With the Republican National Convention approaching–albeit in abbreviated form due to COVID-19–the party has announced its 2020 platform will feature renewed opposition to marriage equality, LGBTQ rights, and will endorse conversion therapy.
Delightful, isn’t it?
The New York Times reports that the tone-deaf announcement–which comes during pride month and during renewed queer activism in solidarity with Black Lives Matter–is a move to repackage the party’s 2016 platform as new, rather than adopting fresh positions. The move also comes at a time when the RNC has tried to promote Trump as the most pro-queer President in history.
The repackaging results from a boneheaded move by President Trump to move the party convention out of Charlotte, North Carolina, and to appoint his son-in-law Jared Kushner as the author of a new platform. The latter move infuriated Republican delegates. COVID-19 will prevent the party from resolving the issues during the convention itself; over health and safety concerns the 5,000 delegates will not be allowed to convene in full during the convention.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Related: Log Cabin Republicans shunned by their own party, can’t even get a booth at upcoming convention
The Times reports “The 2016 platform that is being renewed was the result of messy debates in Cleveland, the host city of the Republican convention four years ago, during which a group of renegade delegates tried but failed to strip out language opposing gay marriage and condoning conversion therapy for L.G.B.T.Q. youths.”
“The platform made a steadfast case against same-sex marriage and called for a constitutional amendment overturning the 2015 Supreme Court decision that struck down laws defining marriage between one man and one woman,” the Times also notes. “And it blames ‘the current President’ for seeking to expand workplace protections to include L.G.B.T.Q. people.”
That last bit also hits on another head-scratching issue: the platform contains numerous references deriding “the current President;” another hold-over from 2016 when Barack Obama still occupied the White House. With Trump seeking re-election, the party appears to attack its own candidate.
On the other hand, chastising the current President is something a large swath of Americans already had in mind…
Kangol2
Of course they are. Will their usual defenders come on here to find some excuse for the GOP’s disgusting, anti-gay, anti-trans and homophobic attacks? They and the treasonous monster at the head of the GOP deserve and need to lose this upcoming election in a landslide!
Vince
At least they’re not throwing us of the roof tops. That was the last homocon excuse.
ShiningSex
Anyone in the LGBT community that is supportive of Trump or is republican are idiotic. Self hatred and racist.
Heywood Jablowme
Gee, I hope they leave the platform the way it is and keep attacking “the current president”!
Yooper
Dinosaurs, their time is coming.
cjd
Time to start a movement to tax the churches and all religious organizations that seek to demean the LGBTQ community!
Mack
I have not seen many, if any, comments from the LCR over the last 6 months or so. Did they disintegrate? Everyone knows just how much they were loved by the Republican Party. That was shown when they tried to attend any conservative group meetings.
Kangol2
They’re absolutely pathetic. But many of them are still groveling before the GOP and will vote for Trump, no matter how badly he treats LGBTQIA people. Because he had one gay, incompetent cabinet member for a hot minute and held up a gay flag and was friends with Roy Cohn, or something.
Cam
They pretty much collapsed. They won’t release numbers, but if you look at most states they don’t even have chapters in them anymore.
They were exposed as a Republican front group when their initial leaders left, and were replaced by former Republican staffers who actually attacked pro- LGBT candidates and defended anti – LGBT candidates because they were Republicans. Also a LOT of their members who initially joined back in the 90s when both parties were against Same Sex Marriage and military service left the group when the Democrats embraced LGBTQ rights and the Republicans broke even further to the right.
Hardptyplr
In order for them to get a Constitutional amendment they would need 2/3 vote in both houses and then ratification by 37 states. I would be willing to wager there are more than 14 states that WILL NOT ratify it. That doesn’t mean we can take it for granted, we’ll have to be diligent.
Mister P
We must tell everyone we know that a vote for Repugnants is a vote against us. Better to just slap us in the face.