Republican Mega-Donor Foster Friess Urges Moderate Path On Gay Rights

[DonViejo]

“My number one issue is: How do we support them and rally behind the gay community to make sure it's safe for them, just, to live?” he said of international dangers. Uncertain on DOMA.

posted on March 14, 2013 at 11:43pm EDT

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The mega-donor Foster Friess is best known as the moneyman behind Rick Santorum's socially conservative presidential campaign, the self-described born-again Christian takes a far more moderate position than his candidate on gay issues — because, he said, of a personal connection, his gay brother-in-law.

"When you talk about the party, that's the problem because there isn't any unified message," Friess said of the Republican Party's position on gay issues Thursday in an interview at the Conservative Political Action Conference Thursday. "You've got people who are gay-bashers, who forget that these are human beings that need love just like all of us need love. We have to be sensitive to that."

As with many conservatives who profess a level of support for gay rights, Friess first focused on the international scene for his attention.

"I've said before, the number one thing that we have to work on is protecting the gay community from sharia law. Now, in the United States, it's probably not a big issue right now, but my brother-in-law is gay and his partner and I would like them to be able to travel any place in the world without them risking harm," Friess said. "In Iran, they basically hang them or behead them. So, my number one issue is: How do we support them and rally behind the gay community to make sure it's safe for them, just, to live?"

-snip-

http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/republican-mega-donor-foster-friess-urges-moderate-path-on-g

[leftynyc]

1. If this clown, along with the koch bros

want the pubs to change their stance on gay rights, the mega donors only need to turn off the money spigot. It's the only thing they'll understand.

[David Zephyr]

2. Headline: Republicans Moderate Views to Allow Gay Americans to Live.

If the GOP hurries, they can still squeeze into the 5th Century.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. Yeah, some "moderation"

How generous of them. It must pain them that they have to allow LGBT Americans to live in this country. I know that it absolutely kills some of them that they can no longer discriminate against them with impunity like they once used to. I think that at least some of them are probably envious of places like Iran and how they handle their LGBT citizens. Remember all of the support some of the fundies gave to Uganda's efforts to allow the death penalty for gays?

[WhataKnight]

3. It's time

It's is a losing argument for the Republicans and most know it. T win moving forward they have to move past gay rights.

[arcane1]

4. Hijacking gay rights to justify empire-building. Classic.

I expect to see many more of these attempts to change their message without changing their ideas.

All cynicism aside, at least he's publicly making it halfway acceptable to halfway accept gay people. I'll give him a toast for that, but not with a full glass