Change in Republican tolerance of Gays?

[Rand]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=2531534&page=1

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2006— Conservative activists are beginning to discuss the Mark Foley scandal as indicative of a GOP that has become too tolerant of gays in their midst.

Regardless of the party's efforts against gay marriage, the argument goes, the fact that Republican officials accept gay congressmen, such as Foley, and staffers will mean the party will have problems.

"As a society, we've made diversity and tolerance the guidepost of public life," Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council told ABC News. "Maybe we shouldn't be surprised that we have congressmen chasing after 16-year-old boys."

[Snipped]

Closet Life

But interestingly, it isn't only social conservatives discussing a possible tie between sexual orientation and Foley's predatory behavior with pages.

Richard Isay, a Weisll Cornell Medical College professor of psychiatry and author who has studied gay men and women, says his psychiatric studies show that closeted gays who work for organizations that are inhospitable to them may be more prone to "doing things that are going to get themselves into trouble."

"If the atmosphere of the Republican Party is not hospitable to gay people … you're going to have more problems," Isay said.

In his academic opinion, Isay believes that Foley's pathology includes "much more than just this kind of behavior — hitting on pages," but likely includes other kind of secretive behavior.

[Snipped]


Gay conservative writer Andrew Sullivan wrote on his blog this week that the Foley scandal wasn't about pedophilia or homosexuality.

"[I]t's fundamentally about the closet," he wrote. "The closet is so psychologically destructive it often produces pathological behavior. When you compartmentalize your life, you sometimes act out in one compartment in ways that you would never condone in another one. Think Clinton-Lewinsky, in a heterosexual context. But closeted gay men are particularly vulnerable to this kind of thing. Your psyche is so split by decades of lies and deceptions and euphemisms that integrity and mental health suffer. No one should excuse Foley's creepy interactions; they are inexcusable, as is the alleged cover-up. … But there's a reason gay men in homophobic institutions behave in self-destructive ways."

[Snipped]

[Sausy]

This is going to be interesting....do Republicans keep a door of acceptance open,or do the religious right launch an effort to slam the Republican closet shut because its taking advantage of the inappropriateness of Rep.Foley's behavior..to smear all homosexuals as potential Foleys..it is a fight they musn't win.

[General_Alfie]

This is going to be interesting....do Republicans keep a door of acceptance open,or do the religious right launch an effort to slam the Republican closet shut because its taking advantage of the inappropriateness of Rep.Foley's behavior..to smear all homosexuals as potential Foleys..it is a fight they musn't win.

"Keep a door of acceptance open?" The GOP? Good one!!!

C'mon, this is the Taliban Party, these guys don't even want blacks using the front door of the US Capitol building!

Is it any wonder that the only time gays emerge from their GOP closet, it's for things like predatory sexual perversions? It's not by accident, not at all.

[glo-unit]

This is going to be interesting....do Republicans keep a door of acceptance open,or do the religious right launch an effort to slam the Republican closet shut because its taking advantage of the inappropriateness of Rep.Foley's behavior..to smear all homosexuals as potential Foleys..it is a fight they musn't win.

Exactly right, lets hope sanity wins out in the end.

[iman]

If the current House Republican leadership goes, which seems likely, the Republicans in line for jobs includes at least one gay Congressman. I think a full scale purge is in order. Maybe we will see a Log Cabin Democratic Club.

[Txgoodoldboy]

Change in Republican tolerance of Gays? Yeah, when Hell freezes over.

[MadeUpName27]

The Republican Party is VERY tolerant and accept Gays and Lesbians.



Just as long as those Gays and Lesbians are wealthy, white, Conservative Christians and provided that they agree to sit down, shut the hell up, and stay in the damn closet like good little queers...

[datapanik]

It looks like there will be a gay Republican purge. It will be a bloodbath of circular firing squads, backstabbing, catfighting, blackmailing and bitter revenge. Aww, poor guys, where will they all go after they get exiled from their beloved Republican party that's treated them so well for all these years? I can't imagine the Democrats putting out a welcome mat for Log Cabin refugees, after all that the R's have done to vilify and demonize everyone to the left of Joe Lieberman. Who will hire Ken Mehlman? I hear Rick Santorum's office is now accepting resumes for Chief of Staff position.

[sparky95]

I suspect there will be a purge of gays after the coming election if the Republicans suffer major losses. I also think the party may get pushed further towards the religous right as well. Either way I don't think things are looking good for the Log Cabin Republicans. After cozying up to Jeff Gannon, and the current scandal I suspect that there will be a move to expel them, if things go badly.

[smelter]

I hear Rick Santorum's office is now accepting resumes for Chief of Staff position.

Santorum won't need a Chief of Staff too much longer ....... that arrogant, homophobic prick is about to be thrown out with yesterday's trash.

[Rand]

I suspect there will be a purge of gays after the coming election if the Republicans suffer major losses. I also think the party may get pushed further towards the religous right as well. Either way I don't think things are looking good for the Log Cabin Republicans. After cozying up to Jeff Gannon, and the current scandal I suspect that there will be a move to expel them, if things go badly.

Should they lose control in November, they will probably blame the "Gay thing" and I agree, a purge will be forth coming. The mantle of compassionate conservative never really was worn long or taken seriously by anyone in power.

[Baddog]

[Kulindahr]

Is it any wonder that the only time gays emerge from their GOP closet, it's for things like predatory sexual perversions? It's not by accident, not at all.

After deleting your lies....

So's the one I kept -- look around the country, and you'll find gay Publicans in state offices, and running for federal right now.

[Kulindahr]

This is going to be interesting....do Republicans keep a door of acceptance open,or do the religious right launch an effort to slam the Republican closet shut because its taking advantage of the inappropriateness of Rep.Foley's behavior..to smear all homosexuals as potential Foleys..it is a fight they musn't win.

OTOH....
if the religious right wins this one, the GOP might just disintegrate.
Then all we have to do is bust up the Demibrats, and we could have a brand new, more interesting political landscape.

[joehill]

The g.o.p christen Reich will not let that hapen

[Kulindahr]

The g.o.p christen Reich will not let that hapen

They might not want to, but how would they stop it? They're already probably THE big reason Republicans are losing ground on campuses, and with the growing level of acceptance that "all men are created equal" means gays, too, how long will the GOP hold out against a backlash?

It occurs to me that here is one reason America is supposed to be a Republic, not a democracy: if the Religious Right becomes a religious Reich, they'll have done it on the back of the First Amendment -- walking on it, that is, driving its face into the mud.

If they do, I'll become my avatar: rifle at the ready, American flag on my shoulder, rainbow flag behind me... and invoke the Second Amendment, and quote the Supreme Court when they affirmed John Adams' argument that "There exists a right to insurrection".
I already have one bullet waiting for the Ref. Phelps, for Mat Shepard; there's another 999 in the box for any other theocrats who want to overthrow the form of government God ordained for this country.

[opinterph]

Not to comment on your marksmanship Kulindahr, but you might also wanna pick up a few extra clips and a bunch more ammo.

[smelter]

I already have one bullet waiting for the Ref. Phelps, for Mat Shepard; there's another 999 in the box for any other theocrats who want to overthrow the form of government God ordained for this country.

I'd like to join you but only if I get dibs on The Right Wrong Reverend James Dobson.