Bush's support for same-sex marriage amendment alienates gay Republicans

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040227/pl_afp/us_vote_gays_republicans&cid=1521&ncid=2043

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) reached out to his core voters this week by backing a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, but he has also alienated a group of loyal conservatives: gay Republicans.


The Log Cabin Republicans (news - web sites), a political group of openly gay conservatives, chided Bush for his decision Tuesday to support what they called an "anti-family" amendment.


"I think it actually proves that while we are loyal Republicans and conservatives on fiscal policy and foreign policy, we will not be taken for granted in the attempts to amend the American Constitution," Patrick Guerriero, the group's executive director, told AFP.


The United States has been embroiled in a divisive debate over gay marriage since the Massachusetts high court ordered its state legislature to legalize same-sex marriage and the city of San Francisco began issuing marriage licenses to gay couples.

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[bushwakker]

1. what planet are these fools living on?*

[ramapo]

2. Conservative Fiscal policy?

Can anybody claim, with a straight face, that Bush has a responsible, conservative fiscal policy?

Record deficit spending is conservative?

Bush, the uniter not the divider? Just as funny. He spews hate and devisiveness. Imagine a leader who wanted to bridge differences in our society and attempt to find common ground for the happiness of all citizens.

[bushwakker]

3. Tired of hearing about GOP moderates, Log Cabin GOPers etc

if in the end they support AWOL then they are just as radical as he is. If there is a gay person on this planet who is on the fence about where to go in November then a mental exam is in order.

[AlinPA]

4. How in the hell can there be a gay republican?

Those people must be nuts. Is it some fake "organization" to make republicans look like they are mainstream? BTW, where I come from, gay people are mainstream, not "different" as the asshole republicans claim they are.

[ixion]

7. that was my thought, too

Bush's policies are anything but conservative. Extremeist, yes, but not conservative.

[Red State Rebel]

12. How is it any different than Kerry's position?

I'm disgusted with all of them!

[dArKeR]

5. I never believed there was such a thing as a Gay Republican. And

anyone with moral intelligence would never be a Republican. As far as I'm concerned the only really Gay Republican would be the most greedy immoral type of creature on Earth! (Profiting directly from some type of Repuke Gov. contract bidding or something like that.)

[Boomer]

6. Oddly enough....

...there really are gay republicans. I know, because two of my gay co-workers -- at a technology company in Northern Virginia -- were not just Republicans, but actively promoting Bush in the last election. They had pro-Bush signs on their lawn and kept complaining that the signs were ripped down by their neighbors.

Ironically, one of those co-workers was a gay woman who had a private marriage ceremony with her lover last year. I wonder what she makes of Bush now, but since she lost her job in a series of company layoffs, I've lost touch with her.

Heh, the ironies just keep mounting, don't they....

--Boomer

[fearnobush]

8. I know a lesbian republican couple.

There are actually a lot of gay Republicans. It's weird, but then again, Bush, until now has been relatively quiet on this issue. I hope the gay Repukes have a change of heart. The media will not let this issue go and it may now hurt our candidates.

Our nominee, likely Kerry must clearly explain why he opposes the "Marriage Discrimination Amendment." And he must tell Chris Matthews like it is because Mr. Matthews is ridiculing Kerry for not explaining why he opposes the amendment while opposing equal marriage rights for all. It's a states rights issue, period.

Infarct, most Americans hold this same view, and what Matthews is doing is playing the Bush, Rove wedge game. What else could explain his behavior on air? Email Chris and tell him like it is, because he is way off base on this issue.

[burrowowl]

13. My goodness!

Gay and female voting Bu$h!
The have serious suicidal problems.
Hens thinking Col. Sanders is the man?

[coloradodem2005]

9. It damn well should alienate gay republicans.

Why are they Republican in the first place?

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

10. I work with a gay man who is a big bush supporter

and I don't understand it, except for this theory that I have. He is not out to the general public and he is DEFINITELY not out at work (would NOT be prudent).

I have talked to him about bush and he can hardly voice his support for him (this has been since 2000) and I started getting suspicous then I finally posited that maybe he wanted to "appear" conservative, etc? He thought about it and agreed. I was kind of surprised. He said it is very important for him to appear a certain way and that in his heart he is a Democrat. Now he no longer pretends around me. But around others, he still does.

Makes me wonder how many more of them do that.

[David__77]

14. We can't forget closeted people generally.

The views of closeted people are different than out people. It's a process.

[Boomer]

17. Nope, that's not the answer

The lesbian Republican couple that I know were both out at their work places, so a closeted attitude doesn't account for their conservative political affiliation. In fact, my co-worker had several photos of her lover on her desk, which is how I realized we were both "family." So on a personal level, she was quite comfortable being gay and pushed the envelope at work more than I did.

I put her Republicanism down to more of a class issue. My co-worker was young, solidly middle-class, anti-union, pro-management, had graduated from an expensive college, and was definitely on the materialistic side.

--Boomer

[LiberalFighter]

18. Sort of like David Brock?

[tobius]

11. I know this thread went a bit of topic on the shock that there

are gay republicans.

But I think that Kerry should try taking some firm stances on issues and risk alienating some people, Clinton did it with his Sista Souljah moment.

I favor gay marriage and if he does he should say so. Or not. I hate this wink-wink thing.


when you make a stand, any stand people will disagree with you. This "having it both ways" makes everyone diagreeable.

[David__77]

15. His position is clear.

I'm gay and I support marriage equality, but actually Kerry's position is fairly common, among average people in both parties and independents as well. It's "give the rights, but call it something else." It's a thing of papering over old cultural sensibilities.

[tobius]

16. common doesn't equal clear.

and it fits right into the hands of the right. The broader meme is "Kerry tries to have it both ways" , "did he just waffle, or was that a pander I just heard?"--- and papering over this issue wont hold up under scrutiny.

[GaryL]

19. Maybe you can explain the difference.

I have an agnostic friend who was not married in the church to his catholic wife for obvious reasons. The Church does not recognize it but they still remain bound under the law because the were married by the JOP. If civil unions aren't the same, I'd like to know how it differs.

[tobius]

21. just that little old word : marriage nt

[x-g.o.p.er]

20. It should also alienate straight Rep's, and ALL Americans

It's nothing more than an amendment to deny rights to a group of individuals.. It's abhorrent and Bush oughta be ashamed of himself