks, but who also have a party leader who supported civil partnerships and put openly gay men in senior party positions. But he doesn’t have to answer to unelected religious power brokers the way the GOP does.
So I don’t see anything other than self-delusion in thinking that the GOP can be worked with. They are not going to trade out their no-compromises base of religious conservatives just to win a handful of gay votes. Period.