Dom Gelsomino is running for a House seat in Idaho’s District 18, and he really, really wants you to know that he is both openly gay and a conservative Republican.
In an interview with Boise’s ABC 6, Gelsomino is practically beaming while describing what a “treat” Idaho is in for:
“Idaho gets to see its first openly gay Republican run for office — and a conservative Republican, too.”
His opponent, Democrat Phyllis King, isn’t concerned with his sexual orientation and expects the race to focus on broader issues than gay rights. However, Idaho is embroiled in a gay rights battle right now. King is the co-sponsor of the “Add The Words” bill, which seeks to add the words “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to Idaho’s Human Rights Act.
In typical Republican fashion, Gelsomino supports the bill but wants to make both religious institutions and federal and state-owned businesses, buildings, or organizations exempt from it.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Yes, you heard that correctly. Gelsomino would be A-OK with his employer having the legal grounds to discriminate against him if it pleases his Republican constituents.
Gelsomino is only 21 years old, so we can definitely chalk some of this up to youth. There’s nothing wrong with diversity in politics, but it’s more than a little disturbing to see a gay man so willing to make concessions when it comes to equal rights.
Cam
So the GOP in Idaho found a somebody with a the label “Gay” who is self hating enough and excited enough to be allowed in the servants entrance that can use to stand up and defend their discrimination.
Now that Log Cabin and GOProud were thoroughly discredited in the last elections for their support of anti-gay politicians over pro-gay ones, they need somebody like this guy to give them cover.
ChiChi Man
How depressing is it that a straight woman is fighting to get this twit more rights than he thinks he deserves? Self-hatred is not a pretty thing.
tk92
So we are going to criticize him for trying to advance LGBT rights, but trying to be pragmatic about it?
He is self-hating because he is a republican? We constantly say our orientation does not define us, but when it comes to politics, the community destroys anybody who does not vote just based on their orientation. Perhaps he is a gun-owner, pro-life, veteran, tea-party wackjob, who knows! People are allowed to have other legitimate reasons for voting or affiliating with parties, BESIDES BEING GAY.
MK Ultra
@tk92: Advance LGBT rights?
Where did you read that?
From the article, it sounds like he wants to give everyone and anyone an exemption from discrimination laws.
sunaz
Oh look a non Obama supporter/ conforming gay man. Queerty says- let’s destroy him! So much for ‘diversity’ especially if someone doesn’t subscribe to the same tribal politics as they (collectively the community) does. So disgusting…
tk92
@ MK Ultra: He supports the bill, which would be a big step for Idaho. Would you rather have no bill at all versus a bill that isn’t perfect?
MK Ultra
@tk92: Actually, those aren’t the only two choices. I’d rather Gelsomino’s opponent win.
tk92
@ MK Ultra: Actually, the fate of the bill does not rest in the hands of these two individuals. The entire legislature of Idaho will decide it. The bill without religious exemptions has zero shot at passing in this very conservative state. I guess a lot of people would just rather lose on principle versus winning with pragmatism.
[email protected]
I live in Idaho District 18 and know both Domenic and his opponent quite well. Let me see if I can clarify a couple things.
He may have not used the best word choice (at your first interview, can you blame him). What he was stating that he supports the Add the Words campaign if it’s modeled after the one enacted by the city of Boise in December 2012. That ordinance makes it illegal to fire someone, evict someone, or refuse them service for being gay or transgender. The exemptions set by the city of Boise in our ordinance were churches and religious organizations (such as Catholic Charities of Idaho) and any building in the city that is owned by the federal, state, or foreign governments (like the IRS office, Idaho Health and Welfare, or a hypothetical consulate) since the city did not want to enforce the law in parts of the city where it does not have jurisdiction. This is what he supports. He mainly wants to make sure that if the law is passed statewide that religious institutions and organizations that object on religious grounds (as opposed to people or businesses) are not governed by it.
He also supports marriage equality as long as religious institutions are not forced to perform them if they object (which is in effect in every state with equality now). He even told me once that banning same-sex marriage infringes on the rights of churches that want to perform them. He went on a radio show with an ultra social-conservative host and told the listeners that the government has no business regulating marriage at all and needed to stay out of it. And this was in direct response to some Pennsylvania hillbilly who was all whining about activist judges.
It’s very easy to vilify him, especially since he hasn’t even begun campaigning and we have a couple sound bites. But the idea that he supports Add the Words as long as it has more holes than swiss cheese is not true. If he wins great, if his opponent wins (who I also like), great. Either way we have a supporter and District 18 House Seat B has an ally to the community.
And FWIW, this post is coming from a gay Chicago-born, Obama-voting, French-speaking, Whole-MSNBC-primetime-lineup-watching, Bill-Maher-loving, Hannity-hating liberal Democrat.
BJ McFrisky
Another gay conservative who’s going to curb the out-of-control spending of the Democrats that’s bankrupting our country and put us back on the path to prosperity rather than massive debt?
Alright, alright, alright.
MK Ultra
@tk92: “a lot of people”
Settle down. There is no need for passive aggressiveness.
I still don’t see how it’s pragmatic. One way or the other it’s quite useless for preventing discrimination against LGBT.
Once again, I’d rather see his opponent win. Are you suggesting that people vote for him simply because he’s gay?
Sandalphon
“Gelsomino supports the bill but wants to make both religious institutions and federal and state-owned businesses, buildings, or organizations exempt from it.”
I long for the day when EVERYBODY in this country all have to play by the same rules. It’s becoming tiresome that in order to get equal rights legislation passed, we have to kowtow to religious institutions that hide behind God to justify their bigotry.
tk92
@ MK Ultra: Didn’t mean to sound passive aggressive lol. I just think it is sad how gay republicans are automatically labelled self hating. Being LGBT is about inclusion. Many gay people have other reasons to be republican besides the issue of marriage. I just do not get the vitriol. If he is AGAINST any form of lgbt rights, then I get it, but he is just going with a different approach.
I have to look more into his opponent’s view’s in order to see who I would prefer.
corey
I wonder if he had a good time with all the other hopefuls at CPAC, oh wait, that’s right, Republicans, Conservatives, and T-Party folk banned gays, heck, there are even a few Dems who are anti-gay.
DarkZephyr
@tk92: please stop and think about it. WHAT would be the point in HAVING the bill in the FIRST place if the religios were exempt from it? Please stop and think REAL hard ok? WHO is it that descriminates against us to begin with? WHO is it that we NEED these protections from? Hello! THE RELIGIOUS! Who else does the vast majority of anti-LGBT sentiment come from??? Religious exemption would make the bill utterly pointless!!
Cam
@tk92: said… “So we are going to criticize him for trying to advance LGBT rights, but trying to be pragmatic about it?
_____________________________
No, he is self hating because he advocates the legalization of discrimination and bigotry.
This is no difference than if Colin Powell ran for office and supported a bill that allowed gas stations to not sell to blacks.
Cam
@BJ McFrisky:
And what a shock! BJ once again, as you ALWAYS do, automatically takes the side of somebody advocating discrimination against gays.
My only struggle is trying to decide which one of you is more self hating than the other.
stranded
@[email protected]:
thanks for your input.
JustAGuyInIdaho
I think that he can be gay and Republican. Having heard him speak at different venues during his time at Boise State University, I don’t think he will be a good voice for the LGBT community. In my opinion I think he will be like what Congressman Raul Labrador is with the Latino community. Just because he is Latino doesn’t mean he supports Latino issues. I applaud Gelsomino for being open but I don’t think he will be an ally of the LGBT community.
Kangol
@BJ McFrisky:
Just because you and other conservatives keep saying that there’s “out of control spending” doesn’t make it true. This was the case under George W. Bush.
Politifact factchecked this claim c0nservatives like to make, and it turns out that our current president, Barack Obama, has the lowest total federal government spending increase, or the second lowest in inflation-adjusted dollars, of any president since Lyndon Johnson.
This Idaho candidate sounds like he still needs to figure out what equality under the law really means. I have heard of worse, far more h0m0phobic Republicans, though, which is to say, the vast majority of them running states, statehouses, and in the Congress.
hephaestion
Dom Gelsomino needs to turn off the Fox News, turn off the rightwing talk radio, and start waking up to the fact that the Republican Party’s PRIMARY GOAL is to fuck him over because he is gay.
Mikah
Disgraceful.
DarkZephyr
@BJ McFrisky: Let’s pretend that its true that Democrats are guilty of “out of control spending” that is “bankrupting our country”. Let’s say this Dom Gelsomino DOES curb it. Heck, let’s say he *ends* it. Then what? Will you FINALLY be in favor of equality for LGBT people? Or is that something you never want to see happen?
Rheged
Good for him for braving the criticism of two different factions, although more experience and a wider base of issues would make him more attractive to undecided voters. A word of marketing advice for you Democrats on here: two things about many gay Democrats that repel many thousands of gay non-Democrats like me. First, your sad reduction of yourselves to your sexuality and your viewing of all issues and people through your genitalia. There are all kinds of issues from international relations, to economics, to education, to life-and-death issues (gun control, war, abortion, euthanasia) that have nothing to do with which gender you like to get it on with and that demand serious intellectual, logical, empircally-based discussion and vigorous attempts to truly understand an opponent’s point of view. Second, your blind, hypocritical, narrow-minded, hateful, intellectually-anemic intolerance of any who think differently from you, which make your ads for “tolerance” and “diversity” laughable. Get some synapses firing and understand that if you want others to treat gay people well, and all people well, it begins with treating gay people like Gelsomino with respect and encouraging gay people to come forward to effect change in all political factions.
brokeback gypsy
you lost me at gay republican.
Sandalphon
@Rheged: “First, your sad reduction of yourselves to your sexuality and your viewing of all issues and people through your genitalia.”
I can’t speak for you, but issues such as marriage equality, non-discrimination legislation, affordable healthcare for a community that has one of the highest rates of uninsured people in the nation and fair and equal treatment under the law doesn’t give me a hard-on. As a matter of fact, my genitalia would prefer to take a neutral stance in such matters. I don’t consider the issues I’ve just referenced as a “sad reduction” of myself. I think a more accurate term would be “self esteem” or “self worth”.
“Second, your blind, hypocritical, narrow-minded, hateful, intellectually-anemic intolerance of any who think differently from you, which make your ads for “tolerance” and “diversity” laughable.”
LOL!!! Had I not read your entire post, I (and a healthy majority of the electorate) would have sworn you were referring to the Republican Party.
“Get some synapses firing…”
Ted Cruz, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal, Jan Brewer…I think I’ve made my point.
“A word of marketing advice for you Democrats…”
a) The re-election of a polarizing president in a stagnant economy. b) An increased majority in the U.S. Senate when conventional wisdom (and most political analysts) predicted would flip for Republicans c) A Democratic victory in the raw popular vote in the House of Representatives. (Republicans maintain control of the House thanks to the gerrymandering of Congressional districts after the 2010 census). I don’t think it’s the Democrats who have the messaging problem. I’ll quote a passage from the very Bible Republicans and “non democrats” alike have used to lynch the LGBT community for decades, “Physician heal thyself”.
I don’t know Dom Gelsomino. I’m sure he’s a nice man with good intentions and I wish him well. I’m probably in the minority when I say that there probably should be more openly gay Republicans and Independents because, as my father used to say, it’s foolish to put all of your eggs in one basket. But your post lost any credibility with me when you call for increased tolerance from LGBT Democrats and then proceed to use phrases like “intellectually-anemic”. Do some soul searching. You may just come to the conclusion that you’re the one who needs a lesson in tolerance.
sejjo
I know his type – from the same ilk as the Log Cabin Republicans and GOProuders such as the gazillionaire Peter Thiel and the Bush Administration campaigner Ken Mehlman. The ones who proclaim that “I am not a one-issue voter” to justify membership in the notoriously homophobic Republican Party. The ones who vote for DOMA, are outed by the gay press and then justify their self-hatred by insisting that they separate their private lives from their jobs as legislators. The ones who associate and are enamored with homophobes like Anne Coulter. Yeah, yeah, I know his type all right!
DarkZephyr
@Rheged: “A word of marketing advice for you Democrats on here: two things about many gay Democrats that repel many thousands of gay non-Democrats like me.”
I am not Democrat but I am CERTAINLY no Republican either, but I want to respond to this.
1) What makes you think ANY Non-Republican cares if we repel Republican gay guys? I have never heard of that being a problem for ANY of us.
2) You repel us just as much if not MORE, trust me.
3) We are not the ones who “sadly reduced ourselves” to our sexualities. Its the Republicans and other homophobes who continue to trample and withhold our rights among other vile anti-gay acts that have done this. WE are just defending ourselves.
4) I happen to be pro-life and I don’t NEED to be a Republican to be pro-life, THANK you very much. But that is NOT what our current discussion is about. The focus of THIS topic is LGBT rights. We ARE allowed to be passionate about several issues.
5) You talk of respect in the same paragraph that you say things like this: “First, your sad reduction of yourselves to your sexuality and your viewing of all issues and people through your genitalia.”
You think protecting our families through legislation is related to our genitalia? Look, respect is a two way street and back when we DID uphold the status-quo and act properly “respectful” what kind of respect did WE get? Its those NON-Republicans that DEMANDED respect and started to get it who made it so you can strut around as an openly gay Republican without facing the same amount of vilification that you would have 10, 20, 30 years ago and so son.
And what was respectful in what you said there, basically in typical Republican fashion trying to sexually shame us and accuse us of ONLY caring about our genitalia? How disgusting and rude of you. Don’t pretend you know a darn thing about respecting others buddy, and CERTAINLY don’t lecture us about it until you can actually SHOW it. If you think we are going to fall over ourselves with “respect” for you after you fling that kind of diarrhea at us you have another thing coming, Pal.
6) “Second, your blind, hypocritical, narrow-minded, hateful, intellectually-anemic intolerance of any who think differently from you, which make your ads for “tolerance” and “diversity” laughable”
And while you continue to carry this absurd viewpoint there will NEVER be a polite meeting of the minds, BELIEVE me. Active work AGAINST our rights and against our families goes FAR beyond “thinking differently”. If this was just about “thinking differently” nobody would give a crap, but Republicans WORK AGAINST US ACTIVELY. And you better darn well believe we will NEVER take that lying down. Sorry.
7) “Get some synapses firing and understand that if you want others to treat gay people well, and all people well, it begins with treating gay people like Gelsomino with respect”
Baloney. They will NEVER treat us well. We kissed their backsides for decades and it got us absolutely NOWHERE. The gay rights movement before Stonewall was NOTHING but respect and conformity and assimilation and it was absolutely powerless and affected NO change whatsoever. They didn’t want to treat us well. We will have to continue to fight back and show that we are strong for anything to happen. We are making amazing progress these days and it CERTAINLY wouldn’t happen if we went about it YOUR way. No. We don’t care anymore whether or not we “repel” Republicans because Republicans repel US. We have to keep fighting. That is the only way that has worked at all.
If you think I am going to buy what you are selling about how its OUR fault that Republicans don’t treat us well and repress our rights simply because we don’t kiss their backsides, you are out of your skull. You can keep your nasty snake-oil and so can Dom Gelsomino.
damon459
@Rheged: Blah Blah Blah the party of hate wants to play the victim as usual. BTW that party you love so much hates you, they don’t even want you showing up to their fundraisers. They just want you check and for you to shut up, so please do us a favor and do what they want you to do SHUT UP!
Greg Garavani
Because only Democrats make the right choices, what makes you think this guy can’t change things around and show the rest of the GOP losers that we aren’t who they portray us to be.
DarkZephyr
@Greg Garavani: For me its not so much about his party affiliation in this instance, its his desire for “religious exemption” from a law protecting LGBT people from being fired for being gay. Such exemptions would render the law useless. I recognize that once in a great blue moon there IS a truly pro-LGBT Republican who actually DOES want what’s best for LGBT people. I am not sure this guy fits that description however.
Cam
@Rheged: said….. “Second, your blind, hypocritical, narrow-minded, hateful, intellectually-anemic intolerance of any who think differently from you
________________________
The typical defense of the gay republican. “You don’t like them because they think differently than you!”
Funny how they never detail the fact that “Thinking differently” means that they support laws that turn you into second class citizens, allow bigotry, minimize penalties for attacks etc…
So let me get this straight, Gays disagreeing with the GOP is intolerance, but the GOP wanting to strip away all civil rights from gays, attack their very livelihood and legalize bigotry is simply “Disagreeing”.
Your game is very transparent.
BJ McFrisky
@Rheged: Well said, sir. We need more opinions like yours around here that don’t see the world through a prism of gay or straight.
Cam
@BJ McFrisky:
But they do see the world through a prism of civil rights or bigotry. Supporting somebody who advocates for bigoted laws is the same as supporting those laws.
DarkZephyr
@BJ McFrisky: The reason this “prism” exists is because homophobic heterosexuals created it. Its amazing how you constantly fault gays for it and praise the group that created it. And you only ever criticize gays for it. I NEVER see you criticize homophobes for it. Not ONCE.
JennyFromdabloc
@sunaz: Do you really believe your snarky reply to be true? Or are you a Queerty contributor trying to stoke the conversation?