Beyond the Margins: The Left Behind Anti-Gay Conservatives
The resurgence in popularity of libertarian values within the modern conservative movement has unintentionally resulted in the marginalization of social-conservative issues within the conservative movement, particularly on issues related to gay and lesbian Americans. Not surprisingly many anti-gay conservatives are concerned their foot hold on the Republican Party and conservative movement is slipping.
At this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, the annual poll designed to figure out what the priorities are of the conservative movement rank “Stopping Gay Marriage” in last place, accumulating only 1% of the overall vote, tied with “Reducing Health Care Costs”. On another issue, gays serving in the military, which in years past was red meat for conservatives, recent polling fails to offer any solace to anti-gay social conservatives worrying that their issues are no longer a priority within the conservative movement. Since then several social conservatives have openly expressed concern over the rise and prominence of the Tea Party movement, especially now as progress on marriage-equality and repealing the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy is picking up steam.
The reason for this shift in focus among conservatives is complex. While many within the Tea Party movement, that is sweeping the Republican Party, hold socially-conservative values, other issues, such as reducing the size of the government, curbing government spending, and fighting ‘the war on terror’; are of greater priority to conservatives. However, there is also the fact that for many, in fact most Americans, some gay rights issues that were controversial in the past have been neutralized politically and become a non-issue; gays serving openly in the military being a prime example. On issues such as marriage-equality were Americans have largely failed to reach a consensus we have seen significant progressive movement in the direction of being more open to that idea.
Even though a slight majority of Americans still believe that marriage should between a man and a woman alone, an ever growing portion of Americans also believe that gay and lesbian partners should have certain rights and benefits currently only enjoyed by heterosexual partners. And while for many gay and lesbian Americans and their allies some rights are not enough, the change in public opinion is representative of a larger political and cultural paradigm shift taking place across the country.
The potency of the old anti-gay talking points has drastically decreased in recent years as Americans have become suspect the legitimacy of their previously held fears about homosexuality. This suspicion is no doubt a result of more gay and lesbian Americans coming out about their sexuality to their friends and families, and showing the American people that gays are in fact not the shadowy deviants that plague our neighborhoods in search of their next adolescent victim.
For a perfect case study look no further than the former Vice-President and bull dog of the conservative movement Dick Cheney and the Cheney family. The former Vice-President’s lesbian daughter has been open about her sexuality, and her father has not been open about his support for her; and presumably consequently the former Vice-President has been a vocal supporter–at least in Cheney terms–of marriage-equality and his opinion that it is time to repeal the ban on gays serving openly. His other daughter Liz Cheney, who is a staunch critic of the Obama administration and co-founder of the non-profit 501(c)4 organization Keep America Safe (the organization being the controversial “Al-Qaida 7” ad), also echoed her father’s statements that it is time to repeal the policy. It is difficult for anti-gay social conservatives to downplay the significance of Dick Cheney’s remarks. In many ways Cheney’s support for marriage-equality (albeit at the state level) carries more weight politically than that of President Obama’s stance on the issue–which ironically is being opposed to the idea of marriage-equality.
There are other prominent members of the conservative movement as well who have expressed pro-gay sentiments. When wife of former Republican presidential candidate and current senator from Arizona Sen. John McCain, Cindy McCain posed for the popular NOH8 photo series it sent waves throughout conservative circles. John McCain, who is facing a tough primary challenge from the right, was expedient in releasing a statement declaring that his wife’s views were her own. However, around the same time Sen. McCain’s daughter, Meghan McCain, who is a long time supporter for gay-rights and one of the leading young conservatives, stated that her father’s opinion on the issue was changing–which would not be surprising as John McCain was until after the 2008 election a moderate Republican whom many felt would eventually come around to be a soft supporter of gay rights.
Specifically on gays serving openly in the armed services, the Pentagon has remained silent on weighing in; however, recently senior military officials such as Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staffs Adm. Michael Mullen, and most recently CENTCOM Commander General David Petreaus all spoke publicly before Congress stating their opinion that the repeal of the policy should happen and would be in the best interest of the armed forces.
This level of open opposition, even if it is primarily symbolic, to the rhetoric and stance of anti-gay social conservatives was unheard of until very recently. It had always been assumed since the Republican Revolution in 1993 that social-conservatism and evangelicalism would remain unchallenged within the Republican Party and conservative movement–make no mistakes it still has considerable influence–however, as times change many Americans and many conservatives see the writing on the wall and do not believe that it is that critical of an issues.
Consequently it has many anti-gay groups grasping at the straws and in effect trying to find a new, more frightening war cry that will stick, as the evidence does not back up their claim and the rhetoric is not bringing in any new converts. The result is a movement and group of people consistently finding themselves further isolated from what is becoming the mainstream of the conservative movement, which ultimately can only be good for the advancements of gay and lesbian rights.
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It may be a bit flattering of us to cheer at the seemingly newfound “tolerance” for our community among conservative activists. The more likely case, I suspect, is that in their quest for power, conservatives have realized that demonizing our community is a dying fad. However, we shouldn’t necessarily consider this a victory. Very few Republicans today would participate in the blatant sort of racism that defined the Civil Rights era 50 years ago, though blacks still avoid the party for a reason. Even the Tea Party Movement’s motives are suspect — why is there so much opposition to a black president for something that was attempted by a white president less than a generation ago?
Similarly, I suspect it will be a long time, if at all, before any Republican receives a 100% rating from HRC. Instead, we’ll see back-handed attempts to limit our freedoms and rights the same way Republicans today use “welfare reform” as a means to keep ethnic minorities disadvantaged. Let’s not be complacent: social conservatives are just as rabidly anti-gay today as they were 5, 10, 15, and 20 years ago. They’re just smoother about it.
Bobby, I am of the unpopular opinion that politicians do the right thing not because it is the right thing to do, but rather because it makes more political sense for them to do it. So even if the demonizing of gay people stops because it is a dying fad–and I agree with you that is why it is stopping–I still consider that a victory, because it is reflective of the larger attitudes within society that view it as a “non-issue” that compels elected officials to stop beating the drums.
I think African-Americans largely avoid the Republican Party for other reasons, especially when you consider historically that it was Southern Democrats that were for the racial segregation in the South. I think the issues right now stem from Reagan’s presidency that took a very anti-government attitude, and therefore programs like education, well-fare, or any state assistance for that matter, and others were demonized, all of which heavily affect African-Americans. There was a very vindicated sense that Reagan was not a president that represented their interests.
And I can go on about the Tea Party for a while, but I’ll just say some of it is racially motivated the only problem is a lot of it can also be masked in other issues like concern over the size of government; and for many Tea Party folk it may be both.
My major concern isn’t whether or not any or every Republican receives 100% of HRC. My concern is only that those Republicans, or any elected officials, won’t try to scare Americans to push their ideological agenda and vote for measures based on their merits.
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