Though it has opposed the Defense of Marriage act, the gay Republican group GOProud has never officially endorsed marriage equality. Until now.
GOProud director Jimmy LaSalvia (right) told Buzzfeed’s Chris Geidner that the three-and-a-half year old group is joining statewide initiatives to enact same-sex marriage, and has issued a statement in support of the cause:
Since our founding, GOProud has worked exclusively on federal issues. Because marriage has been a state issue since the founding of our country, we have had no official position on marriage or relationship recognition. We have supported, and continue to support, the repeal of DOMA, and we oppose any effort to federalize marriage though a constitutional amendment. Now that GOProud’s Board of Directors has voted to begin work on the state and local level, we believe it is important to lay out our principles when it comes to marriage and relationship recognition.
GOProud believes that stable, loving, committed relationships are the cornerstone of our society and should be protected and encouraged for all couples – including gay and lesbian couples. We believe that the decision about how to best do this is one that should be made at the state level and that these decisions are best made by the people directly or through their elected representatives – not by unelected judges.
Where civil marriage is possible, we support civil marriage. Where civil unions are possible, we support civil unions. Where domestic partner benefits are possible, we support domestic partner benefits. As federalists, we do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach on almost any issue and that includes relationship recognition for gay couples.
We are firmly committed to winning hearts and minds, which is why we understand that not everyone who doesn’t support marriage for gay couples is automatically a bigot or homophobe. We understand that there are people of deep faith who may have religious objections to marriage. We respect those differences and believe that no church or religious institution should ever be force to solemnize a marriage that is against its teachings.
Exactly how effective the group’s efforts will be when it continues to endorse politicians who oppose marriage equality is anyone’s guess.
Taliaferro
They are still GOP members, more concerned with their personal financial well being than the good of the LGBT community. This is far too little far too late.
MK Ultra
Who cares?
They are nobodies desperately trying to be somebodies
Aidan8
I remember, back in my law school days, how obnoxious the Federalist Society members were…. the young-Republican types. Typical then, and typical now, a true “federalist” is a rare bird. The vast majority of them easily switch and push for national/federal action/intervention when it suits their purposes.
Little-Kiwi
hilarious. HILARIOUS.
and beyond vague, as usual.
if you wanna see how and what Gay Republicans are, watch Django Unchained – samuel l. jackson’s character? gay republican.
you gotta love, too, that the already-married members of GOProud married due to the work of…uh….”liberal activist judges”, and “those stereotypical gay leftists”
so, what’s their work gonna consist of? let’s hear some specifics.
starting, perhaps, with condemning Boehner and the GOP for extending the budget to defend DOMA to 3 million dollars?
Joetx
The Log Cabins aren’t extreme enough for the GOProud crowd.
Think about that.
wiredpup
Irrelevant self loathing homosexuals support what?
jamal49
And this should be of interest to us because……? I could say some nasty things about Mr. LaSalvia since I know him and the 12 or 14 bigoted reprobates that make up GoProud’s membership but I’ll pass. More importantly is to ask why this tacky little queen wouldn’t support it from the beginning! As he once said, “anything liberals are for, I am against.” That just about sums up GoProud’s entire agenda.
tomron
I suppose we should all accept anyone’s support and effort – after all, in this case the ends WOULD justify the means. However, again in this case; what support and who’s going to listen? These are self satisfied, smug individuals whose very success and freedoms and attainments have been largely achieved with the help of the steady, difficult, hard work those liberals whom they disdain have provided for us all – them included.
There was a time when I listened and appreciated the views of my then conservative friends. After all, who says I’m 100% right in all political matters. AND, in those days, discourse was civil. AND, in those days, if your side didn’t win the individual battle or the election, there was always the next time to come back. But, because of the way these supposedly intelligent and thoughtful people have allowed the crazies to take over their party, and because of the way their party has thwarted any ability of government to function because the ideas and laws were initiated by “those unspeakable Democrats”, I have developed a deep lack of respect and empathy for them. Yes, I do long for a viable Republican party because I believe deeply in the checks and balances of a two party system judiciously wielded. But not at the expense of getting anything at all done in government through thuggery and incessant blackmail through the filibuster system, for no reason other than blind opposition.
What has all this to do with their “support”? The fact that they have allowed their party to sink into the depravity of the modern Republican party speaks for itself, and I blame them for allowing it to happen, and for supporting its’ nonsense. I predict that soon, nobody except the crazies will listen.
mcflyer54
I’m not certain who exactly is listening to GOProud aside from their own members? Certainly their party has turned a deaf ear toward them. If it makes them feel better to support marriage equality then so be. Marriage should have never been considered a “states” rights issue in the first place (you don’t stop being a licensed driver when you go from one state to another) so their excuse for not joining the argument sooner is lame. The Republican party doesn’t want anything to do with GOProud but unfortunately they haven’t yet figured that out.
The Real Mike in Asheville
Who the fuck gives a fuck what the fuck these dumb fucks think?
Chris Vogel
Wow! Who would have thought it? Gay Republicans in favour of equality! This must have tasted like vinegar coming out of their mouths, being Republicans and all (that is, being mean-spirited, narrow-minded, childishly irresponsible, utterly self-indulgent, and eager to show other Republicans that they are just like them). Of course, it would be much too much to expect that they will stop supporting homophobic bigots.
jwrappaport
@Aidan8: Amen. Although, I really wonder if federal tyranny is as real a threat as the tyranny of the majority within the states themselves.
Aaron
@mcflyer54: You are exactly right. The “we do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach” is nonsensical as soon as federal benefits enter the picture. So someone married in MA would get federal benefits and someone in TX where gay marriage is not allowed wouldn’t be entitled to the same? Beyond ludicrous to even suggest that is a realistic approach to this issue.
technicolornina
Translation: “our fifteen minutes of fame are over and we can’t admit we’re totally wrong, so let’s just A LITTLE BIT pretend we think we might possibly in some way maybe agree to get another thirty seconds!”
Borrrrring. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work setting aside some money to donate to Democrats in 2014.
2eo
@jamal49: Why why why. His actions directly affect millions, anything that can be used to attack this disgraceful waste of humanity should be posted as soon as it is known.
JasonMacBride
I’m still waiting to meet the first person who gives a rat’s ass what these clowns think.
The Real Mike in Asheville
@JasonMacBride: Geez Jason, just how many more “fuck”‘s did I need to write in my post @No. 10 to indicate that I don’t give a fuck, or even a rat’s ass, what these fucks think?
BJ McFrisky
What a great schooling in sociology:
As per the above comments, this should be a lesson well-learned by GOProud: Reach out to the gay community and you draw back a bloody stump.
How come you guys embrace a Barack Obama when he “evolves” (to get our votes, no less), but have nothing but disdain for a GAY group that supports us? Oh yeah, that’s right: “Diversity” only applies to people who look different but all think exactly the same way. Got it.
Little-Kiwi
@BJ McFrisky: hey coward!
keep proving every gay liberal right, with your idiocy.
this isn’t reaching out. as every Out, pro-Equality human being would understand.
wiredpup
@BJ McFrisky: There’s an old saying that applies to this, What ever Mary.
Chris Vogel
@BJ McFrisky: Oh, how grand and Republican and Christ-like: gay republican weenies are “reaching out to the gay community”. If they ever grow up (unlikely, since they are much too busy being greedy), they would realise that they are part of the gay community and, almost all of the time, are trashing it for their own benefit.
queertypie
The Republican Party is really a party of some serious Bi-Polar mental disorder going on. The Log Cabin Republicans have “finally” supported marriage equality and the main-stream Party decides to add even more money to uphold DOMA. The Log Cabin Republicans should also be supporting Marriage Equality, the repeal of DOMA, supporting ENDA, defending women’s reproductive rights, etc. It seems as if the Log Cabin Republicans are waiting for big Daddy Republican Party to tell them what and when they can support different issues. Log Cabin Republican need to grow a pair.
Cagnazzo82
GOProud… the hated redheaded stepchild of the Republican party. A group of individuals more concerned with paying less taxes hobbling government’s ability to function properly than their own right to not be treated as second-class citizens.
Apparently they’re under the delusion that anyone outside their self-loathing group cares what they think.
dunivant66
Who give a shit what GOProud endorses; they are nothing but uppity wealthy gay Conservatives!!! They can kiss my ass!!!
BJ McFrisky
@dunivant66: Typical “tolerance” of the gay left. Glad to know you’re still so all-inclusive of everyone—everyone except those whose ideology happens to stray from your own (although I must say that, in all honesty, it sounds like a little of the old OWS meme that wealth is evil . . . until you have it, of course, when suddenly it’s OK).
@Chris Vogel: Silly lime-eater. What’s with all you foreigners on this site? This is about AMERICAN politics, not European or Canadian, so what’s with all of the feedback from other countries? Unless you’re an ego-maniac, surely you must be intelligent enough to understand that your opinions mean as little to us as our opinions mean to you.
jwrappaport
@BJ McFrisky: To be intolerant of intolerance is consistent with tolerance. The idea of tolerance is that you give every viewpoint a chance to make its case and then evaluate each as objectively as you can, not that you accept every position. Indeed, to stand for everything is to stand for nothing at all – that’s not what tolerance means. As for embracing Obama, many of us, myself included, do not: He is the lesser evils in that, while he will not likely expend any serious political capital for us, he will certainly not stand in our way.
Also, what’s your deal with telling foreigners that their opinions on American politics are meaningless to us Americans? Speak for yourself: The essence of meaningful political discourse is a free interchange of a plurality of views. Having a foreigner comment on our politics makes our discourse that much richer and forces us to confront his views, regardless of their merit.
For what it’s worth, those “lime-eaters” not only gave us the very words you’re using to insult them, but also much of the framework that undergirds our own Constitution and the legal regime that will hopefully vindicate it come March.
tjr101
I see old Blow Job Frisky is at it again, whining about intolerance from the left while being too wimpish to confront the overt bigotry of his own masters in the GOP.
Chris Vogel
@BJ McFrisky: On ne tolere pas de la merde toxique.
2eo
@tjr101: BJ is one of a group [originally 6 but one thankfully died just before christmas in circumstances I absolutely know nothing about *cough*] of people who are paid to post on LGBT and “liberal” forums all over the web.
They used to co-ordinate over Usenet but they were busted for exchanging child pornography, BJ’s IP address banks run quite similar to those indicted at the time, wouldn’t surprise me if he was into that kind of thing to be fair given his whole outlook on life.
BJ McFrisky
@tjr101: By far I receive more criticism from the “tolerant” left for being conservative than I do from conservatives for being gay—which says a LOT. As for my GOP “masters” . . . dude, I AM the master. Just ask my houseboys.
@2eo: I wasn’t looking for a pissing match, but your comment is more proof that the opinions of you lefty foreigners are based in paranoia, not in common sense. You continuously claim that I’m part of some covert group out to attack gays via message boards—so prove it. If I’m wrong (which I’m not), then I welcome you to disclose my IP address and name and home address and whatever else you claim to know about me (but in actually don’t). Show ’em you’re right and I’m wrong. Go on, prove your UK superiority by writing what you “know” about me.
I’ll be waiting for your response. Or better yet, since you think you know who I am, just call me at my business (you must be equally aware of where that is). I’ll be here all day.
Little-Kiwi
McFrisky could always “prove” everyone wrong by posting a video in which he shows his Republican family and their amazing inclusive work promoting LGBT Equality within the GOP.
will he? no. why? because he can’t.
is he loved and accepted by his fellow republicans? no. not at all. he’s barely tolerated. and he, like every other gay republican, can only earn that pitiful amount of tolerance by spewing nonsense about Liberals and Other Gays.
he’ll ramble anonymously, yet will never put a face to his claims, nor show with proof what wonderful work his fellow GOP family and friends are doing for the gay community. because they’re not doing anything.
but don’t worry. he’ll die alone. so it’s ok.
Cagnazzo82
@BJ McFrisky:
Note to BJ McFrisky: You’re not the master of anything. All you are is just a second-class republican. And that’s all you’ll ever be within that party.
GOProud was barred from attending CPAC last year. They’ve learned their value-less place the hard way. Perhaps you should learn yours as well.
2eo
@Little-Kiwi: If he dies anything like his friend it’ll be really funny.
BJ McFrisky
@Cagnazzo82: Note to Cagnazzo: I’m not a Republican. I understand that doesn’t fit in with your angry image of who I might be, but reckless assumptions tend to get people in trouble.
@2eo: I see you declined my offer to expose my true identity, which you so proudly claim you’re privy to. Seriously—you claim to know me and everything about me, so out me. Come on. Your fans await your show of power.
(Just keep in mind: the silence of a cowardly liar is deafening)
Little-Kiwi
What tickles me most are GOProud’s cowardly statements about “We understand that there are people of deep faith who may have religious objections to marriage. We respect those differences and believe that no church or religious institution should ever be force to solemnize a marriage that is against its teachings.”
The first part is merely a Conservative Problem. Liberals of different faiths don’t tend to think that their faith or beliefs should be forced onto others: that’s a republican conservative stacne
the second sentence? HILARIOUS – as it’s exactly what the President and countless others have been saying for year.
oh, Gay Republicans. you’re just so sad.