How gay GOP group lost its faith in Bush

[cally]

Long article on the Austin 12 who backed *

Washington -- The small band of 11 gay men and one lesbian, Republicans all, who set out more than four years ago on a highly personal crusade to reconcile homosexuals and the Republican Party, today concedes utter failure.

One is leaving the party. Another resigned his Bush administration post. Their leader refuses to talk to the media. Few will even vote for President Bush. Most feel profoundly betrayed.

For the Austin 12, as they call themselves, Bush squandered a precious chance to broaden the GOP and deliberately harmed the gay civil rights movement at a historic turning point.

Bush may win re-election because of his stance, the members of the Austin 12 say, but they are certain the damage to gays and their party will take years, if not decades, to reverse.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/10/10/MNG0996S3R1.DTL

[Boomer]

1. Surprise, surprise, surprise...

Excuse me if I can't feel much sympathy for gays who are so brain-dead as to think they ever could have had a place in the Republican Party. Talk about unwanted guests who simply can't get a clue that they haven't been invited. Heck, there's not even any room in the party for moderate heterosexual Republicans or Republican women with feminist sensibilities.

[Misunderestimator]

2. What a waste of four years.... idiots.

At least they have the wherewithal to concede defeat.

[Boomer]

3. Watch what * does

They made the classic mistake of listening to Bush's words instead of looking at his track record. Bush has always told people what they wanted to hear, delivered in his good ole' boy folksy manner that lulls them into complacency. And sometimes, if there's an advantage to be gained, he'll even deliver on some of those promises. But they're always subject to expedient change. When push comes to shove, Bush will always side with his Rightwing Fundie and Big Corporation base. They put him in office and he knows that the only way to stay there is to keep him happy.

[jdj]

6. actually they were probably real republicans, and Bush

was almost libertarian 'til he started being groomed for public office.

I think they are either gay xtians or rich gays.

[mitchum]

4. I have no pity for people that stupid

[Downtown Hound]

5. Can you say LOSERS?

The Log Cabin Republicans ought to change their names to Uncle Tom's Cabin Republicans.

[Kanary]

7. They don't give a rip about other groups of people hurt by *

Yet, we're supposed to care about them?

I don't think so. :thumbsdown:

They clearly don't care about poor folk, or they wouldn't have been Republicans to begin with.

Until all groups of people care about each other, and not just their own interests, we're going nowhere.

You may have learned something the hard way, Austin 12, now finish learning your lesson.

Kanary

[Boomer]

8. They make no connection...

...between their own outcast status and the way that other groups -- Hispanics, blacks, the working class -- have also been disenfranchised by the Republican party. They haven't grasped the larger picture of the fundamental injustice of keeping power in the hands of a ruling elite. These are children of privilege who just can't get over losing their We Are So Special card. They seem to think the silver spoon is being ripped out of their mouth on a technicality.

What Log Cabin Republicans are saying, in essence, is "Keeping us out of the GOP stronghold is obviously a clerical error, but once you let us back into the fold where we belong be sure to lock the door so no one else can get in by mistake."

And the thought of them joining the Democratic party doesn't particularly impress me either -- this isn't some conversion of perspective so much as having to join the only club left in town that would have them as members. Hardly a rousing endorsement of their progressive sensibilities.

[Kanary]

12. Eeeek! Joining the Dems is one of my nightmares!

"And the thought of them joining the Democratic party doesn't particularly impress me either -- this isn't
some conversion of perspective so much as having to join the only club left in town that would have
them as members. Hardly a rousing endorsement of their progressive sensibilities."

You are so very right!

I've been thinking a lot about this...... we're so happy to have so many Republicans joining our anti-* fight now, and voting for Kerry. What that means down the line, if the RW continues to be dominated by the Neocons, is that the Dems are likely to be taken over by the former Republicans, and keep on *our* rightward drift! We've already got the DLC doing that, and more pressure in that direction would be disaster.

Ach..... I can't even think about it, or I'll get really depressed.

Your analysis was great! They haven't grasped the larger picture indeed, and if the Dems greet them with open arms, and don't press upon them that their predicament is nowhere near as severe as the poor they look down their noses on, then the class war will kick into high gear!

Kanary

[annabanana]

9. They were just gays who happened to be greedy.....

By being Republican, they were just trying to have it both ways. Sorry! In a national election "family values" trumps yer tax cut.

[Raster]

10. Ahh, you made a mistake. Now what are you gonna do to fix it?

Besides the mea culpa bullshit? The damage to gays by $hrubco will take decades to reverse.

republican & gay = brain dead

[ismnotwasm]

11. Oh, good god

How on earth could they come the the conclusion that THESE particular republicans, of all republicans, would ever lend legitimacy to the idea of gay republicans? One doesn't have to dig too deep on bush to find out he is a criminal, with deep connections right-wing nuts. Fools.

[Skittles]

13. gay republicans

in a way they are absolute proof that gays are normal people - subject to brain-washing and idiocy and greediness just like everyone else