Republicans?

It's a good question. I'm 100% certain that if I was straight, I'd still be a Democrat (And I'm one of two Democrats in my family-the other one served in Congress for 28 years). I'd venture that most gay Republicans are more libertarian than neocon, and are only fiscal conservatives.

I'm not a Democrat because I'm gay, I'm a Democrat because of two main reasons: simple math, and the fact that I want my government to work, and I want responsible adults who act like adults and not children running my government. Now let me say this: If I'd been around in the 1950's, I'd have been an Eisenhower Republican, because I support a higher minimum wage, I support Social Security and Medicare, and I support single-payer health care. I support unions, I support immigration reform (Which Republicans are holding up because they know it would pass and that would mean Obama actually got something done) and I support making the rich pay their fair share in taxes.

Today's Republicans don't govern, they simply throw a temper tantrum and use manufactured crises to try and get what they want. And time and again, they've failed. They've shut down the government, had our credit downgraded, nearly toppled the world economy by refusing to raise the debt ceiling, and they nearly shut down the Department of Homeland Security because President Obama *dared* do his job. I'll let one of my favorite Senators, Barbara Boxer from California, explain further.

[youtube]zKgbvpLszbg[/youtube]

 

I don't get how being "conservative" fiscally makes some gay folk graviate towards being Republican. When I was in college, I was an avid / rabid Republican... that soon passed in real life.

 

This is a pretty interesting topic of discussion, especially as someone who is LGBT and pursuing Political Science as a college major. I know three or four gay Republicans (a few from this site, and a few from other places), and many of them say that while they support gay rights, they see things such as the economy and foreign policy having to do more with their everyday lives, which are reasons they vote GOP. They would also speak out against religious freedom bills, I'm sure, however, you are correct that in a way you are voting against some of your self interests (one person described it as a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders).

As someone who's probably more liberal than the average Democrat, I see no reason whatsoever to ever vote Republican. Obviously some LGBT people to the right of me see it differently, and I've even had one tell me that I'm un-American for not voting GOP, so it may be likely that their reasons for voting GOP aren't related at all to LGBT issues, and they may vote Republican just out of the fact that's how their family voted.

But yeah, this is a really interesting discussion as I said, because some Republicans are finally seeing that LGBT issues are a losing issue for them, and that's a reason 300 ranking Republican supporters (Including the KOCH BROTHERS, Rudy Guliani, Robert Kraft, and S.E. Cupp) sent an amicus brief to the Supreme Court that they should rule in favor of Nationwide same sex marriage in their upcoming cases. They may be trying to court the LGBT vote for 2016, as they see that having an almost 50% disadvantage (75-25 on average) with the Democarts in the LGBT vote would help make it impossible to gain the Presidency, especially if they cannot change their party platforms either not talking about or even supporting same sex marriage. The latter would cause a slit between "moderate" Republicans and the social conservatives, and may cause a splinter candidate, ensuring a Democratic Presidential candidate wins. At the very least, I think the next GOP nominee will try to stay hush-hush on the issue, and the Democrat should keep grilling them until they answer questions about it.

Republicans also have to be worried about how LGBT people will react even after they support same sex marriage and maybe by some miracle, support anti-discrimination laws. Many LGBT people will think they're simply courting the voters, and many will be wary of what to think of the GOP, especially considering the party's history on the issue. This may create a supermajority of LGBT people voting Democrat as well, especially if more LGBT people think the GOP's strategy in 2004 (putting same sex marriage bans on the ballot to help increase conservative turnout in swing states) was tantamount to Nixon's "Southern Strategy", that alienated almost every black Republican.

It's a very interesting issue I'd love to research, especially after nationwide same sex marriage is a reality.

 

Well, I don't find it too hard to understand. I don't consider myself associated with either party. But anyways, I have a feeling some people may feel the pros outweigh the cons, simply. The percieved benefits of voting republican may overall cancel out their opposition to gay rights. gay rights may not be worth sacrificing their other values.

 

Like religion, politics are split up into subgroups (better known as factions)....and not all factions work on the same principles or beliefs that the main group does.

Factions in the Republican Party (United States) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

They are politicians............they put money ahead of EVERYTHING!

Otherwise they wouldn't be able to be bought and sold like commodities on the open market....for big business, corrupt factions, and other countries to buy out.

 

That's an amazing typo, skiff.

 

Why would anyone in their right mind support any party. Just all put their to distract us all and divide a conquered people even more. The founding fathers would be up in arms.

 

so being a democrat means you're pro-gay and if you're a republican you're an anti-gay homophobe? i don't quite understand this topic. i think it's just coincidence that many states down south are against gay marriage have large republican presents, but that's like saying republicans are also racists, because many of those southern states have a lot of racism where there are many towns separated by whites and blacks. Alabama for example is one of the states with the highest amount of KKK organizations, that would be like tying white people with being not only being anti gay but also racist, and obviously that is not true.

i also don't consider my self to be tied to a specific party, but if i had to pick i'm probably more of a conservative, but i lean more to the republican party than the democratic side without actually tying myself to either party. why? just look at this country, this country is suppose to be built on democracy, yet you have a president (who is a democrat i might add) that believes he can override the democracy this country has been built on for many years and make his own rules.. anyway, don't want to turn this into a right vs left agenda topic..

i think part of the problem with southern states is they tend to have less population diversity which probably doesn't help anti gay rhetoric.

 

I don't think anyone is trying to say that the Democratic party is completely gay friendly, as it's difficult for an entire group of people to agree on everything, the same way not all Republicans are anti-gay. However, it's also not a coincidence that only one of the parties: 1. Supports same sex marriage on a federal level 2. Supports LGBT nondiscrimination on a federal level, and 3. Supports the federal funding for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. Issue by issue, the Democrats are far better than Republicans when it comes to gay rights, and while the gap is shortening slowly, it will always be there unless moderate Republicans get the crazies in their party to act properly.

There's also a problem with your last statement as well: The South is actually pretty diverse overall. A lot of African-Americans, Creoles, Native Americans, and also LGBT people live down south (In fact, 4 in 10 same sex couples raising children live down South). The problem is that these groups are marginalized by the states that they live in, and they tend to live together in certain areas of the South. There is a strong anti-gay force in the South, however, about 57% of Southerners support same sex marriage. Less than the USA overall, but still above water. A super majority of anti-gay sentiments in the South some from evangelical Republicans, and it's wishful thinking to say that it's merely a coincidence that Southern states with a large Republican presence are the ones fighting same sex marriage tooth and nail.

 

The Republican Party, even though they masquerade as being tied to family values and working people etc, is really designed to advance the interests of the rich. As there are wealthy gay people entrenched in corporate America, their number one concern is not letting democrats raise taxes or increase regulations. They don't care about anything else.

---------- Post added 8th Mar 2015 at 07:41 PM ----------

Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter is a right wing consrvative

 

This is how I've come to see the Republican party. They value money over everything else and use the social conservatism schtick as a convenient way to manipulate people.

So I could see gay republicans similarly placing money over their own social interests.

 

For me, I am a conservative to moderate libertarian who votes based on the issues. I have voted in Democratic primaries because the Democratic ones running in my county can be moderate. I like to try to get the moderates elected. In the general, I either end up voting for the Libertarian Party, the Constitution Party(esp. when it is a local race and gov't spending has been a problem), and the Ron Paul Republicans(i.e. the ones who are neutral on gay issues). I am pro-life, pro-gay rights, pro 2nd amendment, moderate in fiscal issues(don't like socialism, but also don't want banks and other big corps. to get outrageous tax breaks while small business gets zero). I support legal immigration and relaxing standards a bit but am also anti-illegal immigration. I am cool with medical marijuana but not with recreational use. I am anti-interventionist when it comes to foreign policy. No problems with calling GOP hawks out as well as people like Hillary. I also hate big PAC's because it takes the voice of the people away. As Jill Stein(GRN) would say, "Money is not speech and corporations are not people." Long story short, I always hit the voter guides come election time or am often tempted to abstain.

 

A person can be a Democrat and just not be as liberal. I think there are a lot of people like that. Most minority groups who are not wealthy vote Democrat. And some of them are church-goers, too. They vote big picture instead of shaking the tree to see what might fall out, preferring not to rock the apple cart. So, they take some legislation and positions they might not agree with to get fiscal programs and policies that are more beneficial to them. It makes sense to me.

Being Republicans is not beneficial to them, to almost everyone here, and to most Americans.

 

lets not kid ourselves, the powers that be in the democratic party value money just the same as republicans. Anyone seen the wonderful pictures of Nancy Pelosi on her wine vineyard in California. Clearly working class......

All kidding aside, a two party system is no where near sufficient to truly represent all interests properly. My personal view is that both parties ultimately align themselves within 5 maybe 10% of one another on decisions that impact the direction this country heads.

America is like a massive freighter with a very small rudder. Whichever party is the captain of that rudder, will ultimately have a very hard time steering the ship.