The data and the facts lead to an inescapable conclusion: Every child deserves a married mom and dad. The reality remains that millions of American families do not have the advantages that come with that structure. We honor the courageous efforts of those who bear the burdens of parenting alone and embrace the principle that all Americans should be treated with dignity and respect. But respect is not enough. Our laws and our government’s regulations should recognize marriage as the union of one man and one woman and actively promote married family life as the basis of a stable and prosperous society. For that reason, as explained elsewhere in this platform, we do not accept the Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage and we urge its reversal, whether through judicial reconsideration or a constitutional amendment returning control over marriage to the states. We oppose government discrimination against businesses or entities which decline to sell items or services to individuals for activities that go again.
If one is looking to understand the definition of “oxymoron,” one need look no further than the term “gay Republican.” What seems understandable as an exercise in, and expression of, profound self-loathing, is something I can’t begin to wrap my head around. The most well-known group- Log Cabin Republicans (LCR)- pledges allegiance to a party determined to destroy them, or, failing that, to relegate them to second-class status.
Even LCR President Gregory T. Angelo describes this year’s GOP platform as “the most anti-LGBT platform in history.” Why, then, would any self-respecting member of the LGBT community belong to a political party which views and defines them as “less than.”
The platform calls for the reversal of the Supreme Court’s decision on marriage equality. It supports and encourages “gay conversion therapy,” which has been debunked and disavowed even by groups previously involved in it. Despite a preponderance of objective evidence detailing the damage done by “gay conversion therapy,” the GOP continues to stand behind it.
How could anyone with even the barest shred of self-esteem not recognize the GOP platform to be what it is: a prescription for defining the LGBT community as “less than,” and legally classifying them as second-class citizens unworthy of the rights and protections “good” and “decent” heterosexual Americans take as their due?
“Gay Republican” may not be as dramatic as “Jews For Gas Chambers” or “African-Americans For Slavery,” but it makes about as much sense. We’re all free to make our own choices, which I suppose means that some are bound to be nonsensical and difficult to comprehend. Members of the LGBT community who vote Republican are padlocking their own chains…and tossing the key into the high grass.
