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September 6, 2008 at 14:37:09

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Log Cabin Republicans Embrace Homophobic Party

by Rady Ananda     Page 1 of 1 page(s)

www.opednews.com

 

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On September 2nd, the Log Cabin Republicans endorsed John McCain and Sarah Palin for the top two spots in the nation.  The thirty-year-old LCR purportedly "promotes legislation to provide basic fairness for gay and lesbian Americans and works to build a more inclusive GOP."  LCR President Patrick Sammon stated: 

"Sen. McCain showed courage by bucking his own party's leadership and the president-twice voting against the amendment.  He gave an impassioned speech on the Senate floor, calling the amendment 'antithetical in every way to the core philosophy of Republicans.'  He paid a political price for his vote.  Our members also support him because he's a maverick; a trait most recently on display with his decision to select Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate."
In its August 29th press release regarding Sarah Palin, Sammon said: 
"Alaska Governor Sarah Palin can help Sen. McCain win this election by appealing to independent and young voters. She's a mainstream Republican who will unite the Party and serve John McCain well as Vice President.  Gov. Palin is an inclusive Republican who will help Sen. McCain appeal to gay and lesbian voters." 
Despite the Orwellian rhetoric of "inclusivity," the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT organization, condemned LCR's endorsement: 
"John McCain claims to be a maverick who breaks with his party, but on matters of LGBT equality, he's shown that he's anything but.  He actively campaigned for a constitutional amendment that would have banned marriage and domestic partnerships for same-sex couples in his home state of Arizona. He went so far as to appear in television commercials for that campaign, is now supporting an amendment to strip marriage equality from California couples and has said that he would vote for a federal marriage amendment if laws already banning marriage equality were to be struck down by federal courts.  

"Sarah Palin has also supported bans on marriage and even domestic partner benefits in Alaska. The Republican Party, McCain and Palin's party, has declared in its platform that they want to pass the federal marriage amendment. Their party's platform also calls gay and lesbian Americans unfit for military service, supports policies that would allow faith-based organizations to deny us jobs and services using federal dollars, and attacks judges who acknowledge our equality under the law.

"The Human Rights Campaign endorses mavericks on both sides of the aisle- neither John McCain nor Sarah Palin is among them."

In digging up a 2006 questionnaire posed by the conservative group, Alaska Eagle, the HRC reports: 
One of the questions the conservative group asked her on the questionnaire was her views on expanding hate crimes laws.  The question reads, "Will you support an effort to expand hate crimes laws?" 

Palin answered, "No, as I believe all heinous crime is based on hate."

Another question from the same survey asked, "Do you support the Alaska Supreme Court's ruling that spousal benefits for state employees should be given to same-sex couples? Why or why not?"

Palin answered, "No, I believe spousal benefits are reserved for married citizens as defined in our constitution."

And last, but not least, Palin was asked what her top three priorities, as regards to families, would be while Governor.

Palin answered, "#2 - Preserving the definition of 'marriage' as defined in our constitution."
In 1998, two-thirds of Alaska voters amended the state constitution to ban same sex marriages:  "To be valid or recognized in this State, a marriage may exist only between one man and one woman."  The Utah-based Church of the Latter Day Saints donated a half million dollars to the Alaskan campaign, sextupling the group's coffers. 

In October 2005, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that the state couldn't deny spousal benefits to same-sex partners of public employees.  Despite a non-binding voter advisory in April of 2007, Palin sided with constitutional authority in vetoing proposed legislation to deny domestic partner benefits. During her 2006 gubernatorial bid, the Alaska Daily News reported: 

Palin said she's not out to judge anyone and has good friends who are gay, but that she supported the 1998 constitutional amendment.  Elected officials can't defy the court when it comes to how rights are applied, she said, but she would support a ballot question that would deny benefits to homosexual couples. "I believe that honoring the family structure is that important," Palin said.
A recent rumor reported by the National Enquirer (Sept. 15) suggests that Palin's views on family structure include infidelity.  Brad Hanson, a former snowmobile business associate of Palin's husband, Todd, allegedly had an extramarital affair with Palin around the time she became mayor of Wasilla in 1996.  A family brawl over Troopergate – where Palin fired public safety commissioner Walter Monegan for not removing her sister's ex-husband from the state police – inspired family and friends to speak with NE: 

One of the incredible charges that has emerged from the family feud is that the Alaska governor had an affair with her husband's business partner....

"Todd discovered the affair and quickly dissolved his friendship and his business associations with the guy," charges an enemy.  "Many people in Alaska are talking about the rumor and say Todd swept it under the rug."

Some bloggers report the relationship was merely flirtatious. 

But when Alaskan Scott Richter recently moved to have his marital dissolution court records sealed, bloggers wondered if he was seeking to hide mention of an affair with Palin.  This has been debunked by The Smoking Gun, which reports to have read all 98 pages of that file.  Richter's emergency motion to seal his dissolution of marriage records is apparently not an attempt to hide his suspected affair with Sarah Palin.  Instead, he sought to conceal contact information being used by journalists, since the Richters and Palins jointly own remote property. 

Extramarital affairs (or lack thereof) aside, Sarah Palin and John McCain clearly oppose treating all US citizens equally.  That Log Cabin Republicans would endorse either contributes to the notion that even the "Left" side of the Republican party is out of touch with humanity.

 

In 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of voter signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three books.

Her blogs also address religious, gender, sexual and racial equality, as well as environmental issues; and are sprinkled with book and film reviews on various topics. She spent most of her working life as a legal investigator for private lawyers, and five years as an editor. She currently serves as a senior editor at OpEdNews.

All material offered here is the property of Rady Ananda, copyright 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009. Permission is granted to repost, with proper attribution including the original link.

"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." Tell the truth anyway.  

 

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In 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of voter signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three boo...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Rady AnandaIn 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of voter signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three boo...

to see more of bio, click on member name

way back in 1987

I attended the second LGBT march on Washington (first was in 1979)... and remember the MC announcing the next speaker... from Log Cabin Republicans... the ENTIRE CROWD booed him...

it was so funny (in a mean spirited sort of way)... he could not speak.  No one would listen... the crowd booed and heckled him non stop.

I think the LCR is just a bunch of business men and women looking to hook into the republican scheme.  They clearly have no interest in LGBT equality, given their endorsement of McCain and Palin.

Interestingly, tho, while they endorsed GWB in 2000, they did not do so in 2004.

by Rady Ananda (133 articles, 300 quicklinks, 38 diaries, 1229 comments) on Saturday, September 6, 2008 at 10:42:10 PM
 

 

2 comments

 

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