Just a few years ago, House Republicans were trying to etch their opposition of gay marriage into the Constitution.
Now? They’re almost silent.
It’s been one of the swiftest shifts in ideology and strategy for Republicans, as they’ve come nearly full circle on same-sex politics. What was once a front-and-center issue for rank-and-file Republicans—the subject of many hotly worded House and Senate floor speeches—is virtually a dead issue, as Republicans in Congress don’t care to have gay marriage litigated in the Capitol.
Even more than that, Republican leadership has evolved, too. It has quietly worked behind the scenes to kill amendments that reaffirm opposition to same-sex unions, several sources told POLITICO.
It’s not like the GOP has become a bastion of progressiveness on gay rights, but there has been an evolution in the political approach—and an acknowledgment of a cultural shift in the country. Same-sex relationships are more prominent and accepted. There are more gay public figures—including politicians—and it’s likely that many Washington Republicans have gay friends and coworkers. Just as important—there’s also a libertarian streak of acceptance on people’s sexuality coursing through the House Republican Conference.
Politico’s Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer write that, in the new political climate, Republicans are scared to take on the gay-marriage issue. Read the full story, it’s worth it.
1equalityUSA
….or, by dropping false pretenses, they’re trying to coax Obama into “evolving” before the race, so that they can take 2012. Never underestimate the amount of hate the lgbt community endures. Spiritually inept religions have no other pathway to power, except through politics. Church leaders, vying for the attention of temporal politicians, show that they have no faith in their creed. Even if they manage to momentarily force their beliefs upon a democracy, the futility of their endeavors will be evident, given time, as the laws that they fought so unbecomingly to attain, will fall into obscurity. Women will run from this destitute and irrelevant group of greedy meanderers. Dead reckoning continues to guide their thinking, as the world progresses, their compass points elsewhere.
MikeE
“let’s not take on gay issues publicly before the election… let’s wait until we have the White House, and THEN we can send them all off to concentration camps”
Lumi Bast (@nugoyxi)
No religion owns marriage so it should not even be up for debate. It is only a matter of time before I am allowed to completely legally marry a woman in countries with freedom of religion :).
J Stratford
They just want to win by showing they are moderate and then they will roll back gay rights.
Ask that “moderate” governor of New Jersey!
1equalityUSA
Or bush, “I’, a uniter, not divider.”
Sam
Are they really? Or is this just the start of the spin of hey, those Republicans aren’t really for homophobic laws, until after November that is. In the meantime, they not so quietly trying put in place all these anti gay marriage laws at the state level. Their new strategy is to make it confusing for the voters like in North Carolina so people have no idea what they’re voting for or against.
B
No. 4 · J Stratford wrote, “They just want to win by showing they are moderate and then they will roll back gay rights.”
Their history was to push constitutional amendments against same-sex marriage before the last several elections and then forget about it after the election was over, as there were more pressing matters like making sure that rich donors got their money’s worth.
You can only do that so long before the people you were fooling catch on, plus social attitudes are slowly changing. Once the religious right wing realizes that the Republicans are not serious, the Republicans won’t get those votes and will see no advantage to pandering to those people.
1equalityUSA
More so than any conviction towards tradition, the financial component of treating every American equally motivates these sleaze-puffs. LGBT are hit financially by insurance, tax status, inheritance, Social Security, and more. From the cradle to the grave, we are robbed by our fellow compatriots. Why would a Republican want to change that? They’ll drag their heels until it no longer benefits them. Dems drag their heels for our coerced votes. We truly need representation from the Judicial branch. Hatred seeps into the hearts of even the highest judges, the highest Church leaders, and the “cognitively” challenged lemmings for NOM and NOMinal.
Frank
I know so many republicans who have no problem with gay people. Lately I’ve been seeing a shift in dem/republican social views. Maybe NY republicans are just more moderate socially but I don’t think as many people as the media portray care about the gay issue. The politicians seem to play it up more. And Rick Santorum will most likely be caught with a big ol’ dick up his ass in a few years.
Riker
@Frank: New York Republicans are a cousin of the New England Republicans, who fiercely value independence and freedom with a strong emphasis on letting other people do whatever they want as long as it doesn’t harm anyone else. Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine are all states where this type of Republican is far more common than Christian Conservatives. That’s the reason that people like Senators Scott Brown and Olympia Snowe are able to serve while they wouldn’t have a chance or getting elected in, for example, Alabama.
kendoll
At least the Republicans haven’t stooped to pandering for $$ on the marriage equalilty issue like the Democrats are doing. None of them really give 2 shits about us.
Mixey Trix
Uhh. Right now, the GOP is focused on eliminating the ACA and dealing with the backlash on the “War on Women”. Since they’ve already pissed off 97% of the ladies (there are prudes still out there), and because there are low income individuals (why do rich people forget that there are soooo many more poor people than them?) that are going to be strapped for healthcare if ACA is quashed, then yeah. Why provide the public with anymore ammunition to piss off the already angered masses. Yes, there ARE some Republicans that support gay marriage. But they don’t want to draw attention to the fact, and even they know that the overall Rep ticket relies on votes from the religious right (all those Bible Belt red states and whatnot) which is why they usually love making it an issue. Basically, as a party the GOP isn’t necessarily against gay marriage, but taking a stance against is will win them votes. The only thing about NOW is that for the time being, the religous issue is birth control, not queers.
Most republicans that hold some sort of office want Romney to head the GOP ticket come election time because Santorum is so FN crazy they know they’d never win. But that psycho Santorum is competing better than you’d expect because he’s winning more of religious votes. So, Romney keeps bouncing around on topics and says he’ll do everything that Santorum is doing so that he can win those votes back. It’s such a farce. Don’t be fooled friends….. Once things simmer down on other fronts, they’ll have at y’all all over again. We’re only 3 months though 2012, and there are another 8 months before the presidential elections.
1equalityUSA
Why is Viagra covered by insurance, but birth control is not? Women need to start using their voices and leave the Republican party in droves. Run, Lola, Run.
joe
@MikeE: If that is true then why didn’t the republicans sent gays to concentration camps when they had the white house ih the past? The only party to send anyone to concentration camps were the democrats. In world war 2 they sent the japanese to camps.