It’s been threatened to go down, and now reality: Conservative gays are splitting from the Log Cabin Republicans, furious with the organization’s internal sniping and overall lack of influence as it lost ground in even the most basic of gay news cycles. The new org is GOProud, classified as a 527 and headed by former Log Cabin political director Christopher Barron, and will likely have zero connection with influential (and wealthy) Democratic fundraiser and “gay mafia” member Tim Gill, who was outed as one of Log Cabin’s biggest donors. (Were it not for his cash, it could be argued, Log Cabin would exist in name only right now.)
Expect GOProud to return to Log Cabin’s more conservative roots, which means less support for hate crimes legislation. Notes GayPatriot.net, which advocated splitting from LCR: “Their left-of-center positions on important issues have bothered me as LCR has continually sucked the teet of the Gay Leftist agenda. LCR’s silence and unwillingness to stand up and be vocal on true gay conservative issues (outing of Republican staffers, increasing threat of gays being selectively aborted, peril gays face by Islamic extremists) has been mind-boggling. And LCR’s continued obsession in trashing Republicans, yet letting Democrats get a pass on their gay-related hypocrisies, has been infruriating [sic].”
Mr. Enemabag Jones
Where are they going to hold their first meeting, an airport men’s room?
Seriously, I’m overjoyed that this has happened. Homocons will now become even less significant than they were before. A minority, within a minority of a minority splitting off and forming their own klatch. Good luck with that, Bruce.
J
These people are seriously deluded.
It’s funny ’cause their party abhores them.
Synnerman
Their platform isn’t “Pride” it’s “Conformity at any cost.”
gurlene
I don’t know which is funnier. The log cabin republicans or the hip-hop republicans.
Do a google search and read up on the hip-hop republicans. FOX and CNN used them to fill the Fri/Sat 2am slot.
And try not to laugh at Abner Mason either. Sooner or later he will admit to being the cruel token he was all along.
Dennis
Less support for hate crimes legislation?! More conservative?! I never thought LCR’s could be “topped” (HA!) These new a’holes are truly beyond the pale…what we have here is clearly the most obvious “Jews for Hitler” scenario yet…shame, shame, shame on you evil queens, repent!
getreal
Three years from now when Republican start acting like they aren’t homophobes to get votes these idiots will be first in line to vote for them. Republicans are largely supporters or ant-gay legislation and many are angry at even the idea of equality for LGBT people. Their policies aside which as the past 8 years show don’t work why would you support someone who considers you a 2nd class citizen?
John from England(used to be just John but there are other John's)
@gurlene:
True.
But when you think about it, you’re gay and black second, and a human first.
Just cause you suck coke doesn’t make you a nice person who is interested in societies woes.
And just cause you were enlsaved as a people doesn’t make you a nice person etc etc
As much as I agree with you, I started to get less pissed and bothered when I started to understand human beings a little more and their ways.
So because of that I cut them off some slack,
You don’t choose to be gay or black, you just are.
Which reminds me of why I agree with that Joey poster on the guy who slept with his best girl friend and got a child but says he’s gay when he clearly is bi but prefers the gay lifestyle…
Bruno
Other than the fact they like to put it to each others’ boom-booms, they’re just like any other Republicans.
Michael W.
GOFuck yourselves.
atdleft
@Synnerman: Heh. 😉
@Dennis: Yeah, what do they have against hate crimes protection? And why do I get the feeling they won’t be supportive of our entire community, meaning they’ll spit on transgendered people and everyone else not making at least $300k a year?
@Michael W.: Yeah, why don’t they? 😀
rogue dandelion
I think the gay republicans have sufficiently marginalized themselves out of existence for all intents and purposes. they never really had influence in the GOP, and the GOP is out of power and impotent.
I think now as the democratic party becomes the dominant force in politics, we must now take special care not to be taken for granted, like many of the the other constituent groups of routinely are. they must worry we will go kamikazi nader style, or we won’t get anything from them.
hazemyth
“true gay conservative issues… [like the] increasing threat of gays being selectively aborted [and] peril gays face by Islamic extremists”
That’s a lot of pink paint to slap on a couple of tired GOP planks. And I thought HRC was out of step…
Archrr
@hazemyth:
You have to admit, it’s kinda brilliant, though :p
Chitown Kev
@rogue dandelion:
That’s kinda my feeling, more power to them if they can make the GOP a gay friendly place…at least with the GOP nowadays, you know where they are coming from.
In the meantime, the Dems really need to get their own house in order as far as LGBT issues are concerned.
Dan
I see something positive in this in terms of getting our rights. One of the stereotypes that the right wing likes to throw around is that all gay people are liberal or possibly communist. Now that there’s a gay conservative Republican group, that stereotype will be more difficult to defend – or easier to defend against.
Aaron J.
@Dan: But there’s been a gay conservative group for a long time (the LCRs), and they’ve accomplished JACK SHIT.
Alec
@Dan: Their endorsement of a sodomy law supporter in 2000 pretty much convinced me that they have little to bring to the table. A nice contrast is Bruce Bawer, who I would describe as a moderate (even conservative) Democrat.
I’m waiting for 20 years down the line, after the gay rights “agenda” has been achieved, when the LCR will be touted as proof positive the homophobic, anti-gay base of the GOP has been supportive of gay rights all along. A little revisionism has never proved impossible. Cf Southern strategy.
John in CA
Paranoid, neurotic white people are funny. At least before they start buying up all the ammo at Walmart.
ChristopherM
@Dan:
I see your point, but I’d prefer to keep the stereotype that we aren’t all a bunch of greedy fascists who don’t give a fuck about anyone but ourselves.
charlie hoover
How anyone can be gay and a republican is beyond me. Its akin to being a Jewish Nazi IMO it doesn’t make anysense.
You can be a fiscal conservative but to be on the side of people that are fighting against hate crime protection against marriage equality and equal rights…I will never understand the phenomenon of the gay republican.
ousslander
I belonged to LCR for about five minutes as it seemed most about money, money, money. I wish GOproud the best of luck and I agree with them on hate crimes legislation.
People throw out the jews for hitler comparision need to get their own house in order. DOMA< DADT? sound familiar? Let me know when the Dems, who are in power, gives us marriage eqaulity. Oh, wait marriage is between one man and one woman but you can have seperate but eqaul.
Thinker
Think about it folks! Being gay does not make you a member of one political party or the other. Our community is diverse, we don’t all think lock step with the left wing.
Some of us are for low taxes, limited government and a strong defense. Some of us think Obama’s stimulus package had too much borrowing and too few shovel ready projects (too much government expansion). Some of us disagree with Obama signing the budget bill with over 8,000 earmarks. Some of us are pro-life (the unborn should be respected as the most vulnerable in our community). Some of us disagree with the bailouts that continue on.
If our community is diverse, which it is, then you should welcome one more voice advocating for gay marriage and for gays to serve in the military. The vitriol toward GOProud shows a real intolerance on the part of many gays.
Welcome GOProud to the good work of gay rights.
Thinker
BTW, during the campaign Obama made it clear that he does NOT support Gay marriage. He said that on LOGO Was he dishonest when he said that or is he really that bad on gay rights.
Also, now that the democrats control congress and the white house why have they not allowed gays to serve openly in the military? Only congress and the president can reverse the discrimination. It doesn’t seem to even be on Obama’s agenda let alone Pelosi’s or Reid’s.
Dennis
I am sick of Dems being bashed for their admittedly “less than perfect” record on gay rights…when the reality is that 99% OF ANY PROGRESS WE HAVE MADE HAS COME FROM DEMS!!!…it is like a frickin’ miracle when a republican politician supports our rights…Name ONE (ONE!) advancement/protection we GLBT’s have received that has ORIGINATED from the rupubs and been passed with MAJORITY republican support…Doesn’t exist! So cut the crap and deal with reality, Dems have done far, far more to advance fairness for GLBT’s.
Log Cabiners and GOProud (GoToHell!), just stay home and count your money, lest you cross my path and I’m tempted to commit a “non-existant”, (non-important to protect against) hate crime against you…kiss my ass!
Chris
@Thinker:
OK. But then your responsibility is to speak out forcefully against the Michelle Bachmans, Sally Kerns, Rick Santorums, Maggie Gallaghers, Jim Douglases, Mitt Romneys, Palins, George Bushes, Jindals, and every other bigot in your party on gay rights issues.
When I speak, always civilly, to an anti-gay politician’s office (R or D — and I am a Dem). I always say this:
“I am a business owner, an employer, a tax payer, have a long term (10 yrs) partner, a volunteer, giver to charity, a cancer survivor (see also partner of 10 years), and I took care of my parents before their recent deaths. What more do I have do to prove my worth as a human being? Because if there is something, i don’t know what it is” This usually stumps them because in the face of all that the answer can only be “well, you should be straight”.
Further, I tell GOP staffers:
“I’ve owned a business for 15 years. I’m what the Joe the Plumber hopes to be. My demographics would suggest I should be in the GOP, but I wouldn’t consider it because the GOP demonizes me at every turn”
You can’t say you support gay rights then support the people that would happily take away our rights or, perhaps worse, play politics with them. Not only the straight pols but also the Larry Craigs/David Drehers/Lindsey Grahams/Patrick McHenrys and other closet cases. It’s one thing to be in the closet; it’s wholly another to vote against the rights of/demonize the men whose cocks and asses you love.
showmeindc
I’m not a Republican, I’m a Democrat at heart. But, I do have to agree with the poster who pointed out that gays give Democrats a free pass. Remember, it was that “pro-Gay” president, Bill Clinton, who signed DOMA. He was in his second term, it wasn’t like he had re-election issues. If he had any spine, he would have vetoed the bill on principle and forced Congress to override. Also, there are plenty of Congressional Democrats who are against gay marriage right now. Everyone on Capitol Hill wants the issue to go away–Republicans and Democrats alike. We, as a voting block, need to press New York and New Jersey, ostensibly Democratic states, to bring this issue to a vote. Now that Vermont has happened, we should hold these people accountable. We should not be taken for granted the way the party takes minorities…..
Alec
@Thinker: In an ideal world, it’d be great if gay men and lesbians had an equal opportunity to support the party of fascism lite and its policies of preemptive war, unregulated corporate welfare and Republican earmarks. Unfortunately, let’s take a lookat the Texas Republican Party’s 2008 platform, shall we?
http://www.texasgop.org/site/DocServer/FINAL_2008_PLATFORM.pdf?docID=5841
How much progress would you say the Log Cabin Republicans and others have made?
The Gay Numbers
@Alec: it’s the same game them play with race. To watch the GOP parade Martin Luther King and other civil rights era leaders around after spending 30 years putting down the black civil rights era is a joke. So, yes, expect a lot of revisionism about how they did it all along. Hell, you don’t have to wait. Read Andrew Sullivan, and his revisions of history to give you an idea.
The Gay Numbers
I think we arae getting sidelined. The main issue is : What’s the point of describing oneself as a gay group if that’s not your issue? I find it ironic that a group that is supposed to be conservative is basically now just identity politics because without an agenda that’s all you are. However ineffective and crazy LCRs, at least, they had an agenda rather than meeting because they were gay.
atdleft
@Thinker: Yes, Thinker, Dems aren’t perfect. Yes, Obama has run from his own past record on marriage equality. But please, please spare us the self-righteous “Dems are the real homophobes!” rants.
When did McCain ever endorse marriage equality? Oh yes, he openly supported Prop H8 (CA), Prop 102 (AZ), and Amendment 2 (FL)! And in 2006, he even cut ads supporting that year’s marriage ban in AZ!
When did Palin ever endorse anything pro-LGBT? Oh, that’s right… She was forced by the Alaska Supreme Court to sign domestic partner benefits into law! She’s even gone FURTHER than McCain in actually endorsing the Federal Marriage Ban!
So please take a look at your own GOP broken glass house before throwing stones at all of us who’d rather fix the more minor errors with the Dems.
@Dennis: How very true. If we had a Dem Governor in California, we’d probably already have marriage equality in the nation’s most populous state. In Vermont, the Dem legislators led the override of the GOP Governor’s veto of marriage equality. In Massachusetts, the GOP Governor (Romney) tried to obstruct the Supreme Court’s ruling for marriage equality before the Dem Governor (Patrick) who succeeded him helped make it easier for out-of-state couples to marry.
So while a number of Democrats aren’t perfect, it’s mainly progressive Democrats that are leading the fight for equality.
Chitown Kev
@showmeindc:
Your history is wrong here. Clinton signed DOMA in his 1st term 2 months before the 1996 election and bragged about on redneck talk radio.
Chitown Kev
@The Gay Numbers:
The Republican Party can take some credit for black civil rights. However, the racist Dixiecrat wing of the Democratic Party are now Republicans. That’s what the GOP doesn’t tell you.
Dennis
@atdleft:
Glad to see some “reality based” gays responding here…I don’t like to be a hater, but the twisted logic and doublespeak of gay repubs/LCR’s/GOProud supporters just pushes my buttons…
Make no mistake, it is totally appropriate and neccessary to hold dems accountantable for their voting records…but without a doubt it is the rupublican party that is our would-be oppressor. Gay republicans/sympathysers in my view, care only about what’s in their wallet, (not that republican fiscal policy has proven succesful at anything beyond making the rich even richer)and are gay in name only. Terms like Judas, traitor, money grubbing whore come to mind…but again, I don’t like to be a hater…
Dennis
I apologize for the “money grubbing whore” thing, too much caffeine this morning I guess…
The Gay Numbers
@Chitown Kev: I agree mostly. Although I would add that it’s more than just the Dixiecrats since they were primarily Southern.
My point was indeed, however, also about the Southern Strategy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy
First created by Nixon, and then further implemented by Reagan as the reactionary wing of the GOP consolidated power and destroyed the libertarian (Goldwater) and moderate (Rockerfeller) wings of the Republican party. Leaving behind the corporatists and the fundamentalists in the leadership role.
This strategy (the Southern Strategy) morphed in this decade morphed from blacks to gays. One of the reason I talk so much here about race and sexual orientation is that the exact same strategies we are seeing now against gays were used against blacks. Indeed, in 2004, to help get out the fundie vote, the national GOP along with people like Rove deliberately pushed for bans on marriage in several battleground states like Ohio and, I believe, Michigan.
So, when Republicans here write about how they are about more than gay issues- I laugh at the irony since that’s exactly the strategy that the GOP uses to win. The so-called “hot button” issues that convinces people to vote against interest.
It’s funny, for example, that the GOProud would taut healthcare when in fact the great bulk (including the bulk of rank and file Republicans) wants government based healthcare. I believe that polling runs in the 70s or 80s.
I fully expect after gay rights are secure for them to do the same thing with the gay “Southern Strategy” as they have done with race- pretend it never happened.
Chris
Take a look at Nate Silver’s analysis on the changing favorability of marriage equality and civil unions.
Very informative.
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com
The Gay Numbers
@Chris: Nate’s analysis is flawed. He assumes that there will be an upward shfit, when in fact, as we have learned with other groups- you will reach plateaus, and in some cases stagnation where no more growth is possible unless something dramatic pushes it along.
Chris
@The Gay Numbers:
I think it’s flawed in that it doesn’t take into account the Mormon influence in the mountain west.
Nate’s averaging out a trend that’s happened since 1996. The trend is there, but you are correct in implying that some of states might be off by a year or two, even three. But the basic trend clearly exists.
Bear in mind that those are the earliest years in each state that an initiative could squeek by in our favor — not for legalizing, but for “not banning”.
Dramatic (good) things are happening with more and more frequency too.
Chris
@The Gay Numbers said
“I think we arae getting sidelined. The main issue is : What’s the point of describing oneself as a gay group if that’s not your issue? I find it ironic that a group that is supposed to be conservative is basically now just identity politics because without an agenda that’s all you are. However ineffective and crazy LCRs, at least, they had an agenda rather than meeting because they were gay.”
So true! These groups are really dating services for Brooks Brothers wannabees and suit fetishists.
sparkle obama
ps
pastor rick warren publicly reverses stand on same-sex marriage:
“bwahahaha”, as the children say nowadays…
“who cares” what he thinks, anyway, right?
VegasTeaRoom
So in other words a small and ignored Republican Party organization is splintering into two even smaller and less consequential groups. BWAAAAAAAA.
Mister C
Hey Dennis I’m a fan of yours….YOU TELL IT LIKE IT IS!!!!
LOVES IT! 🙂
Jonathan
@Mr. Enemabag Jones: Perfect. There is no better symbol of gay conservatism than Larry Craig!
A-Jay Eddy
Let’s hope the the newly organized Beltway insiders are out for the good of the party and all of the people it serves.
I was very pleased to have worked with Log Cabin’s Patrick Sammon since I personally found that during his leadership his door was always open whenever the need arose.
Our Florida LCR clubs, thanks to Jeb Bush and our county REC leaders, are also State Chartered Republican Clubs . Like Chairman Steel advises we are working diligently to enrich and activate the grass roots for the future of Party of Lincoln and ethical leadership in the running of this great nation.
A-Jay Eddy
Mister C
A-Jay-Eddy, wake up HUN
The far right wing will NEVER accept you and if they see the socials adjoining with you. They’ll break away and form a new conservative movement.
But as a Democrat that’s perfectly fine with me!
InExile
@A-Jay Eddy: How can you use the word ethical when discussing republicans?????? Was the last administration ethical? I think not! So you must agree with discrimination against LGBT citizens, torture, breaking the law (the count was around 1.100 laws broken if I remember correctly), politicizing the justice department, 2 wars, oh and bringing the nation to its’ knees financially as far as accomplishments. Reagan and the first Bush was not much better either, ignoring the AIDS crisis until the second half of Bush’s term (because gays did not matter)! Quite a track record to be proud of, don’t you think?
Phoenix (Sparkly Agent Of The Gay Agenda)
GOPROUD must be pretty sad. Jeff Gannon has resorted to using his (now ancient) porno “glamour shots” to drum up members.
Sorry, Jeffy, you haven’t looked like this in twenty years. Everyone knows you really look like this. Politics aren’t ManHunt, Bitch.
Thom
Anyone truly concerned for gay rights should be applauding this new organization, not making snide and sarcastic comments against it. The LCRs have been ineffectual and absent from most important policy discussions. For that reason alone, it will be good to have ACTIVE voices at the table.
Second, it took a Hawkish Republican – Richard Nixon – to take the “liberal” step of opening China to the west. Similarly, if we are going to gain any ground on the national level, it will probably come from gays having an influence on the right…not from Liberal Dems who take gay votes for granted and then ignore us.
Lastly, what GayPatriot says is not really relevent: the GayPatriot Blog speaks for its own author, not the new organization. Wait until GOProud takes action before criticizing.
GOProud?
I hope they put more “pride” into their cause then they did with their “WEBSITE” Yikes. Makes me nervous that this group wants my support, yet seems to know nothing about how to promote itself or show a sense of pride in itself. Seems like it was thrown together the last minute in an attempt to seem creditable. Hard to take them serious and not just a flash in the pan organization.
pz
the libs promise everyone everything. the cons can’t compete with that, so they bang the drums for people who are stupid in a different way from the stupid people the libs go after. when public opinion finally shifts far enough, the cons will drop it and move on to something else. politics is all about sticking a wet finger into the wind and grabbing for enough groups of people to get you into power. in 2008, all people really wanted to hear was how much money and jobs would be popped magically out of a hat, so the cons faired poorly. there’s a possibility that the wild spending of the current congress will make the issues entirely different in 2010 and maybe the cons can stop grasping for social straws.
in any event, all politicians suck one way or another. i can’t particularly say that cons suck more than libs. they just suck in different ways.
Bob
This is great. I’m so sick of the in effecitveness, and left leaning goof balls in LCR, and lame at that, where was LCR when those ridiculous queens hung Palin in effidgy? Where was LCR when Perez Hilton went Norman Bates on Carrie Prejean? I think main stream acceptance would skyrocket if Gay Conservatives stoop in mass and thanked California for the dialogue, and that we hope to change their minds over time, but respect the concerns in the interim. We all know that civil unions could be a 50 state accomplishment if we laid off on hijacking the hetro attachment to the M word. We’ll have a contest to come up with a new word for our civil unions. It’ll be fun. And by and large we only go to church (if we go at all ) to religious facilities that would accept us regardless of the law. So lightened up, Don’t force gov’t to get involved, make a presence, and a positive one. Don’t be afraid of offending other gays. They’ll get over it. Make a statement!