Black Republican Ward Connerly Criticizes GOP, Defends Gay Rights

[meegbear]

Ward Connerly, the controversial black Republican and affirmative action foe, is now http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/viewpoints/articles/0706vip-lede0706.html">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. http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/viewpoints/articles/0706vip-lede0706.html">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."

<snip>

http://thedailyvoice.com/voice/2008/07/black-republican-ward-connerly-000847.php

[anonymous171]

1. Wow. I've always wondered how conservatives reconcile being for "less government"

with their moralist policies.

[sui generis]

3. that's easy

They're for less government spending, which means less taxes to foot the bill.

There are "fiscal" conservatives and "social" conservatives and the two are completely hetero-genous now (:blush: - I said hetero).

fact of the matter is you can't reconcile the two. If you have policies that require oversight and enforcement, then you have to staff the enforcement side of it.

And they happily do - now we have the Department of Homeland Lipgloss Confiscation as a result, and as far as I'm concerned they and the TSA can go straight to hell, do not pass go, and stay there.

They aren't doing ANYTHING that a real and well thought out business couldn't do better, more intelligently (:blush: I said intelligent) and cheaper.

[dsc]

2. that is stunner

[Zuiderelle]

4. I guess it makes sense. At least he's consistent.

I think he's an asshole, but given that his whole argument against AA is that government should treat everyone equally, not giving anyone an advantage, it makes sense that he would support equal treatment of gay Americans, since it's giving straight Americans an advantage to not do so. I completely disagree with his opposition of affirmative action, but this news only surprises me because he's consistent in the reasons why he opposes or supports things. Very interesting.

[aspergris]

5. He's always been

A libertarian republican (as opposed to a neo-con or paleo-con), so I find this wholly unsurprising.