Black Republican Ward Connerly Criticizes GOP, Defends Gay Rights

Ward Connerly, the controversial black Republican and affirmative action foe, is now promoting gay rights.

The California businessman led ballot initiatives which ended race- and gender-based affirmative action in California and Michigan, and, is now in Arizona championing a similar proposal. Speaking to the Arizona Republic, the black conservative comes across as a libertarian when he says there is no inherent contradiction between opposing affirmative action and supporting gay rights and domestic partnerships.

The government shouldn't be making distinctions about people on the basis of what they do in the privacy of their bedrooms. And those within my party that try to inject the government into that, they're not the conservative, I'm the conservative. I'm saying, keep government small, keep government out of people's personal lives. If you're going to give benefits to people who happen to be straight, give the same benefits to people who are gay. That to me was a very easy call.

I took a lot of heat from "strong conservatives" who said that I was eroding the concept of marriage. I'm not "eroding the concept of marriage." If marriage is that fragile, that giving people who are gay equal benefit (would cause harm), then we're in big trouble. I believe in the institution of marriage, but I also believe in freedom. I believe in treating people equally.

The black conservative quotes the same landmark Supreme Court decision cited by many marriage equality activists. "In 1962, when my wife and I got married, in some parts of the country, we would have been breaking the law. It wasn't until 1967, when the Supreme Court in the Loving (vs. Virginia) case said that that's unconstitutional. So, I feel very strongly that the government shouldn't be treating people differently just because they are gay."

Connerly says our nation is not "at that ideal place where there is absolute equality" but the nomination of Barack Obama demonstrates affirmative action is no longer needed. Connerly formerly supported Obama but withdrew support after the Illinois Democrat opposed the Michigan anti-affirmative action ballot initiative. "I really thought that Senator Obama in his heart of hearts would like to get beyond race. He's a multiracial guy," Connerly, who himself is multi-racial, says in an interview with ABC News. "Multiracial people understand race in a far more nuanced way than those who are quote 'mono-racial.'"

Black Republican makes his case [AZ]
Will Affirmative Action Roil '08 Race? [ABC NEWS]

Comments

[M Mark]

Who are you? The hall monitor? Get over it, sweetie. The big story here is that a black Republican is pushing gay rights.

[Rod Mc]

DEAN Enough already. ABC News, the Arizona Republic, the AP, and, Connerly himself, say 'black.'

Your have been warned twice before on your silly obsession with colorism. Leave this thread and make no additional color/race comments on this blog or you will be banned.

[Kirby]

I've heard of this man. Connerly is the Republican's best weapon against affirmative action, a black man saying the playing field is level and affirmative action is never necessary. Normally, my response could not be printed here but gay rights needs all the help it can get.

[seanndc]

Ewwwwwwww! If Ward Connerly is for, I might want to be against it !

[Mel Smith]

Well, as a gay person of color, I DO appreciate Ward Connerly's views that we should have the same rights as heterosexuals. Honestly, how many black heterosexal men support our rights? Therefore you all need to stop trying to be like them and appreciate Connerly's views on gay rights. Most black heterosexual men don't give a damn about our rights, and many of them don't even consider us their equal/kind. So you all have to be really crazy siding with them and disrespecting Ward Connerly.

[Mervin Malone Jr.]

Rod -- I'm in a state of SHOCK! Connerly still has a long way to go as far as black issues, though. He's still a right-wing stool pigeon.

[KB]

ok you had a brutha checking his computer/eye sight, etc. with this quote from Wardell. he did a job on us here in Michigan. let's hope he shares these views with his cohorts.

[Dane C]

Wad Connerly is a tool of the right wing and is the poster boy for self-hating black Republicans. I have no idea if this support of gay rights is genuine, but, I'm happy to see he is finally embracing something honest. I still don't like him, though.

[ROD MC]

I'm no fan of Ward Connerly. His positions on affirmative action are against everything I stand for, but, I thought this interview was interesting.

Feel free to criticize or praise, my rebuke in the previous comment was not about Connerly per se.

[bradley jackson]

Okay Rod, thanks for clarifying. I thought you were going soft for a minute, lol.

Ok, no that we have that out the way, Ward Connerly is a tool. He is a self-aggrandizing, token negro who fronts for the right wing. Connerly is a California Republican a la Schwarzenegger who doesn't believe discrimination should be codified into the business transactions. He considers affirmative action 'discrimination.' Of course, he has benefited from affirmative action as much as Condoleezza Rice or Clarence Thomas has.

[curry j]

The interview is actually very thoughtful. It's interesting how Connerly believes Obama's nomination signals affirmative action is no longer necessary. FWIW, I'm not even sure how widespread affirmative action programs are, outside of college admissions, governments contracting and certain programs. It doesn't seems like it is very extensive, but, it undoubtedly has caused some good.

Connerly sounds more like a Rockefeller Republican than a libertarian, corporatist and not strong on civil rights.

[bradley jackson]

Curry, I disagree with you. In the 1970s, the Rockefeller wing of the Republican Party was firmly behind affirmative action. The Nixon administration greatly expanded affirmative action in hiring and purchasing. Of course, there was that southern strategy ...

[freeleo]

i'm so confused.

[Carl CS]

Please don't feed the trolls. We are obviously dealing with some gays who are 'bitter' and 'clinging to their keyboards.'

[Duwayne]

Being from California and going through the hell of the 90s with the anti-immigration and anti-affirmative action initiatives I have to wholeheartedly agree with Luther. I loathe Connerly. He needs to go in a hole somewhere and never come out...

[Derrick from Philly]

Thanks, Luther & Duwayne.

Considering the history of this country, anyone who is anti-affirmative action is a hater of black people. As a faggot, I don't get along that well with other black folks (straight & anti-fem homos), but I'll be damned if I'm going to delude myself into thinking that anti-black black men like Clarence Thomas and Ward Connerly have my interest in their interest.

Atleast 200 years of affirmative action is justified after the effects of 400 years of the deliberate oppression black people in the United States.

Now, black people's treatment of black homosexuals...well, that aint a pretty history lesson either.