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the future for gays in the republican party

Rand

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http://www.berkshireeagle.com/headlines/ci_4460887

Tough balance for gay GOP
By Mark Leibovich, New York Times
Article Launched:10/08/2006 03:25:09 AM EDT
Sunday, October 08
WASHINGTON — Every month or so, 10 top staff members from Capitol Hill meet over dinner to commiserate about their uneasy experience as gay Republicans.
In a wry reference to the "K Street Project," the party's campaign to build influence along the city's lobbying corridor, they privately call themselves the "P Street Project," a reference to a street cutting through a local gay enclave.

For many of those men and other gay Republicans in political Washington, reconciling their private lives and public roles has required a discreet, heads-down existence. But in the past week, the Mark Foley scandal has upset that careful balance.

Since Rep. Foley, R-Fla., resigned after sending sexually explicit electronic messages to a male page, gay Republicans in Washington have been under what one describes as "siege and suspicion."

Some conservative groups blamed the episode on the "gay lifestyle" and the gathering force of the "gay agenda." Others equated homosexuality with pedophilia, a false link that has long outraged gay men and lesbians.

Conservative blogs and Web sites pointed out that gay staff members played principal roles in investigating the Foley case, suggesting that the party was betrayed by gay men trying to hide misconduct by one of their own. Some gay activists even began circulating a document known as "The List," a roster of gay congressional staff members and their Republican bosses.

"You can see where it would be easy for some people to blame gays for something that might bring down the party in Congress," said Brian Bennett, a gay Republican political consultant. He was a longtime chief of staff to former Rep. Robert K. Dornan, R-Calif., who regularly referred to gays as "Sodomites."

"I'm just waiting for someone in a position of authority to make this a gay issue," Bennett said of the Foley incident.

The presence of homosexuals, particularly gay men, in key staff positions has been an enduring if largely hidden staple of Republican life for decades, and particularly in recent years. They have played decisive roles in passing legislation, running campaigns and advancing careers.

Known in some insider slang as "the Velvet Mafia" or "the Pink Elephants," gay Republicans tend to be less open about their sexual orientation than their Democratic counterparts.

As the blame from the Foley case has been parceled out in recent days, some Republican staff members worried that any gay men caught up in the scandal would be treated unfairly.

Kirk Fordham, Foley's one-time chief of staff who resigned Wednesday as an aide to Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds, R-N.Y., and Jeff Trandahl, the former clerk of the House of Representatives, were among the first to learn of Foley's communications. Along with the Republican leadership, they have been criticized for failing to act more aggressively to stop the congressman's behavior, and possibly covering up for Foley. Some have suggested that the leadership's response to Foley was borne of a squeamishness in dealing with a so-called gay issue.

Fordham and Trandahl did not hide their homosexuality, and they were well-known in Washington's gay community. (Neither returned phone calls for comment.) Others strenuously protect their private life.

"You learn to compartmentalize really well," said one Republican strategist who, as with many gay Republicans interviewed for this article, would talk only anonymously for fear of adversely affecting his career.

'Hard to be a gay Republican'

One of the inevitable facts, said Bennett, the former aide to Dornan, is that "there are just going to be some days when it's hard to be a gay Republican."

When asked why he remains in the party, Bennett gave an answer common to gay Republicans: He said he remained fundamentally in sync with the small government principles of the party and was committed to changing what he considers its anti-gay attitudes.

"I'm fighting hard, every day," said Bennett, who was among a small group of gay Republicans who met with George W. Bush during his 2000 presidential campaign.

Others point out that advancing the beliefs and careers of the boss is a priority in Washington, and staff members are expected to stay in the background. "Discretion is what most members expect from their staff, no matter who you are," said Tracey St. Pierre, who was chief of staff for former Rep. Charles T. Canady, R-Fla.

"For many conservative Republicans, just being gay in itself is an act of indiscretion," said St. Pierre, who is gay but was not open about it until shortly before leaving Canady's office. When she worked with him in the mid-1990s, one of his chief causes was legislation that would ban same-sex marriage. St. Pierre, who works for a federal agency, considers herself an independent now.

The code of behavior largely extends to Republican politicians themselves, a point underscored by Foley, who only publicly acknowledged this week that he is gay. He appeared in public with women whenever possible and held parties at his Washington home that one guest described as decorated with photographs of himself with attractive women.

Foley had always refused to discuss his sexual orientation, a topic that drew increasing attention as he considered a bid for the Senate in 2004 and rumors about his personal life intensified. He decided not to run.

Despite Foley's silence, people on Capitol Hill assumed he was gay. "It was commonly known on Capitol Hill by staff and members," said Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill. "People have their own lifestyles as long as they mind their own business and play by the rules."

Gay members of both parties describe the Foley matter as something that could jeopardize the role that gay men and lesbians have assumed in Republican politics.

One gay Republican campaign strategist said he feared that conservatives would "play to the base" and redouble their efforts to vilify homosexuals.

"It's one of the places the party goes when it's in trouble," he said. "A lot of us are holding our breath to see how this plays out."




“The times, they are a changing”

Coloration and bolding of type-face my emphasis
 
Poor Mark it all bozze and that evil city D.C. fault he was such a nice Christen boy before he left Florida for the satans city.
 
This would be a perfect time for the gay Republicans in Congress to send a message, if things come down on them from the party higher-ups: resign from the Republican Party and go independent or Libertarian or Constitution or Reform -- though the "moral" climate of the latter two isn't much more welcoming, from what I've seen. I don't know what the actual numbers are (Foley couldn't have been the only one!), but wouldn't it be nice to see the expression it gave Bush to hear that his party no longer controls the House (or Senate), not because of elections, but because of his self-righteous "Moral Majority" attitude?

We can only hope....
 
Alfie, the equation of GOP and Nazis is getting tiresome.
Realistically... they might deport us, though the Religious Route branch might wish for stoning or even burning at the stake.
 
This would be a perfect time for the gay Republicans in Congress to send a message, if things come down on them from the party higher-ups: resign from the Republican Party and go [snip] Constitution

Yeah... go Constitution... becuz I'm sure they'll be treated even better in the Constitution Party than they would among the Republicans... :p
 
Alfie, the equation of GOP and Nazis is getting tiresome.

So is Bush rigging election after election to stay in power...

once the GOP stops rigging elections and just concedes defeat when the voters oust them... then they will stop being called Nazis.

Nazis tried every dirty trick in the book... rigging elections is the modern day Nazi tactic and once they stop doing it, they won't have to be called Nazis.
 
Amusing and pathetic at the same time. I guess biting off your own nose to spite your face is fun. :rolleyes: The problem with Mr. Bennet's argument about the Republican's small government theory is the government is currently bigger than it ever before, but I guess he still has hope in the current pathetic shape of that party is in now. I pray that one day this country isn't so bipartisan.
 
Drain the swamp of the neocons... then it won't be.

Maybe by then there will be a Winter Storm Warning in hell because that'll happen before neo-cons disappear.

"A genius is born everyday, but a fool is born every second."
 
eh...already posted this under a similiar topic but what the hell..a pictures worth a thousand words......
215736.jpg
 
It boggles my mind why any gay man or lesbian would want to be associated with a party whose platform is largely based on the demonization of homosexuals. For that matter, it is beyond my comprehension to understand why anyone would want to be associated with a party defined by the liars, bigots, hypocrites, barbaric war-mongers, cowards, religious fanatics, white collar criminals, perverts, and self-loathing homosexuals within their ranks.

If one subscribes to the core values that used to define the Republican Party before it was hijacked by the Christian right and sociopathic money-grubbers, it would seem to make much more sense to register as an independent or even as a centrist Democrat than to align oneself with a party comprised of some of the most morally bankrupt individuals to ever walk the face of the planet.
 
eh...already posted this under a similiar topic but what the hell..a pictures worth a thousand words......
215736.jpg

Why, I do declare! :kiss:

Baddog, I haven't told you how much I love you lately.

Surely Rand where not talking about the BIG TENT GOP are we? :confused:

Why, the last I heard they welcome everyone under their tent! ..|

Provided that you keep you fucking mouth shut, and vote as your told!

:D

I just don't understand why we all don't join The Gay Old Party! :gogirl:


:rolleyes:

For any dimwits out there, I'm being sarcastic.
 
Center Texas Farmer,

There is room for all under the big tent - those with money up front and those need to strike the tent later, in the back - - way back

Nothing sums up this administration so well - imho - as "the ends justifies the means" and the end is to increase their power and their wealth

Thanks for your comments, sarcastic as they were!
 
These guys have worked hard to keep a party in power that demonizes gays in the same way that party used to demonize African Americans. They probably all belong to Churches that also hate them. Why? For what reason?

They made their choice, I hope they don't expect sympathy when the Republicans string them all up.
 
It's kind of hard to have a future without a present or past. Lol (jk).
 
There is room for all under the big tent - those with money up front and those need to strike the tent later, in the back - - way back

Nothing sums up this administration so well -

I could have sworn that said "Nothing SCUMS up....."
But read that way, you still may be right -- nothing "scums up" an American administration so much as treating some people as more equal than others.
 
These guys have worked hard to keep a party in power that demonizes gays in the same way that party used to demonize African Americans. They probably all belong to Churches that also hate them. Why? For what reason?

They made their choice, I hope they don't expect sympathy when the Republicans string them all up.

What's ironic there is that it was the Republicans who stood up to keep the Union together and fight slavery... and then, yeah, we don't want them to be slaves, but (a generation later) we don't want them around US!!!

History is weird.

And if any Publicans come to string me up, they'd better be ready for a few rounds from my .300 Winchester, or maybe my EnfieldM1917, or my Arasaka...
Oh, screw it -- if they're friends of Bush, I'll let them get close and just cut loose with the ever-trusty Browning 12-gauge shotgun.
 
Don't know why anyone would be suprised by all this. The Republican Party has been trying to fuck us for years. At least Foley's page got dinner first.

216986.jpg
 
Number of years ago I use to be proud to call myself a Republican. But in the late 1970's and 80's the party took a turn to extrem right and became under the influence of the religious right with likes of Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell who preach hate against the gay community.

The Republicans love to say they are party of the big tent open to all except those who are gay. pro choice, anti gun, pro environment and anti-war. In past two elections it has used the code words gay marriage to encorage voters to vote family value party or as the GOP is know today Gods only Party.
 
Center Texas Farmer,

There is room for all under the big tent - those with money up front and those need to strike the tent later, in the back - - way back

Nothing sums up this administration so well - imho - as "the ends justifies the means" and the end is to increase their power and their wealth

Thanks for your comments, sarcastic as they were!

Please forgive me in advance, but here's some more sarcasm:

So under this big tent we now have too classifications for gays?

We can call them House Gays and Field Gays?

The House Gays would be Republicans, cuz they're yassir'en and nosiren, hope'in masser don't get out da whip un start legislatin' they lives away.

The Field Gays would be the Democrats who done be tired of ole masser's whip, and done led a revolt to burn down da house wit da house gays init.

id4white.jpg
 
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