Straight Guy,

Our post on the Sarah Palin buzz inspired this question in the mailbox. Everyone, feel free to chime in on this.
Okay, explain gay conservatives/Republicans. Regardless of political and economic beliefs. . . how do they reconcile the fact that other conservatives want them to burn in hell? Heard any good rationales, in person or in print? In Denver in the 80s I knew the president of the Colorado Gay Republican Caucus and he was all hot for Reagan; he died of AIDS before the end of the decade. How do people live with fatal irony like that?
This is such a great question: Why does anyone want to be part of a group that doesn't want you? Why can't we all just get along?

I've met a few gay Republicans. I feel a bit sad for them actually, they always seem ready for a response ranging from flabbergasted to questioning to outrage. The rationale pretty much always follows this line: "I'm a social liberal, but a fiscal conservative." Or some thing about less government. I guess I'm just not someone to band with my political brothers and my wallet over my friends and my rights. Hey, if big government has the beef to protect my civil rights, then super size it.

In case you want to read up on it, the gay Republicans group is Log Cabin Republicans. Poor Abe Lincoln. (I wonder where Abe would come down on the rights of gays and lesbians. A man of or beyond his time?)

I do understand (and feel) why this becomes a problem in questions of faith. I don't call myself religious, but I did grow up in a faith and it matters to me. It's not great on gay and lesbian issues, but I can't imagine growing up without it.

I recently saw Jihad for Love, a story of lesbian and gay Muslims. If you can see it or just read the web site, please do.

--Gay Guy

1 comment:

Straight Guy said...

Yeah, in the current two party stalemate, there are not a lot of a la carte options if you are trying to match your beliefs to a candidate. If a few gays voted republican in recent years because they ranked fiscal responsibility and isolationism above their civil rights, well, they are now triply burned.

I remember during Marion Barry's post-conviction comeback run for DC Mayor, they had a man-on-the-street interview where a supporter said that he was comfortable voting for Barry because "I'm not here to pass judgment on people." Wait, I thought, judging candiates is the whole point of elections! Man-on-the-street was just too reluctant to admit that he felt that his interests were still most closely aligned to ex-con.

It has to be a tough choice for Log Cabin Republicans... they are so harshly judged by their own party and must choose not to judge in return.