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QueerNews版 - 科普一下Gay Republicans
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【 以下文字转载自 Rainbow 讨论区 】
发信人: newtenant (Good Day), 信区: Rainbow
标 题: 科普一下Gay Republicans
发信站: BBS 未名空间站 (Sun Jun 26 20:31:14 2011, 美东)
http://gaylife.about.com/od/headlinesnewsstories/i/republican.h
The Paradox Called Gay Republicans(zz)
by Ramon Johnson
Is it fair to assume all GLBT people are inherently liberal? The idea of a
conservative minority is perplexing to many- especially to those who wonder
how a minority, such as a gay or lesbian person, can support a right-wing
political party known for its anti-gay position. Even so, there are a number
of conservative gay men and women who live and serve openly as same-gender-
loving Republican elected officials and constituents.
Is the gay conservative an oxymoron or can sexuality be separated from other
political beliefs in a party where they go hand-in-hand?
Latest Developments
The Republican party has been a strong opponent of gay marriage. Party
leader and President Bush says, "I believe marriage is a union between a man
and a woman. I believe it's a sacred institution that is critical to the
health of our society and the well-being of families, and it must be
defended." President Bush has also proposed the Federal Marriage Amendment (
FMA), which would define marriage as between a man and woman in the
Constitution. His position is solidified by many other party leaders,
including Republican Senator Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina, who said, "
Marriage between a man and a woman isn't something Republicans invented, but
it is something Republicans will defend."
Some also belive the Republican party is seeking to purge itself of openly
gay party leaders to focus on what it calls "core values" after the Mark
Foley scandal and the retirement of Congressman Jim Kolbe.
Stake
In 2006, according to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, there were 350
openly gay elected officials in the U.S. up from 50 in 1990. Of those, 140
are Democrats and 11 are Republicans. With the retirement of openly gay
Republican Jim Kolbe, the Mark Foley sex scandal, and same-sex marriage as a
hot ticket issue, are gay conservatives being squeezed out of the
conservative ranks? Also, have gay conservatives done enough to rationalize
their conservative political position to the greater gay community? Should
they have to?
Many gay republicans believe in the ideals of the Republican Party despite
the groups anti-gay positions. To gay conservatives, issues like tax
policies, smaller limited government, and free markets warrant their support
of a conservative political party. Many of them claim intolerance of their
party's anti-gay positions, but believe through a grass roots effort the
party will become more inclusive.
The Log Cabin Republicans, the nation's leading same-gender-loving
Republican advocacy group, says, "Log Cabin represents an important part of
the American family-taxpaying, hard working people who proudly believe in
this nation's greatness. We also believe all Americans have the right to
liberty, freedom, and equality. Log Cabin stands up against those who preach
hatred and intolerance. We stand up for the idea that all Americans deserve
to be treated equal-regardless of their sexual orientation." The LCR goes
on to explain their position, "The mere existence of our organization
recognizes the fact that the Republican Party still has a long way to go on
issues affecting gay and lesbian civil rights. In recent years, the GOP has
made important strides toward inclusion, however much more must be done. Too
many people in the party remain hostile to gay and lesbian civil rights.
Log Cabin will confront the radical right's bigotry head-on as we join the
majority of Republicans who believe inclusion wins."
The idea of a gay Republican is not new, however. Gay Republican, Jeremy
Hawthorn talks of gay conservative politics dating back to the 1950s. "The
Mattachine Society rejected the idea of gays and lesbians having to be '
radical' to bring about change. Instead, they argued that homosexuals were a
legitimate sub-group of the American population. The society worked to win
acceptance, not change mainstream values. The emphasis was on assimilation
and legal change."
Opposition to Gay Republicans
Will the Republican party ever become an inclusive organization? Some party
opponents fail to see how gay Republicans can support a party that
collectively excludes them- so much so they are willing to amend the
Constitution to restrict their rights. How can gay Republicans support a
party that does not want them? Gene Stone of the Huffington Post shares a
growing belief that the answer lies in the shadows of self-hatred. "It's
understandable why someone might not choose to be a Democrat. Those brought
up in a family or culture where the traditional Republican party values were
celebrated, such as smaller government and less taxes, might feel
uncomfortable with the Democratic party (although these days it's the
Republican party that seems to stand for pork barrel politics and large
government).
"But why specifically chose a party that loathes you? The answer is hard to
fathom. Still, it's hard to avoid the self-hatred issue. Nearly all gay men
and women are raised in families where there is little-to-no support for
their core identity." Stone continues, "Today the bottom line is that there
simply is no excuse left for any gay man or woman to embrace a party whose
prime agenda is to stop him or her from enjoying the same rights as every
other American."
Other gay Republican opponents hope that by outing gay Republicans, gay
conservatives will see where the party's loyalty truly lies. Massachusetts
Congressman Barney Frank's position on outing gay Republicans is known as
the "The Frank Rule." Frank believes a person should to be outed if they use
their power to further anti-gay causes. He says, "The fact is, yes, the
Republicans do think [homosexuality] should be a crime. And I think there’s
a right to privacy. But the right to privacy should not be a right to
hypocrisy...people who want to demonize other people shouldn’t then be able
to go home and close the door, and do it themselves."
Where It Stands
In the aftermath of the Foley page scandal, can gay conservatives continue
to find a home in the Republican party? Will there be a gay witch hunt in
the Republican party that purges its ranks of unwanted homosexuals? The
future of American politics will reveal the answer. In the meantime, gay
Republicans may still continue to justify their existence in an exclusive
party, while others continue to contemplate the paradox.
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