Gay and Republican, but Not Necessarily Disloyal to President

[kskiska]

As a lesbian in a long-term relationship, Margaret Leber objects to the idea of amending the Constitution to ban same-sex marriage.

But Ms. Leber, a software engineer and a registered Republican in Jeffersonville, Pa., is also a member of the Pink Pistols, an organization of gay and lesbian gun owners, and marriage is not the only issue on her mind.

"Right now, I am leaning toward Bush," Ms. Leber said. "All the Democrats just rolled into Congress to vote for this gun-control bill. Somebody with my values and beliefs can't be a single-issue voter."

President Bush's support for the gay-marriage amendment drew expressions of dismay and betrayal from many of his gay and lesbian supporters, including some of the 12 prominent gay Republicans who met with him in Austin, Tex., shortly after his election as a show of mutual support. But as the debate over same-sex marriage heats up, some gay Republicans say Mr. Bush may still get their vote in November.

(snip)

But being a gay Republican has never been simple. Some, including others in the Austin group, said Mr. Bush had not yet lost their votes. In interviews last week several gay Republicans said they resented the assumption that while straight people worry about taxes or national security, gays and lesbians vote according to their sexuality alone. Some played down Mr. Bush's move as a political necessity to appease his base of social conservatives and said it would have little consequence in the end. Others said they were waiting to see whether the president let the subject drop or continued to bring it up.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/09/politics/09GAYS.html

[bagnana]

1. jesus. Bush is trying to write this woman out of the constitution.

He wants to add to the 18 amendments created in history just to declare certain rights 'OFF LIMITS' to her. She is so damned worried about her 2nd amendment rights, that she would vote for someone who doesn't even think she is enough of a person to be entitled to Supreme Court scrutiny of her equal protection rights, but must preempt that scrutiny through a constitutional amendment. What a fool. Lady, Bush doesn't think the constitution applies to you. You are not worthy, in his mind, of constitutional rights. So your worries about gun rights etc. are irrelevant to him. But he will take your vote, thank you.

[Markus182]

2. Let them vote Republican

I'm tired of media sources finding obscure examples and making them look like a significant representation. Seriously, how much of the gay vote do you think is comprised of lesbian gun owners who are leaning towards Bush? You can't please everyone, and if you try, you won't please anyone. I would much rather see Kerry promote his ideals and let his message draw in individuals, than have him pander to try and please every member of some artificial cultural group. I am sure that the typical left-leaning gay voter has much more in common with straight democrats than with lesbian gun owners who are leaning towards Bush.

Let's keep this election about the issues. Let this woman vote Republican; that is her choice. But trying to appease her just because she's apparently part of the group we're supposed to be going after is going to leave a lot _more_ people confused about Kerry's message.

[Markus182]

7. In addition

In addition, I just want to say DAMN log cabin Republicans annoy the hell out of me! If you are trying so hard to convince people that your sexuality is not important in your voting strategy, then why do you belong to gay-specific conservative groups? Why are you flaunting your sexuality (it's great to use that one on them) instead of talking about the issues that apparently matter to you?

Hypocrites. No wonder they're hated by Democrats and Republicans alike. I can forgive a conservative gay person. I can even forgive a gay person who votes for Bush, if that person truly believes in his ideals. But I cannot forgive a gay person who votes for Bush but is part of a gay-interests organization.

[DarkPhenyx]

9. Interesting POV.

It does have it's merits and flaws though.

[DarkPhenyx]

8. Do you honestly think that...

...the entirity of the Log Cabin Republicans are going to vote Democrat?

How many religious Democrats are going to vote Republican this year becaues of his stance on gay marriage...or vote Rep because of their fear of terrorism.

[Markus182]

12. Sorry

Can you please elaborate? I don't think I'm understanding what you're saying.

I don't expect the entirety of Log Cabin Republicans to vote Democrat in 2004. I don't even expect the majority. To be honest I don't really know much about what their political agenda involves.

My point is that we need to stop worrying so much about appealing to specific interest groups, and instead focus on energizing the base. That base consists of _individuals_ who share common ideals and interests. When we excite the base, we will bring enough people to win this election.

What annoyed me about the article is that it seemed to be implying that we should be doing more to try to appeal to lesbian gun owners leaning towards Bush, to try to capture their votes. I believe that such a strategy is completely flawed. It's just this pandering appeal to swing voters that has left the Democratic party disillusioned and confused about its own message since 2000. We are just beginning to get our focus and our identity back, and we can't afford to lose it by being too afraid to speak our ideals and values out loud to the nation. The GOP is eternally unapologetic about voicing its opinion, and that is one of the party's greatest strengths.

[DarkPhenyx]

22. They don't have to be apologetic.

Their message is very appealing. "You can have everything and not have to make any sacrafices. We're keeping you safe from people, like Democrats, who want to take everything you've worked for away from you. We are also keeping you safe from people, like communists and terrorists, who want to kill you."

Many of us know this to not be true, but we do a piss poor job of proving it.

[DarkPhenyx]

3. Damn! I hate being right.

I have been saying this, and saying this, and saying this. But apparently I was "ignorant" or "homophobic" or whatever it was people were saying about me at the time. Still, I spoke the truth as I saw it and damn....I was right. Goddess bless I hate that.

[Rex]

5. Right about what?

nt

[DarkPhenyx]

6. That just because they might disagree on the gay marriage issue...

didn't mean they were going to abandon Bush. I have also said that not every homosexual thought that gay marriage was the end all and be all of the political issues out there. That they weren't going to make it the only issue, or even an issue, they used to select their President.

[JusticeForAll]

11. Umm, OK, I'll bite. You were right.

What does this prove? How is your prognostication helpful?

[DarkPhenyx]

21. You mean besides it possibly helping us...

...to be proactive earlier and prehaps having foudn a counter to this earlier as opposed to simply saying "oh, this is really going to hurt him when the LCR comes out agaisnt him." Or we could have wasted less time on Mary Cheany?

[Spentastic]

23. You don't think

It's more likely that a notoriously right wing source has found an anecdotal story to back up your point of view?

I would hazard a guess that this person does not represent the majority of gay people, probably not even gay Republicans.

[DarkPhenyx]

24. And I would bet that they do.

The Republicans at any rate. We have homosexuals on our side of the fence who don't think marriage is the end all be all issue.

[Rex]

4. Pink Pistols

Wasn't that a band?

[PartyPooper]

10. "Sex pistols"

is what you're thinking of. And, I believe they were British.

[fearnobush]

13. Kind of reminds me about the

Jews for Hitler in the 1930's. They supported him even though all the warning signs were quite clear. They ultimately walked themselves in to the gas chambers. Ideological belief is bliss I guess.

[The Zanti Regent]

14. Manwhile--Andy Sullivan still LOVES Bush

Andy acts like the typical battered spouse, gets his head cracked when the elephant steps on it and he comes back for more.

[dArKeR]

15. Honestly, how could a person with any sort of intelligence be loyal to

an idiot? Only immoral people makinga personal profit are loyal to George aWol.

[schultzee]

16. The dems should let go of gun control and get the south back.

It just is not worth letting the fascists destroy the country over an issue like guns.

[Ganja Ninja]

27. Exactly!

Just drop it. Guns are plentiful right now. Killers and insane maniacs can buy all the guns they want right now. The ban on assault weapons doesn't stop people from buying guns that are just as deadly and are on the market today. For all gun control accomplishes is it worth letting the republicans take over the country?

[Crachet2004]

29. I agree. Just this one small concession, would mean whole states...

turning blue in the fall, probably quite a few. A lot of straight people feel the same way the 'Pink Pistol' person does. She feels...threatened. A lot of that going around, lately.

[Torgo Johnson]

17. They just don't get it

"Right now, I am leaning toward Bush," Ms. Leber said. "All the Democrats just rolled into Congress to vote for this gun-control bill. Somebody with my values and beliefs can't be a single-issue voter."


So Margie, you claim you can't be a single-issue voter(gay marriages), but yet you support Bush because of a single-issue(gun control). On of the reason groups like the Pink Pistols exist is to fight for concealed carry laws in order to defend themselves against bigots who get riled up by gay-bashers like George Bush.

"In interviews last week several gay Republicans said they resented the assumption that while straight people worry about taxes or national security, gays and lesbians vote according to their sexuality alone."

If Bush tried to pass an amendment that said straight people couldn't get married, those people would very likely to vote against Bush for that issue.

[theHandpuppet]

18. Ah, but there's the flaw in their contention...

... ie, that the issue of gay marriage is a single issue at all. The legal right to marry -- as opposed to "civil unions" -- includes rights, benefits and responsibilities encompassing hundreds of "issues", including social security, taxes, inheritance laws, etc (hrc.org has info listing the many aspects involved and a downloadable pamphlet). Ms Leber is apparently willing to toss away these MANY basic rights as a citizen of this country for the right to carry an assault weapon? How totally bizarre! I can only wonder what these "core beliefs and values" to which she referred might be, if they don't START with the right NOT to be excluded from the Constitution. Do her core "beliefs and values" include the dignity and respect afforded all citizens, not only for herself but for her life partner? I can hear it now.... "Sorry, honey, but I had to choose between you or my gun."

Ah well, idiots exist in every stripe, and I can't spend too much time trying to wrap my mind around the pretzel logic of Log Cabin Repukes.

Edited to add a few links:
http://www.pinkpistols.com
http://www.lp.org/lpnews/0111/pinkpistols.html
http://www.packing.org/news/article.jsp/8429

[cboy4]

19. If someone cracked Ms. Leber over the head with

a friggen baseball bat because they saw her walking
down the street with her partner, I strongly
believe there would be a 99.999999%
chance the attacker would be a right wing fundamentalist
Christian Bush-GOP supporter.

And chances are the attack would happen
so quickly, Ms. Leber would be knocked unconscious
or killed before she'd have a chance to
whip out that gun she loves so much in self-defense.

I've said this more times than Bush has lied
about WMD's.....REPUBLICANS HATE GAY PEOPLE! :grr:
Wake up Ms. Leber. You're throwing your vote away.
Democrats don't want to take away your right to
own a gun....they just want gun control.
How is that not perfectly reasonable?

[theHandpuppet]

20. Not only that...

But the very reason Ms Leber and others of her mindset feel they have to carry guns is because violent, homophobic bigots and extremists feel validated every time Bush or one of his RW cronies use the public fora as a bully pulpit in which to paint gays as perverts or anything less than fully human and undeserving the rights of all citizens. To them I can only say they need to stop putting the cart before the horse -- fight for equal rights and dignity in order to create a society where bigots, not gays, will be marginialized. I'd rather arm myself with the Constitution than with a gun.

[kayell]

25. Love the way they got the word "disloyal" in there

On top of everything else that is so, so wrong with this picture. Sheesh :eyes:

[Zorro]

26. She probably writes crappy software

Anyone so willfully and blissfully ignorant probably generates a lot of spaghetti code.

[leesa]

28. Well, gays can be idiots too, I guess.

[PATRICK]

30. This is the kind of champion

that used to ruin the Dems and the GOP did not hesitate to abuse the film footage to make linkage. Pink Pistols for Bush! Line up the pro-Bush nutcases now and we'll have ALL the swing voters by June.

[Wabbajack]

31. Well

In all fairess if they're corporatist right wing slime in addition to being gay why shouldn't they vote gop? There whole lives should be about being gay.

[snooper2]

32. And gay republicans represent what..

.0013% of society?

[truthspeaker]

33. the gun control legislation that Bush publicly supports!

Bush has said he favors extending the "assault weapons" ban. Anyone who votes for Bush on that issue is an idiot who hasn't done their research; his position on the gun control legislation the woman in the article is talking about is identical to John Kerry's.

[Moloch]

34. ugh

These people have no self-respect. I mean voting for someone who personally opposes gay marriage is one thing, but voting for someone who wants to change the constitution to discriminate against
them is something altogether. Absolutely disgusting.

[Demonaut]

35. split personalities

oh well