Gay Bush Supporters Divided Over McCain, Some Support Obama

Remember the "Austin 12", the dozen well-known gay Republicans who famously met with and lobbied George W. Bush during the 2000 campaign to be more LGBT-inclusive? That was looooong ago when W. was still promising to be a "compassionate conservative." The Washington Blade interviews the 12 conservative homos, and, surprise, they are "not exactly rallying around John McCain." Several are openly supporting Barack Obama.

"In all, three said they either would vote for Obama or are seriously considering it; three are undecided between McCain and Obama; three are backing McCain and three others declined to comment." That means only 25 percent are publicly supporting the party's presumptive nominee. Not exactly a ringing endorsement. The reasons should be obvious.

During the meeting, the “Austin 12” urged Bush to appoint open gays to federal offices, include an openly gay speaker at the 2000 Republican National Convention and maintain President Clinton’s executive order banning discrimination against gays in the federal workforce. Bush complied with each of those requests during his presidency.

But Bush’s record, most notably his endorsement of the Federal Marriage Amendment, has soured some members of the “Austin 12” so much that they refuse to support the Republican Party’s presidential choice, even though McCain voted against the FMA in the U.S. Senate.

David Catania, an at-large City Council member for the District of Columbia, has sober words for the capital gains tax cut-loving homos in the Log Cabin Republicans. "I wouldn’t give supporting [McCain] a second thought. ... I think gays are kind of kidding themselves if they think John McCain is going to be any better for the gay community than George Bush.

‘Austin 12’ divided over McCain [Wash Blade]

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Comments

[Jim]

You know, interviewing a bunch of Log Cabin Republicans is something like interviewing a clan of orangutans with schizophrenia. What can you possibly hope to learn from it?

I really appreciate Rod’s insistent description of these creeps as capital gains tax cut–loving. They’d be willing to sacrifice their own lives for a little extra change in their pockets.

But don’t underestimate the importance of the black/white issue here. Most of these folks see the Democrats as the black political party, and they don’t want any of their hard-earned, morally deserved cash going to a lazy bunch of porch monkeys.

[M. Mark]

Jim, what 'black/white' issue do you refer to? Do you suggest that since most gay Republicans are white, Rod or even the audience should not be concerned? This blog never came across as a mere outpost on race/color relations in the larger gay community. IMHO, that would be very boring, and, would not explain its crossover appeal.

[Franklyn Smyth]

Attempting to have a political discussion with a gay Republican is akin to talking with a battered wife who believes she 'deserved' being hit. The mental gymnastics, masochism and denial are breathtaking. Classic cases of Stockholm Syndrome, all of 'em.

[Jim]

M. Mark, I don't begin to understand your comment, so I cannot respond to it. It almost sounds trollish, but I can't be sure.

But, to clarify: Rod has very appropriately focused on self-defeating greed as one of the characteristics of the gay Republicans. I was just pointing out that, for most of them, racism is another.

[M. Mark]

Jim, I did not understand your original comments, thanks for clarification.