Conservative and Libertarian Gays vs. Gay, Inc or Wherein All Homosexuals Should Automatically Be Liberals

Several weeks ago I got into a rather heated discussion with a coworker of mine.

He, like me, is gay.

He, unlike me, is quite liberal or as Travis says "progressive."

We were talking about how GOProud, a national organization for conservatives and/or libertarians who HAPPEN to be GLBT (note that does NOT say an organization for GLBTs who happen to be conservative and/or libertarian.)

The subject of our exchange was the historic and unprecedented ad purchase by GOProud that took Congressional Democrats to task for engaging in unprecedented levels of spending, out of control debt and a general failure to get the economy back on track.  

Travis asserted that because I believe that the Democratic Party is no friend of LGBT Americans, I must be self-loathing and a traitor to the "gay rights movement" and whatsuch.  He told me that I am oppressed by my very nature and that I should just be shocked, SHOCKED (!!) that GOProud should be airing this ad against Pelosi and Frank and other Congressional Democrats.

So, I simply asked him, "What have Congressional Democrats done for you, for me and for LGBT Americans?"

Travis replied "Well, Democrats have certainly done more than Republicans."

I  then asked him the three substantive GLBT equality questions:

Me: "Have they repealed DADT?"
Travis: "No, they have not."
Me: "Have they passed ENDA?"
Travis: "No, they have not."
Me: "Have they repealed DOMA?"
Travis: "No, they have not."

I then proceeded to ask Travis how he feels about how Congress has since 2000 (which includes BOTH Democrats and Republicans) spent like a drunk sailor and how his children will feel about having to pay that back?

Once again, I was not given an affirmative/supportive answer to my question.

One would think that if you ally yourself with an organization, give money and time and resources to this organization that you would be able to show how this organization benefits you and your situation.

Yet the vast majority of GLBT Americans I speak with are unable to give any concrete benefits that the Democratic Party has given them in exchange for their investment.

Christopher Barron, Chairman of GOProud, summarizes the situation thusly:

"The reality is that sadly the gay left (Human Rights Campaign) has completely abandoned any effort to change hearts and minds. Instead of talking to people about our lives, our families, our beliefs, and our values, the gay left has taken the easy way out – preferring to attack, criticize, and demonize those who may disagree on with us on issues like marriage. Instead of working to win new friends, the gay left seems hell bent on creating new enemies."

My experience is organizations like the HRC are nothing but party organizers for the Democrats who will pump money from rich, white, liberal gays and continue to "advocate" for me and my kind.  I also hear that I am oppressed and should be miserable as I am a second class citizen incapable of marriage and that I should give more money to enforce the status quo that the HRC and Gay, Inc. have taken upon themselves to decide is acceptable.

First off, I am not oppressed.

I am a white, upper-middle class landowner with a fairly well-paying job that I am good at and enjoy. I have guns. I take trips when I want to and purchase what I need without a thought that I might be spending to much money.  I have minimal debt and good friends.

Oh yes, I'm oppressed

Second off, why should I let HRC "advocate" for me?

It was not the HRC that got DADT declared unconstitutional.

It was the Log Cabin Republicans.

HRC was AGAINST filing a lawsuit to overturn Prop 8 in California, a hateful and bigoted initiative which made marriage equality a thing of the past.

What type of schizophrenic thought process is this?

All this being said, I am not happy with the Republican Party either.  Illegal wars, shredding of the Constitution, advocating torture, Katrina, continued demonization of GLBT Americans, Islamaphobia, etc.

However, as Chris Barron says, groups like GOProud aren't MAKING new enemies.

The reality is the exact opposite.

GOProud is forging ahead with alliances and forming coalitions with the Tea Party movement to advance liberty for LGBT Americans by advancing liberty for ALL Amerericans.

Because in the end, there is no US or THEM, there is only US.

ONE NATION, under G-d, with Liberty and Justice FOR ALL