Hahaha, gay Republicans are in-fighting:
"[GOProud has] made it clear that they just want to add a voice to the echo chamber. ... They've already said they don't want to be a people organization and have members and clubs," [Log Cabin spokesman Charles] Moran said. "Log Cabin has thousands of members across the country, and when we're in campaign season, we're out knocking on doors for candidates across the country. In the spring, Log Cabin Republicans is at gay pride parades registering disaffected Democrats and independents."
"If you're not a people-based organization, then what are you?" Moran continued. "Log Cabin is making a difference in helping move the Republican Party forward. We're part of the solution and getting things done. Anyone else who's not is just adding voices to the echo chamber."
The entire Roll Call article is an interesting read, but the big idea isn't one that we haven't heard before: Log Cabin represented the more aristocratic, Goldwater gay Republican, and it's losing influence and dying out; GOProud represents the wingnut, Limbaugh gay Republican, and they have plenty of money (or at least that's what they say).
The echo chamber bit is hilarious, though. Moran's obviously upset that GOProud's politics aren't all that discernable from any other movement conservative groups out there, which, as I posted before, is a sign of progress since they're at least not being completely rejected as perverts and America-haters by the rest of the hard-core conservative movement. But Moran's (and I'd assume LCR's) disdain for that sort of base political thought, along with statements from him that only make sense if you imagine a monocle popping out of his eye and falling into his champagne, only makes this in-fighting more comical.
The article goes into some of LCR's famous financial troubles:
Since historic Democratic victories last November, Log Cabin Republicans -- once the most prominent gay and lesbian conservative group in the country -- has effectively shut its doors in Washington, D.C.
The organization, which once had a downtown staff of a half-dozen, now has one full-time consultant on its payroll. Its top executive position has remained unfilled for more than six months.[...]
The organization also is facing competition from GOProud, a splinter group recently started by disgruntled former Log Cabin employees who are raising money at a brisk clip.
Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of GOProud, said his group could bring in $1 million before Jan. 1, double what the group had originally expected to raise during its first 12 months.
The problem here is that demonstrative of larger GOP recruitment issues - anyone who isn't in the Limbaugh crowd is having a hard time finding space in the party, and those who get pushed out are going over to the Democratic side of the aisle and don't want to be associated, in name, with the Republican Party.
LCR's worst move may have been to endorse Kerry in 2004 [actually, LCR didn't endorse Kerry, they didn't endorse anyone. Thanks to Charles Moran in the comments, and more discussion of gay Republican endorsements in 2004 can be found here] which showed people just what sort of conservative group they were trying to be. Say whatever you want about Bush, he did get around 25% of the LGB vote in 2004. And there was a vacuum representing those people. That, along with the fact that Randian economics, misogyny, know-nothingism, and other tropes of movement conservative, ahem, "thought" are enough to get a foot in the door even if sexual orientation isn't what they're looking for, and there's room for a group of gay movement conservatives. It's all really fascinating.
LCR, instead, seems to be for a group of people who will eventually go back to the Republican Party: moderate queer Republicans who vote Democrat only because of LGBT issues. Once DOMA and DADT are repealed, I predict the percentage of gays who vote for the Republican presidential candidate will get bigger and bigger until it's somewhere around 50/50, and at least the LGBT-rights movement will have some more clarity about what it is and what it's working for.
Instead, the power's shifting and we can all get some laughs as this turns into an Odd Couple situation. He's fiscally responsible and likes to make political donations from his magnificently-appointed villa, but he's pro-life and enjoys Sarah Palin rallies. Oh, look, he just "borrowed" the other's limo and antique rifles to go defend the border. Will they ever get along?!
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13 Comments
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Gay Republicans.
That always flips me out--people that want to be part of an organization that hates them.
Of course, there's Gay Catholics and Gay Southern Baptists and Gay Mormons so it's not like they're alone.
But that doesn't make it right.
Or smart.
Mo Rage
Mo Rage | July 14, 2009 3:31 PM
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Because Obama is doing so spectacularly, with his amnesia about the term repeal in recent interviews (and recent adoption of "change" in its place).
Or the Democrats, who have to be pushed to even muster votes for no-brainers like ENDA and DADT. 10+ years to get a hate crimes bill passed.
Change is going to come through the courts. Your political smugness is worthless.
Lucrece | July 14, 2009 3:52 PM
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All pols have to be pushed. They're not our friends nor do most of them (except for Polis, Baldwin, and Frank) have any vested interest in moving forward on LGBT legislation.
I think the fact that people are so mad with Obama shows that people generally understand that the Democrats are better on LGBT rights. Bush did nothing positive for us for 8 years, and Obama's made a few small steps in 6 months. He's doing better and yet people are less patient with him, as they should be. But it does show that they get that he could at least do something.
Change will come through the courts as well as Congress. But, yeah, Obama's not going to go out of his way for us.
Alex Blaze | July 14, 2009 4:47 PM
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While I'm not going to address the merits of the commentary from this posting, I do want to clarify that Log Cabin did NOT endorse Sen. Kerry in the 2004 election - we chose not to endorse President Bush for re-election. Those are two very different things.
Log Cabin Republicans by no means is "dying out." We have more members than ever, strong & vibrant chapters across the nation who are doing real work for the Party and the LGBT community on a daily basis. The best way to get those who are still undecided or uninformed about our challenges to change their minds is by actually going and talking to them about our issues and showing them that gays and lesbians aren't the evil monsters that Falwell, Robertson paint us to be. That's what Log Cabin is working to achieve on a daily basis.
Charles T. Moran
National Spokesperson
Log Cabin Republicans.
Charles Moran | July 14, 2009 4:22 PM
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I was being neither smug nor political but factual.
Mo Rage | July 14, 2009 4:47 PM
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Right, gay Catholics and Mormons are not smart.
I'll run that by one of this site's contributors, a Mormon, Serena. Heck, maybe we can push to put Father Tony and people from Dignity USA into playing Brain Age to improve such awfully low IQ's!
Lucrece | July 14, 2009 4:55 PM
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Gays being Republican, Catholic or Southern Baptist is, to repeat what is now cliche', akin to Jews being Nazis.
Why would one do such a thing?
At least with Republicans it's got to be more like self-hate or greed, since gassing isn't involved.
And yes, all pols have to be pushed but if you think "Obama's not going to go out of his way for us", you are wrong and sadly mistaken. Yes, he fell far short on DOMA but he had us in the White House with him recently and not just giving lip-service, the whole Party spoke of and for us several times at the convention last year and he's pushed for us and he's pushing still. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by what comes from this President and his administration, even soon, let alone over 4 and 8 years. Yes, we still have to push, to be sure, but good things have come and still are coming.
In the meantime, have y'all committed to going to Washington for the March for Equality in October?
Mo Rage | July 14, 2009 4:58 PM
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Look, I'm not going to speak for gay republicans, but there are gay people in every religion and there are reasons for staying there. If you were raised to believe that the only way to salvation is through your faith, or within a community established by that faith, or you find comfort through your religion, I wouldn't blame you for wanting to stick with that religion. It's a complicated issue, and there are plenty of gay people in every religion working to change them or at least make them livable for the gay people raised in them.
Yes, Obama talked about us a bunch before, but, seriously, it was all talk and we should have known it. I'm sure he'll sign this legislation as it makes it to his desk, but I don't really see why he'd go out and advocate for us, which he hasn't done yet.
That's not to say that there's no hope - many members of Congress have already spoken in our favor and that's where many of these bills need to start.
As for the MOW, I'd go if I could afford it, but it would cost me about $1500 I don't have and require me to take at least a week off work.
Alex Blaze | July 14, 2009 5:05 PM
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for clarification, I didn't say Gay Mormons or Catholics are not smart.
I said being gay and remaining a Mormon or Catholic or Southern Baptist or Republican isn't smart, since they hate (and I mean that word here) us.
Mo Rage | July 14, 2009 5:04 PM
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Yes, indeed, I agree on that--it's a complicated issue and it takes thought, for sure, especially for breaking free from the chains of organized religion.
My point is certainly not to "fight" per se, by any means, either, but to point some things out.
The President has not, in fact, however, been "all talk", at all. To say so isn't fair. The previous administration and 8 years only got us conversations about what we wouldn't get and that marriage was only to be "between a man and a woman."
The question about the MOW was to all readers, too, for sure. I'm asking friends to plan and take a vacation week so we can make this a big, successful campaign. We're all talking about "keeping the pressure on pols" to get achievements and this is surely our best opportunity this year.
Good reading.
Mo Rage | July 14, 2009 5:18 PM
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put in my last comment, please, Alex.
Mo Rage | July 14, 2009 5:55 PM
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I used to have respect for this site, but lately : with dishonestly taking Michael Steele so out of context down below, and now "ha ha ha gay Republicans are fighting..", you're getting childish. You'd think the new revelations over the past months as to who are gay allies and who aren't would have gotten you to ditch the simplistic traditional "us versus them" roles.
JJJJ | July 15, 2009 3:02 AM
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I think it's pretty clear that Republicans are still at least part of the enemy, what with their opposition to any sort of positive health care reform and their silly behavior at Sotomayor's confirmation hearings. We aren't living in a post-partisan world.
And I'm completely amenable to discussions of how the Democrats just aren't good enough, but I just haven't gotten to a point where I see them as either the same or worse than Republicans.
As for Bil's post, I don't think he took anyone out of context. A, he posted the video and anyone can see what the context was for themselves, and, B, Steele was obviously making a joke, but there are people who think that it was an offensive joke. Which is why Bil called it a "gaffe," he understood that Steele wasn't really going to go around offering potato salad to people.
Alex Blaze | July 15, 2009 4:26 AM
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