Gay Conservatives Fight Bush on Wedding Vow (Los Angeles Times)

[Barad Simith]

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-amend26feb26,1,5784484.story

Gay Conservatives Fight Bush on Wedding Vow

A key GOP group plans a campaign against the proposed constitutional amendment in several states crucial to the president's reelection.

February 26, 2004

WASHINGTON — Angered by President Bush's endorsement of a constitutional amendment defining marriage as solely the union of a man and a woman, gay conservatives are laying the groundwork for a campaign against the proposal in swing states, such as Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Ohio, that are critical to the president's reelection.

Log Cabin Republicans, the largest GOP organization on gay issues, is exploring options from grass-roots voter mobilization efforts to television and radio ads — all designed to convince fellow conservatives, as well as moderates and independents, that the White House is "playing politics" with the Constitution.

"A constitutional amendment is a call to arms for gay conservatives," said Patrick Guerriero, executive director of the group, which is planning its annual convention in Palm Springs in April. "A lot of gay conservatives who have been extraordinarily loyal will not remain silent. This is a breach."

In the last few months, Guerriero has visited Missouri and Ohio to assess the political climate and talk to activists. In the last year he has traveled to 26 states and 87 cities to prepare for the largest presence ever of gay conservatives and their allies at the Republican National Convention, which will be in New York this year.

He said that since Bush's announcement on Tuesday embracing the amendment proposed by Rep. Marilyn N. Musgrave (R-Colo.), anger among gay conservatives was boiling over.

"The feeling is, if you want a cultural war, you'll get it," he said Wednesday in an interview. "We don't want history to record that we stood silent when our president and our party tried to write discrimination into the U.S. Constitution."

[Piperay]

1. It's about time they

started speaking up instead of blindly supporting their party, I can't understand how they can be repukes anyway. :shrug:

[foreigncorrespondent]

2. Still not enough.

They sold us all out to the repuke bastards long ago, and they have a mighty lot of making up to do, before they will ever be accepted as part of the queer community by me.

[theHandpuppet]

12. Amen!!

They've been among the GOP's staunchest acolytes even while the civil rights of others have been trampled on by the RW of the Repuglican Party. Now it's THEIR rights that are next on the chopping block and all of the sudden they feel outraged??? Where the hell have the LCRs been all this time -- immersed in their stock portfolios?

They haven't given a damn about women's rights, reproductive choice, the working poor, affirmative action, organized labor, veteran's benefits et al. They have obediently and loudly trumpeted every repressive piece of legislation and corporate ripoff Bush and the PNAC crew have shoved down our collective throats! Did they really think that just because they too worship the almighty dollar they would be given a free pass to the GOP country club? Guess again, you idiots!

I'm with you, foreigncorrespondent -- they have a lot of making up to do before they will ever be accepted as part of the queer community by me, too. Just remember, folks, it has been the votes and money of self-hating fascists like the LCRs who brought us this fine mess in the first place!

[Boomer]

3. They're still repugs

They're still loyal Republicans -- they just want their way on this one issue. It's not like they're suddenly going to oppose tax cuts for the rich, outsourcing to India, Wal-Mart's fascist employee proactices, the war on Iraq, etc. etc.

[dusty64]

4. "Call to arms" my

ass. They are also saying they fully intend to stay and fight FOR the rethug party. What a bunch of masochistic losers, they are pathetic.

[The Zanti Regent]

5. People who lie down in Log Cabins are gonna wake up with splinters!

yet they go back for more abuse...

[David__77]

6. At this time, LCR is making a positive contribution.

I normally oppose them of course. But the fact is that they have pledged to use all of their resources to oppose the amendment--I have no reason to doubt that from what I've seen. Their chairman Guerriero has been pretty clear about this and has a good working relationship with Human Rights Campaign head Cheryl Jacques, a Democrat and like him a former Massachusetts legislator.

[Logansquare]

7. Time for LCR to evoke the "nuclear" option

The outing of every conservative closet case in Washington...

[Frances]

8. Wouldn't that be fun?

I would not be for doing such a thing if these people were not doing so much damage.

[MarkTwain]

15. Agreed....

... let the light of day shine in on all of those hypocrite's closets!

[Chovexani]

9. Heh, gay conservatives

Like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders. I've yet to meet one that wasn't majorly messed up. A sad, self-hating lot they are.

I guess they're finally realizing a queer is a queer no matter what their net worth is. 'Bout fucking time. Of course the majority will probably stay Repukes, cause they care more about tax cuts for the rich than they do about the community.

[mac56]

10. Or they're closeted trust fund kids..

afraid to come out to Pater and Mater, and lose their inheritance.

[Chovexani]

11. Sometimes I wonder how many there are

There's an awful lot of rich conservatives with gay kids. Imagine how many must be closeted.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

13. The LOG CABIN CLUB is a group of mostly well off misogynistic men

who have made it financially and could give a flying fuck about gay people other than themselves. They throw money at GLBT centers and then infect them with propaganda claiming tobacco companies are responsible for the hard right turn in the Republican party anr that if gay people would stop smoking, then the Republicans would not be financed by religious extremist money.

They are fucked up lying bastards with big time MOMMY issues.

[maxanne]

14. good for them

This is great!

Listen, we may not think much of them, and we may completely fail to understand them - but this at least is positive - and speaks to the dissent within Republican ranks. That dissent is going to help us win elections this year.

[TheDonkey]

16. Like bush or rethugs care what the hell the log cabin

gays have to say.

They need to wake up and realize the right hates them.