The Utter Failure of the Log Cabin Republicans
Republicans moved on Tuesday toward adopting a staunchly conservative platform that takes a strict, traditionalist view of the family... [it] amounts to a rightward lurch even from the party’s hard-line platform in 2012—especially as it addresses gay men, lesbians and transgender people.... Nearly every provision that expressed disapproval of homosexuality, same-sex marriage or transgender rights passed.
The proposed 2016
GOP platform condemns same-sex marriage and calls for the appointment of judges
who will overturn Obergefell, the 2015 Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage
in all 50 states; it endorses "pray away the gay" conversion "therapies" that
have been proven to be just as ineffective as they are dangerous; it backs bans on transgender Americans
using appropriate public restrooms, i.e. the ones that align with their gender
identities.
The Log Cabin
Republicans, the most ineffectual political advocacy org this side of
NAMBLA, condemned
the proposed 2016 platform and tried to raise money off it
too:
The country's largest organization representing LGBT conservatives has slammed the GOP for its draft platform, which remains opposed to same-sex marriage and bathroom choice for transgender people. "There’s no way to sugarcoat this: I’m mad as hell — and I know you are too," Gregory T. Angelo, the president of the Log Cabin Republicans, wrote in a fundraising email sent Tuesday evening. "Moments ago, the Republican Party passed the most anti-LGBT platform in the party’s 162-year history."
The Log Cabin
Republicans begged people to send them "$500,
$250, $100, or whatever you can give," money they would use to "take back the
platform" and "take back the party." They were going to be on the floor of the
RNC! They weren't going to "go quietly into the night!" They were going to
fight!
And how was that fight? It was pretty
fucking quiet:
The @GOP has now, as a body, approved their radical anti-LGBTQ platform with almost no opposition. #RNCinCLEpic.twitter.com/GrBTdo84pS
Gay Republicans are praised for trying to "change their party from within" and then...Nothing changes. Their party never changes. All the GOP candidates for president take the same old bigoted positions. It never gets any better.But no one who writes up the efforts of Log Cabin Republicans to change their party ever thinks to examine the results. There's never an accountability moment for the cocksucking wing of the "party of personal responsibility."The Log Cabin Republicans were founded in 1977. They were gonna "build a stronger, more inclusive Republican Party [and] transform the GOP from the inside." They've been at this transform-from-the-inside shit for nearly forty fucking years and what do they have nothing to show it? Nothing. Fuck all. Squat. For years they've been waiting on—and promising us—a breakthrough that never, ever comes. The GOP is as bad on LGBT issues now as it has ever been and their 2016 candidates run the gamut from completely awful asshole to completely asshole awful.It's time to pack it in, boys. It's over. You failed. Fuck off and shut up. (As for what motivates gay Republicans... I have a theory.)
Actually, I'd like to amend what I wrote
about the Log Cabin Republicans back in February.
Log Cabin
Republicans have been working to "transform the GOP from the inside" for forty
years and not only hasn't it gotten better, it
has gotten worse. The 2016 Republican Platform, adopted today without a
peep of protest from Log Cabin Republicans, is worse on LGBT issues than any
Republican Party Platform in history. Worse than the GOP platform in 1980, when
the religious right was ascendent; worse than the GOP platform in 1984, when
AIDS hysteria was at its peak; worse than the GOP platform in 1992, when
delegates to the RNC were waving "Family Values Forever! Gay Rights Never!"
signs on the floor of the convention in Houston. Worst. Platform. Ever. Log
Cabin Republicans spent
months wriggling their tongues up Donald Trump's
ass and this is the thanks they
get.
Whatever the Log
Cabin Republicans think they're doing "inside" the Republican Party, it isn't
working, it has never worked, and they need to stop pretending it'll ever
work. Today's Republican Party, as Andy
Towle pointed out, is an anti-LGBT hate group. Period. And
the sanity and/or motives of any queer person who belongs to today's GOP are
suspect—same goes for yesterday's GOP and most likely tomorrow's
GOP.
"Robert Siegel
interviews Gregory Angelo, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, a group that
advocates for equal rights for LBGT people," says
NPR.
No.
You can back the GOP or you can advocate for equal rights for LGBT
people. You can't do both at once—and anyone who claims to be doing both is
lying.
UPDATE: This was in the emailbag this
morning...
"Bullshit. Gregory T. Angelo immediately decried the party platform as a step back for Gay Republicans. I think Dan Savage is doing more harm than good by cultivating this asinine sentiment that we all must fall in line and prescribe to the same beliefs and principals to be included in the LGBTQ family. The damage he is doing should not be lauded. But, that's the kind of sycophant expression of beliefs you get from a fearful people who are not willing to contribute to change, but to tear down and dismantle the hard earned strides that have been made within the GOP. Gregory has fearlessly put a face to the Republican gay. It takes way more effort to be a lone wolf crying out for justice, than a pack of sheep bleating the same message. I think it is cowardly to throw barbs from the sidelines. Dan's cynical message overlooks very real progress and change. The GOP is suffering, definitely. Because of the very real bigotry within the rank and file. But to attack a member of our community who is working to fulfill an agreement towards full inclusion; that is the epitome of intolerance."My partner and I are one of the plaintiff couples who fought for Marriage Equality in Oregon. My spouse is a lifelong member of the GOP and is building a political career within the party to put a face to gay Republicans. Your comments delegitimize the very real work being done on a grass roots level to bring a moderate tone to the platform of the GOP. There is more I could write to, but I doubt a response will be forthcoming.Your words do more damage than good.Sincerely,Paul R.
Dear Paul,
Gregory T.
Angelo's efforts to reform the Republican Party from within—like the efforts of
Rich Tafel before him and all the other useful idiots who've headed up LCR—have
been for naught. The same goes for your partner’s efforts in Oregon, I'm sorry
to say. Let's take a quick peek at the platform of the Republican Party of Oregon:
The Oregon Repiblican Party believes that the traditional family is ordained by God our Creator and is the foundation of our society. A traditional family is formed through the marriage of one man and one woman. This environment is optimal for raising children into responsible self-sufficient, productive citizens.... We believe that government intervention into matters regarding the family must be kept to an absolute minimum. Marriage is between one man and women woman.
The government shouldn't intervene into
matters regarding the family—unless the government is intervening to stop
same-sex couples from marrying or starting families of their own. Because fuck
those perverts. Still. In 2016.
To clarify: I know that Gregory and the
rest of the LCR boys had a wee public sad when the Republican Platform Committee
adopted the most anti-LGBT platform in the party's history. They promised a
floor fight over the platform — and raised money on that promise — but didn't
deliver. The missing floor fight is what I was referring to when I slammed LCR
for allowing the adoption of the Republicanplatform hateform "without a peep of
protest."
Gregory shouldn’t be mad at me for calling
bullshit on the entirely futile efforts of LCR, Paul, and you shouldn't be mad
at me for pointing out the futility of their efforts — or the futility of your
partner's efforts, for that matter, to "put a face on gay Republicans." You
should be mad at Republican leaders — leaders who have fucked your community
over at every turn — and mad at the very real bigots "within the rank and file"
of the GOP.
As for the rank and file of the LGBT
community, Paul, we're mad at LCR and our anger is not
misplaced.
This is the worst GOP platform ever. That’s all LCR has to show for nearly
forty years of what exactly? Forty years of trying to change the GOP from
within? No. Forty years of lying to the LGBT community about the Republican
Party and forty years of complicity in Republican attacks on the LGBT
community.
I'm not just talking about LCR's long and
ignominious history of endorsing anti-LGBT politicians. It's worse than that.
LCR isn't just guilty of endorsing shitty anti-gay bigots — George W. Bush over
Al Gore 2000; John McCain (and Sarah Palin!) over Barack Obama in 2008; Mitt
Romney over Barack Obama in 2012 (despite Romney's support for a constitutional
amendment banning same-sex marriage, his opposition to gays and lesbians serving
openly in the military, and his support for discrimination against LGBT people in
employment and housing) — LCR is also guilty of providing cover for anti-LGBT
Republicans. While anti-LGBT bigotry still plays well with the "rank and file"
of the GOP base, it doesn't play well with moderate and independent voters. Log
Cabin Republicans and other gay Republicans are used — they allow themselves to
be used — the same way Ben Carson and Herman Cane allow themselves to be used
and Colin Powell once allowed himself to be used. ("Our policies can't be
racist! We aren't the party of white grievance, deafening dog whistles, Lee
Atwater, Willie Hortan, "welfare queens," Donald Trump, and the Southern
Strategy. Look! Over there! It's Ben Carson!")
Here's an example:
At their convention this week, Republicans are set to approve a particularly anti-LGBT platform. It calls for overturning marriage equality, banning same-sex parenting, restricting transgender people’s access to bathrooms, and ensuring parents can force harmful conversion therapy on their LGBT kids. Party leaders, however, deny that it’s anti-LGBT at all. On CNN Monday morning, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R), co-chair of the Republicans’ platform committee, explained that their priority with those planks was to “make American great” and to “stand for the human rights of all people, not just one segment, one class, one race, one preference, but for all people in the United States.” Besides, she said, there were gay people on the committee, insisting, “We’re an inclusive party; we’re a big tent.”
The odious Mary Fallin points to the one
gay person on the platform committee — a woman who was reduced to tears by the
other members of the platform committee — to argue that the GOP isn't actually
anti-LGBT at all. ("Look! Over there! It's a queermo!") Fallin argues that the
presence of one gay person on the platform committee proves the platform itself
isn't anti-LGBT! Reince Priebus, for his part, told the AP that the party was
welcoming to LGBT people — because, hey, gay billionaire Peter Thiel would be
speaking at Republican National Convention this week. (“See! We’re not
anti-LGBT! Look over there at our pet homos! We've got one on the platform
committee, one speaking at the convention, and a couple of dozen in that log
cabin over there!")
I'm not fooled, Paul, and the overwhelming
majority of LGBT voters aren't fooled. But Fallin and Priebus aren't trying to
fool LGBT voters. They're trying to fool — they're trying to trick — straight
moderate and straight independents into thinking the GOP is not as anti-LGBT as
it actually is. And LCR, Republicans like your partner, and that poor woman on
the platform committee help the GOP make that argument. You're helping Trump,
Fallin, Priebus, et al, cover up the GOP's record of anti-LGBT hate. You're
helping them win elections and harming the "LGBTQ family" you claim to care
about so much.
Allowing
yourselves to be used this way — carrying water for a party that doesn’t think
you should be married, have kids, use the toilet, serve in the military, be
protected from workplace discrimination, or even EXIST — goes beyond
standard-issue self-hatred. It's far darker and more
disturbing. Get help.
Best,
Dan
* * * * * *
How do we build
a viable third party to the left of shitty Democrats in the United States? "You
run people not just for fucking president every four fucking years," says Dan
Savage. (You also lower the bar on getting third
party candidates into debates.)
This exchange
happened back in May at the 20 minute
mark on the 500th
episode of the Savage
Lovecast, but a listener named Ray
Everett began sharing transcript on Facebook on this
week. We reproduce it here for your edification:
CALLER: Hi my name is Pheasant and I live in Kansas. My question is, why — you guys talk a lot about politics — I would love to hear you guys talk about third party politics: Independent Party, the Green Party, and the Libertarian Party.
CALLER: Hi my name is Pheasant and I live in Kansas. My question is, why — you guys talk a lot about politics — I would love to hear you guys talk about third party politics: Independent Party, the Green Party, and the Libertarian Party.
I’m a huge Green Party supporter; I’m voting for Jill Stein. And I realize that people say that if you vote for these, it’s just a wasted vote, it’s a vote for Republicans.But I also feel we need to start sending a message to Washington and to our political leaders that we’re sick and tired of this two party system and candidates who are controlled by corporations and special interest groups. And they can’t piss off their donors, you know, because they buy the votes.So I’m just wondering why you guys never talk about it because I think Jill Stein — she’s a member of the Green Party — she’s amazing. And for the people that bitch and moan about… Hillary didn’t always support gay rights, and Bernie didn’t always support this… I agree with you Dan, I think it's ridiculous how — that people can change. That’s what we want, we try to get people — hey, stop being a homophobic asshole, hey stop being a racist prick. But you know the Green Party has never changed. They’ve always supported gay rights, equality for all, the environment…DAN SAVAGE: Alright, blah blah blah. Sorry I had to stop you. Yeah, let’s talk about the Green Party for just a moment, or third parties, getting a third party movement off the ground here in this country. Because we are sick of the two party system!Here’s how you fucking do that: you run people not just for fucking president every four fucking years.I have a problem with the Greens, I have a problem with the Libertarians. I have a problem with these fake, attention seeking, grandstanding Green/Libertarian party candidates who pop up every four years, like mushrooms in shit, saying that they're building a third party. And those of us who don't have a home in the Republican Party, don't have a home in the Democratic Party, can't get behind every Democratic position or Republican position, should gravitate toward these third parties. And help build a third party movement by every four fucking years voting for one of these assholes like Jill fucking Stein, who I'm sure is a lovely person, she's only an asshole in this aspect.If you're interested in building a third party, a viable third party, you don’t start with president. You don't start by running someone for fucking president.Where are the Green Party candidates for city councils? For county councils? For state legislatures? For state assessor? For state insurance commissioner? For governor? For fucking dogcatcher? I would be SO willing to vote for Green Party candidates who are starting at the bottom, grassroots, bottom up, building a third party, a viable third party.You don't do that by trotting out the reanimated corpse of Ralph fucking Nader every four fucking years. Or his doppelgänger, whoever it is now, Jill Stein and some asshole-to-be-named four years from now. You start by running grassroots, local campaigns. And there've been — and I'm sure we're going hear from lots of people out there listening — there have been a couple of Green Party candidates who’ve run in other races here and there across the country. But no sustained effort to build a Green Party nationally. Just this griping, bullshitty, grandstanding, fault-finding, purity-testing, holier than thou-ing, that we are all subjected to every four fucking years by the Green Party candidate.And the folks, including you caller — and I love you and I respect you and we’re having this debate and I'm not treating you with kid gloves because I respect you — who are fooled by them, who are sucked into this bullshit, who are tricked by these grandstanding, attention-seeking, bullshit-spewing charlatans, into wasting your vote.Which is what you are going to do, I'm sorry to say, to circle back to the top of your call. You are essentially, if you're voting for Jill Stein, helping to potentially elect Donald J. Trump president of these United States. Which would be a catastrophe.Which is what some people say that they want. People supported Ralph Nader in 2000 and said there was no difference between Al Gore and George W. Bush, therefore we could all afford to throw our votes away, protest-style, on Ralph Nader, who had no hope of getting elected, because there was no difference between Bush and Gore.These same people, at the same time, said that George Bush was so manifestly obviously terrible that he would bring the revolution if he got himself elected somehow. They didn’t say this about Gore, he wouldn’t bring the revolution. They’re exactly the same, exactly as awful, but one would bring the revolution and one wouldn’t. Which means they weren't exactly the same and they weren't equally awful.And we're hearing the same thing now about Hillary and Donald. That they’re both equally awful. They're both equally terrible, corrupt two party system, fuck it, fuck it, fuck it. Fuck them both, fuck both their houses! Vote for Jill Stein!And if Donald should get elected, oh he’s so terrible, so much worse than the equally awful Hillary Clinton, that his election will bring the revolution.It's bullshit.The revolution did not come in 2000 when George W. Bush got close enough to winning to steal the White House. It will not come if Donald J. Trump gets his ass elected.Disaster will come. And the people who’ll suffer are not going to be the pasty white Green Party supporters — pasty white Jill Stein and her pasty white supporters. The people who’ll suffer are going to be people of color. People of minority faiths. Queer people. Women.Don’t do it. Don't throw your vote away on Jill Stein/vote for, bankshot-style, Donald Trump.And if you want to build a viable third party, more power to you. I could see myself voting for a Green Party candidate for president in 25 years, after I've seen Green Party candidates getting elected to state legislatures, getting elected to governorships, getting elected to Congress. Then you can run some legitimate motherfucker for president.
