Log Cabin Republicans Respond to Anti-Gay State Party Platform

Hello Y’all,

So, the great Anne Wynne wrote a fantastic op-ed for the Observer a few days ago–about how incredibly anti-gay the state’s Republican party platform is.  Sorry, I probably should have told you to sit down before you read that last sentence, right?  As my dear friend Ello Black said, “That’s like telling a person that water has no calories.”

But really, the Republicans have topped themselves on the whole homophobia thing this time around, and if there’s any bit of anti-gay propaganda they left out of their platform, it’s only because the imagination of some enterprising young Republican strategist failed him.

I mean, here’s a telling quote from the platform, via Ms. Wynne’s piece: “We believe that the practice of homosexuality tears at the fabric of society, contributes to the breakdown of the family unit, and leads to the spread of dangerous, communicable diseases….”

Yikes!  Even still, no matter how far the Texas Republican party has taken the crazy anti-gay thing, “Texas Republicans Have Anti-Gay Platform” isn’t exactly a shocker headline, right?

But here’s what’s really interesting.  The Dallas Log Cabin Republicans have issued a FASCINATING response to the platform, and all the media attention its drawn.  I first read about it on The Advocate‘s website, but you can find it here, straight from the horse’s mouth.

You all do know that the Log Cabin Republicans is the gay Republican group, right?  I just wanted to make sure you were up to speed, because it makes this statement (which you should really read for yourself) far more interesting.  Anyway, Rob Schlein, crafter of this press release, writes at the start, “From the Dallas Voice to bloggers all over the nation, Republicans are being painted as anti-gay and intolerant.”  (HOW DARE THEY!)

And then, later on, assessing the negative consequences of the Republicans’ anti-gay platform, Schlein writes:

“Many gay and lesbian business owners and professionals that are natural allies of the GOP sit on the sidelines at a time when we need their help more than ever.  Young Republicans and young evangelicals are often embarrassed by the antiquated statements in the platform. Worse yet, a recent fundraising drive by a left-wing Washington D.C. organization highlighted the language from the Texas Party Platform in a letter to its well healed contributors.  The enemies of the Republican Party will do anything during this election to distract voters from the dangerous consequences of their explosive expansion of government and unsustainable deficits.  Republican fiscal and pro-free enterprise policies can save our country.”

Isn’t that INCREDIBLE?  I mean, I have to say, I think gay Republicans deserve all the study that anthropologists can throw their way.  Am I wrong?  Isn’t it amazing that THIS is the statement?  That the problem with the Republicans seeming so anti-gay is that people who aren’t anti-gay can exploit the Republicans’ position…in order to make them seem anti-gay.  Wow.  So, the problem isn’t really that the Republicans ARE anti-gay, it’s that appearing so virulently anti-gay isn’t mainstream enough to allow them to defeat the Democrats, the far less anti-gay party, in November.  FASCINATING.

I’m reminded of Liz Carpenter’s great line, when John Connally, our old in-name-only Democratic governor, endorsed Nixon for president, and founded a group called, “Democrats for Nixon.”  Anyway, Carpenter said, “If John Connally had been at the Alamo, he would have started a group called, ‘Texans for Santa Anna.'”

I guess it takes all kinds, folks.

Love Y’all,

Robert