Log Cabin Republicans at GOP convention

Rob is still pro-Bush, and in some ways is more conservative than I am.

I know just what you mean, Rod. I have a very good friend who is gay, and in most ways that matter he is far more conservative than I am. When it was decided that the Boy Scouts had the right not to accept gay members as Scouts or Scout Leaders, he simply let his membership lapse (he and I had been Scouts together, which is how we met, and he had served as a Scoutmaster and troop committee member), saying that as a private organization the Scouts have the right to admit or exclude anyone they want. He isn't particularly in favor of gay marriage, because he would really only be interested in marrying his partner in church, and he knows that won't happen. (He is also a better Catholic than I am in many ways.) Another reason he isn't enthusiastic about gay marriage is because, as an attorney, he's dealt with divorce cases, and he knows that gay marriage will inevitably lead to gay divorce (which has already happened). It's sometimes odd talking with him (though we seldom talk about politics, mainly because our friendship focuses on other things) because his positions are often so much at odds with what the media would have us believe is the "gay position" on these issues.

David - I'm starting to think more and more that the press has less of a Liberal bias than a "keep everyone frightened and divided" bias.

Or vote for half the idiots who run.

That is really great, that the GOP invited the LCRs.

He didn't mention 2nd amendment rights, but that is an issue for at least some gays as well.

Rod, I hope you get to meet more LCRs at the convention, and engage in some good dialogue with them on these issues.

Rod, I went to the LCR website to find out more about it. I noted that its leadership is primarily male. What is the gender breakdown of LCR? Due to some early 1970's involvement in NOW in Kansas City, which I abandoned due to the incestuous relationship in that organization between women's rights and gay rights (I thought they should have been represented by separate organizations, despite also concluding NOW was simply too radical for me), I came to the (perhaps unfounded) conclusion that gay women were primarily liberal democrats.

If you run across some female LCR's, I'd love to see some of themm in your "flip flicks".

What happened to the video clip?

Rachel, YouTube is telling me (on my site) that "video is not yet processed." Maybe the size of it is taking all this time. Sorry to disappoint, but keep checking back. I haven't taken it down -- it's just not fully processed yet.

Have the Loggers ever READ the Repube platform? Change the GOP from within regarding gay rights? Yeah, that worked really well with the KKK and civil rights for blacks.

Not a single issue voter? If you can be fired from your job, can't get a job, get kicked out of your house, can't get health insurance, all because someone doesn't like you because you're gay, then all the "great economic policies" of the GOP won't do you any good. YES, you can still be fired JUST FOR BEING GAY in many states. You can be kicked out of the military and lose your pension & health care benefits if they find out you're gay.

When he's done with his rose-colored glasses, I'd like to borrow them.

Question for WeTheSheeple.

Have you noticed that the Congress who would pass laws to protect LGBT from job discrimination have been in charge of BOTH houses for 2 years?

Have they passed ENDA? ...Well No.
Have they repealed Don't Ask Don't Tell? ...Well No

Why not?

Democrats use their promises for equality to obtain gay votes, but I don't see them follow-through on those promises when they have control.

I would love to see equality for gay people advance, but not at the expense of creating a Marxist society that Obama and much of the liberal left espouses.

Rob

Excellent post and even better comment by David White (his friend sounds a lot like mine that are gay). This points out the terrible problem of identity politics; just because you happen to share a characteristic (such as race or sexual orientation) with others, it doesn't mean you also share everything else with them, including political views.

Rachel @ 8:12 PM writes:

"Whether one finds them disgusting/hellbound or accepts that things are what they are and that God can do his own judging, each one of these folks is one who had a right to be born, which means they have a right to live.

They also pay taxes and make positive contributions to their families, communities, and country."

I'll go along with you on that, Rachel. My major problem with the gay-lib movement, aside from the obvious crazies (the leather boys and drag queens kissing in the streets in front of the cameras) in their midst is that they want "approval" from the rest of the society.

Their spokesmen have a habit of saying "we're here, we're queer, get used to it". They're right. They exist. They live, and I have no intention of doing anything about that. And you're right, they pay their taxes and make contributions to families, communities and country. When they insist, however, on being "celebrated" with annual "GLBT" parades and paens in "People" magazine, that's where I draw the line. I don't like having that particular lifestyle shoved down my throat.

"Tolerance" is one thing, "approval" is quite another. But where their interests and mine coincide, I have no problem with them.

Your servant,

Lord Karth

"than a 'keep everyone frightened and divided'" EA

TR: In a self-interest way this makes sense. There's a better chance for drama if "everyone is frightened and divided." Drama makes news. I would think a journalist would have understandable reasons to prefer an ideological fistfight to a calm discussion over tea and biscuits.

"When they insist, however, on being "celebrated" with annual "GLBT" parades and paens in "People" magazine, that's where I draw the line. I don't like having that particular lifestyle shoved down my throat."

Why are we gay people the only ones who must put up with having a "particular lifestyle shoved down" our throats? We have the "heterosexual lifestyle" shoved down our throats in abstinence-only classes, "comprehensive sex education classes," the movies, sitcoms, prom nights and at family gatherings.

You guys come out of the closet every day without blinking an eye and yet freak out when we come out of our closets.

Why don't we hold ourselves to the same standards.

And there I was, all set to reconsider my "won't-vote-Republican-ever-again" position due to the Palin announcement, only to find out the Log Cabin Republicans are welcomed with open arms.

Thanks for harshing my mellow.

Reality sucks, but at least I can deal with knowing that the GOP is still just giving lip service to religious conservatives after all.

As a proud Republican I can say that my wife and I have spoken up quite often on this matter. To the dismay of many shockingly. I think it's important that we accept all people that want to join our party. I think if you share our fundamental beliefs that is what is important. I don't know when sexual preference became a fundamental belief. As far as we are concerned with the gays, we are really not concerned. I really don't see why if you want to get married how that affects me in anyway. I actually believe it's wrong that people get to vote on that it should be covered in the pursuit of happiness. Gays get married all you want Just vote McCain! God Bless!

Daniel, if gays wouldn't spend so much time trying to persuade everyone that their "lifestyle" was normal (while many of them behave in public in a very abnormal way), regular folks would be happy. Even if regular folks consider their behavior to be sinful, we accept them as just another part of our community and are happy to leave the accounting to God.

For what it's worth, I served on my local and state Log Cabin boards several years ago. I stepped down partly because it felt like we were doing a lot to educate Republicans on gay issues, but not nearly enough to educate the gay community on Republican issues. I've been accused of being heteronormative (a hilarious word), which I happily accept. I don't really need to know or want to see what some people do in their bedrooms, and I don't think that flaunting that is a successful strategy for gaining acceptance. Oh well.

And to tie this in with another thread, I left the national organization when they decided to give an award to Andrew Sullivan. If he is what the organization wants to hold up as a model of a gay conservative, I don't want to have anything to do with them. We don't all think alike.

All of you make me sick....I am a gay black man...and yes a republican.
You all make me ashamed to me a part of the GOP.
As a black man....I did not choose my color......as a gay man...I did not choose to be gay.......NO ONE CHOOSES TO BE DISCRIMATED AGAINST. God our savior created me in his image....and this is who I am. I have been with the same man for 10 years in a faithful relationship.....however you idiots would validate Brittney Spears many marriages before my one committed one. I am sick and tired of meeting hypocratical republicans and seeing those like those closeted gay congressman and preachers say that being gay is sinful and they are living it......
As I am a product of an interacial marriage....5 years before my birth...there was laws on the books saying that my parents union would be illegal...is that right....of course not...as my parents did not choose there race or their hetrosexuality.......as I did not choose my homosexuality.....so for all of you out there that do not feel that gays should have the right to get married...serve in our military or should not have the same legal rights....you are no better than your garden variety racist.....
The GOP will never get the votes of middle america, african american, and republican moderates if you all dont chill out and treat EVERY AMERICAN equally......The more concervatives support McCain...the more I am looking at Obama.....