The Gay Thing: Gay Republican Group GOProud Going Out of Business

There is a long-running gay Republican group known as Log Cabin Republicans. They're kind of a go-along-to-get-along group of mostly fiscally conservative, socially liberal gay men and lesbians. At some point a few years ago, the really conservative folks in LCR decided to start their own group, GOProud. Get it? GOP and "proud," as in gay pride. Except that this group was far from easy going. They were confrontational, abrasive, arch-right wing, Sarah Palin loving, tea bagging, liberal hating conservatives who were--incidentally--gay. Arguing with a GOProuder was like arguing with any other arch-right-winger, except with an evangelical edge.

I should know, I got into several online arguments with the leader of RightPride, the Nevada chapter of GOProud. Between bouts of insulting me or screaming (virtually) at me, he'd keep trying to win me over, inviting me out for coffee or drinks. Hell, maybe he was flirting? But it was kind of short-lived. I haven't heard much about RightPride for years, but even at their peak, they had about 485 Facebook followers. They just seemed to peter out.

And now, the parent organization is going too. They'd already lost their founders, one after the other, and have mostly straight people on their board. They're claiming a "reboot" is coming, but I doubt it would do any good. The problem with GOProud is, they were so venomous to progressive gays, that they burned that bridge. And the tea party-controlled GOP wants nothing to do with them. Where in the world is there to go then?

[Excerpt]

LGBT Republican Group GOProud Going Out of Business

After five years in the often precarious space of being a gay conservative group, LGBT Republican organization GOProud is ceasing operations, according to a series of reports at Bilerico. Bilerico reporter Andrew Markle initially reported that GOProud was shuttering on Sunday, and following initial denials on social media from members of the group, key organizers confirmed to Bilerico founder Bil Browning Monday that the group is indeed planning to close up shop. . .

Read more at: The Advocate

The Gay Thing: Leading Gay Conservative Quits GOP

I've said before that I do not understand the concept of a gay Republican. I can see having some conservative leanings, I can see agreeing with some issues or concerns that are typically seen as conservative or Republican. But given the nature and state of the modern day GOP, I cannot fathom how a self-respecting LGBT person could belong to it.

A gay couple we used to hang out with were archly conservative, and fell pretty much in line with whatever FOX "News" had as their daily outrage, and the talking points. But they'd assure me that they were fiscal conservatives, but socially more liberal. Which sounds good in theory, but is another in practice. Because the GOP has shown very little propensity for actual fiscal conservatism. [story continues below]



Despite my lack of understanding, gay conservatives do exist. I've argued with a few, particularly GOProud and its Nevada affiliate RightPride. The latter seems to have faded away, and GOProud has lost its original leaders, got booted from CPAC, and has very, very little currency in the GOP itself. And now, one of those leaders has left the Republican Party itself, and rather publically.

Road to redemption? Publicity stunt? Not sure. And I'm not sure the gay community will take him, nor the right wing base care that he's gone.

Gay Republican Groups Endorse Romney?

In all of my years blogging (and long before), I've never sussed out what makes gay Republicans tick. I mean, I was one in my youth, nominally. I voted for Ronald Reagan in 1984 and George H. W. Bush in 1988. And even though I voted mostly Democrat after the tragically anti-gay 1992 Republican National Convention, I don't think I changed my party affiliation until maybe 2004? But, I was never a died-in-the-wool conservative and/or Republican. I was a moderate, and identified as R only because my family always did.

But that '92 convention, with the always disgusting Pat Buchanan turned me to the left. And the right kept pushing me there. Or rather, the Republicans kept going so far to the right, that my moderate positions are now--by comparison--left wing. As a gay man, I of course identify much more strongly with progressive ideals, liberal politics. Conservatives always seem like they're trying to "out-mean" each other. While the "far left" (really just "the left") can rub me the wrong way with hyper-sensitivity, political correctness, green-this and that, and all of the stereotypes, I'd much rather cast my lot with them than with a party that in its platform actively wishes to discriminate against me. 

Mitt's "support" for gays goes way back. Image
from New Now Next.

So, what are we to make of conservative gay groups? Their very existence hinges upon two things, a) being gay and b) conservatism. The Log Cabin Republicans are a gay first, conservative second kind of group for the most part. GOProud--though it has the gayer sounding name--is more a big C conservative, tiny g gay group. Both of them have endorsed Mitt Romney. I don't understand why. At all. At all. At all. And I was going to write more than just this introduction telling you why. But you know what? Part of being a good blogger is knowing when there are better bloggers, and here is what John Aravosis of AmericaBlog (one of my inspirations to start blogging) with what amounts to my take on this odd phenomenon, but with much better writing.

[Excerpt]

Gay GOP group: Vote for Romney, he hates you

What a bizarre endorsement.  The lead gay Republican group, Log Cabin Republicans, told gay voters today that they should vote for Mitt Romney, unless they care about their civil rights, then they shouldn’t.  It was a self-contained flip-flop worthy of Mitt Romney himself. . .

Read more at: AmericaBlog

Dan Savage Calls Out "GOProud" and Other Gay Republicans

I have friends who call themselves gay Republicans. While I like them as people, I can't pretend to understand their political affiliation. It's basically a purse over handbag sort of thing: money trumps the gay. Now, I can sympathize with people who say things like, "does he have to be so gay all the time? Everything's about the gay. Gay, gay, gay!" Yes, we all know somebody who is "on" all the time. Most gay people don't think about gay issues nearly as much as your typical anti-gay voter, to be honest. We're just living our lives.

But, if your candidate is against gay marriage, supports DOMA, wants to re-introduce "don't ask, don't tell," is against ENDA, and supports the rights of the religious to discriminate in the open market, and you are gay yourself? You're a quisling. You're a turncoat. You're a traitor. Aren't you? Somebody explain to me how you aren't? It's one thing to say, "I'm not a single-issue voter," but another to vote against your own self interest. I will never understand gay Republicans.

[Excerpt]

Image from TalkingPointsMemo

On Booze, Meth, Suicide... and GOProud

. . .Which kindasorta brings me to my recent dustup with GOProud. The hard-right gay Republican organization—a rightwing front group that exists to pinkwash the GOP—endorsed Mitt Romney last week. Romney, of course, opposes marriage equality. Romney supports DOMA. Romney has pledged to write anti-gay bigotry into the U.S. Constitution. Romney opposed the repeal of DADT. Romney opposes the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Romney opposes adoptions by same-sex couples. GOProud's endorsement of Romney, while not a surprise, was annoying, and it prompted me to send out this tweet: "The GOP's house faggots grab their ankles, right on cue. Pathetic. . ."

Read more at: The Stranger

Response to Open Letter by RightPride, Nevada's GOProud Chapter

I offer this sexy picture as a peace offering to the hopelessly deluded
gay Republicans. I'm kidding. I'm not. You decide.

Have you ever known a gay Republican? I've known a few. In fact, I have a friendly couple of ours who are decidedly right-of-center. Fiscally conservative, they'll say. Nobody really falls for that far-right, socially conservative crap. That's for the rubes. Except it isn't. Particularly right now.

There was a little hope in the early days of the "Tea Party," the "spontaneous" reaction to President Barack Obama (immediately after, and not because he's black, surely not). Yep, the Tea Party was taxed enough already, even though Obama promised no new taxes but for the rich. It was all about money, no sex, no religion. Until it was. All the sudden, everything was about gay marriage, and abortion and birth control. WTF, over? This crap was supposed to be settled!

So, what do you do if you are a gay, conservative group? Especially if you are a gay, but divorced from the more moderate Log Cabin Republicans? GOProud, the little-g gay, big-C Conservative group is in something of a pickle. Most gays abhor them, but then so do most conservatives! They're so bullied, there should be an "It Gets Better" movement, just for them.

But it's ridiculous, and does not deserve its own martyrdom. Gay conservatives are like individualist communists.  They are an anachronistic contradiction. They should not exist. Maybe--like the bumble bee--if their inherent impossibility were explained to them, they would cease to exist?

Anyway, read this, and tell me if YOU get anything out of it. . .

[Excerpt]

Open Letter to Readers of QVegas, Las Vegas Night Beat and Las Vegas Gay Community

. . .This month, a list of primary election endorsements appears on NevadaImpact.com, a joint effort of Rob Schlegel, QVegas and Las Vegas Night Beat. These endorsements are also published in the current issue of both aforementioned publications. Under the guise of helping “the LGBT community be better informed about candidates,” Rob Schlegel and his cohorts have gone out of their way to continue the long history of spiteful partisanship by the so-called leaders in our community. Schlegel endorses in 47 of the 67 races he lists, backing 50 Democrats and 8 Republicans. He even used three of the eight Republican endorsements to take petty swipes at the candidates, and ripped another half-dozen GOP candidates just for fun. . .

Read more (if you can take it) at: GOProud