GOProud Gay Conservatives: Born This Way?
Have you ever wondered if, just as people are “born this way,” to be gay, they may also be “born this way” to be conservative or liberal? Studies show that indeed, people may be genetically predisposed to become liberal or conservative. So, can we fault our gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender brothers and sisters if they are born Republican? (Can we fault them also for being birthers?)
Perhaps not, but that doesn’t give them the license to attack without cause their fellow Democratic, Liberal, Progressive, Independent, or even Republican/Conservative gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender brothers and sisters. And the anti-Left rhetoric and hate — especially unprovoked — coming from GOProud, its founders, and supporters, is unacceptable.
GOProud claims it is, “committed to a traditional conservative agenda that emphasizes limited government, individual liberty, free markets and a confident foreign policy. GOProud promotes our traditional conservative agenda by influencing politics and policy at the federal level.” No mention in there of constant anti-Left and at times, anti-gay hate.
READ: Gay And Straight Teen Suicide Attempts Higher In Conservative Regions.
Coincidentally to Mike Signorile’s excellent post today in the Advocate, calling GOProud — the gay Tea Party Republican group — “self-loathing,” this past weekend I “hung out” in a conversation on GOProud’s Facebook page.
READ: GOProud On NPR Again Attacks “The Gay Left” As “The Most Intolerant”
Jimmy LaSalvia, GOProud’s co-founder, who has said, “Our organization’s number one goal between now and November 2012 is defeating Barack Obama,â€Â posted a link to the Advocate’s review of an NPR interview with LaSalvia, about which I had also written. I was appalled at an initial comment by a reader in the thread, which said,
“If the Left and the Democrats really supported equality for gays, they could have proved it by repealing DOMA and passing ENDA when they had control of Congress and the White House. They didn’t, because they don’t. They were dragged kicking and screaming into repealing DADT. Obama is viciously anti-gay. Gays who are conservatives and/or Republicans are fiscal conservatives. There is plenty of support for gay equality among fiscal conservatives. Our battle for equality is with social conservatives on the Right AND the Left who believe in imposing their values through the coercive powers of government.”
(emphasis mine.)
Wow. Just wow.
Â
“If Obama and the Democrats supported equality for gays, Prop. 8 would not have passed and gays would have federal equality right this minute.”
Â
Usually I don’t bother with these social media battles — I used to, but realized what a time-suck they are. But I could not help myself!
“I’m so sorry. I was under the obviously false impression that Obama signed the Hate Crimes bill into law, and that he refused to defend DOMA, and that he is the first president to even mention positively and consistently the LGBT community,” I responded, rather infuriated. “I must have read the news wrong today when I thought I saw that Obama’s DOJ today encouraged an LGBT supportive environment in schools I missed the news that detailed how John Boehner decided to not spend $500+ million unappropriated tax dollars on defending DOMA, and how he is pushing for ENDA to pass, along with the DREAM Act. And how could I have missed the news when Newt Gingrich fought tooth and nail against Bill Clinton and the Democrats against DOMA and DADT? I guess my Wall Street Journal subscription must have expired when Denny Hastert railed against Bush and fought to get ENDA passed, and begged George W. to not use marriage equality as a wedge issue to drive his base of rigious bigots to the polls. Thank you for straightening me out.”
And true to their leaders’ behavior, the fireworks ensued.
But what I was honsestly surprised at was the level of ignorance and the embrace of misinformation that almost every person who commented exhibited. Evidently, even gay Republicans watch Fox News, which, as we know, is responsible for the highest level of misinformation in the cable news world.
Some more ignorance from the GOProud group:
“What exactly has Obama done for gay america?”
“Don’t say he brought an end to DADT, because that’s a joke. If he wanted that done, it would have been done while he had the entire 3 branches of gov’t.” (No, the President cannot control all three branches, which include the Supreme Court — especially not this Supreme Court!)
“If Obama and the Democrats supported equality for gays, Prop. 8 would not have passed and gays would have federal equality right this minute.” (Um, Obama was a Senator when Prop 8 passed, and Prop 8 is a state referendum, not a federal issue. There was little he could have done, aside from speak out more than he did. And, Prop 8 and DOMA are not the same. Wow.)
“The Left exploits and abuses gays without shame and you lap it up and beg for more. And you get the worst of all worlds because not only do you support people who believe it is their holy duty to kill you for being gay — Muslims and illegal immigrants from anti-gay and anti-feminist cultures — AND put THEIR interests ahead of those of gays — you also are fighting the fiscal conservative principles that provide the financial liberty that gays need to survive because of employment discrimination. Why are you such a self-loathing doormat?” (Pot. Kettle. Black…)
“The “gay left” have hijacked the gay movement…”
“The left is too focused on “social justice” issues.” (Right… Where are the jobs, Mr. Boehner? And why have Republicans introduced over 600 anti-abortion bills this year alone?)
“I am certain that Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh and FOX NEWS do not hate Gays…absolutely certain. FOX NEWS is the only major media organization that presents the news through the prism of capitalism and limited government…I appreciate that bias.”
My reponse also included,
“YOU folks here are the Republicans. Why don’t you stop wasting your time bashing the Left, and start focusing on your Republican elected officials to support repeal of DOMA, and support ENDA, and stop trying to delay DADT repeal.
The Left is FAR from perfect. But we’re trying. Like I said, what Republican elected officials are working to repeal DOMA, working to make ENDA happen, working to get DADT certified? If you folks, and your illustrious leaders Jimmy and Chris would stop bashing the Left and maybe partner with us, together we could get things done.
Honestly, it’s pretty embarrassing that we all share something in common and yet we can’t put aside our differences and fight the real opposition – the people who are actively oppressing us.
I hope someday that will happen. But until the bashing and name-calling stop, it won’t.
Pity.”
I also chided,
“just stop the Glenn Beck parroting and start getting your side to do its job.
The left is too focused on social issues?
The GOP has introduced over 600 anti-abortion bills this year alone.
Get on the damn phone and call your elected representatives and tell them to focus on creating real jobs, not abortion, not banning same-sex marriage, not anything but jobs. Have you?”
Born this way? Perhaps. But you have to admit, it takes a lot of self-loathing, as Signorile wrote, to be gay and against the right of LGBT people to marry, to be in favor of DOMA, to be against ENDA. It just does.
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RIGHT WING EXTREMISM
Trump to Give Long-Delayed Court-Ordered Sworn Testimony to NY Attorney General in Real Estate Pricing Probe
Donald Trump is scheduled to appear before lawyers in the Office of the New York Attorney General Letitia James Wednesday morning to give sworn testimony in her probe of his real estate pricing practices.
Trump’s long-awaited deposition was originally scheduled for January 7, according to the subpoena he received, Insider reports, but he has successfully managed to push it back more than seven months. Similarly two of his adult children had their depositions pushed back, and then pushed even further after the recent death of their mother, Ivana Trump.
“Trump allegedly misstated property values to win hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks and bank loans,” Insider reports. The former president “is scheduled to be grilled in person in Manhattan on what James has alleged is a decade-long pattern of financial misstatements on documents used by the Trump Organization to win hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks and bank loans.”
Fox News adds: “It’s unclear at this time if the former president will be willing to answer all the questions that the lawyers pose him or if he could be asserting his Fifth Amendment right.”
Trump “has also called the investigation by the New York attorney general, Letitia James, a politically motivated witch hunt,” The New York Times reports.
“He repeated his criticism on his Truth Social account. ‘In New York City tonight. Seeing racist N.Y.S. Attorney General tomorrow, for a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in U.S. history!’ he wrote. ‘My great company, and myself, are being attacked from all sides. Banana Republic!'”
Wednesday’s deposition marks the third harrowing day for the Republican politician, conspiracy theorist, white nationalist, and, some say, “con man” and “cult-like” figure.
Monday morning FBI agents executed a valid legal search warrant, signed by a federal judge, and confiscated ten cartons of documents which Trump’s press secretary acknowledged included confidential “paper.”
Tuesday a federal appeals court upheld a ruling made by a Trump-appointed lower court judge that allows the powerful House Ways and Means Committee to be granted access to his tax returns.
RIGHT WING EXTREMISM
Experts Call on Trump to Release Search Warrant and Inventory List as His Supporters Talk of ‘Civil War’
Legal experts and other experts are urging – or in some cases, daring – Donald Trump to publish a copy of the FBI’s search warrant and the inventory list of the ten cartons of classified documents removed from Mar-a-Lago’s basement Monday, as his supporters openly call for civil war in response to what the former president called a “raid.”
“After the search, the federal agents hauled away roughly 10 more boxes,” The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
That makes the total number of cartons the former president was storing at his Florida home approximately 25, based on reports that 15 cartons had to be retrieved by the National Archives earlier this year.
READ MORE: ‘He Was Going to Sacrifice You’: Pence Mocked for Rushing to Support Trump After FBI Mar-a-Lago Raid
Almost immediately upon news breaking that the FBI had executed a search warrant, Trump supporters went wild. They formed a convoy outside Mar-a-Lago, and online countless threats of violence and “civil war” have been made.
Tuesday morning CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan posted a graph, noting the “big spike in tweets referencing ‘civil war’ right after the news of the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago broke last night.”
Dr. Caroline Orr Bueno posted an image of a large number of tweets that call for civil war and other related threats of violence, including: “I already bought my ammo,” “Civil war! Pick up arms, people!” “Civil War 2.0 just kicked off,” “Let’s do the war,” and “One step closer to a kinetic civil war.”
And Tuesday afternoon NBC News reported, “After Mar-a-Lago search, users on pro-Trump forums agitate for ‘civil war’ — including a Jan. 6 rioter.”
Legal experts have made clear they believe FBI’s execution of a lawful federal search warrant is most likely in connection with a national security and counterintelligence operation, not a casual stroll into the private estate of a former U.S. president – and certainly not a political move, like Trump supporters are falsely claiming.
Former Dept. of Justice Inspector General Michael Bromwich, who is also a former Asst. U.S. Attorney at the Southern District of New York (SDNY) notes that “Trump has the search warrant, specifying the crimes being investigated, and the inventory of the items seized.”
“He has chosen not to share those items publicly although he is free to do so,” Bromwich adds.
Former U.S. Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal on MSNBC Tuesday morning:
“Donald Trump, you have a copy of the warrant. It explains what they were looking for, what statutes they think were violated, what judge signed off on that…If you believe this is such an abuse, release the warrant and let us decide for ourselves.”
“Donald Trump, you have a copy of the warrant. It explains what they were looking for, what statutes they think were violated, what judge signed off on that…If you believe this is such an abuse, release the warrant and let us decide for ourselves.” @neal_katyal pic.twitter.com/j3PH8m8ACI
— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) August 9, 2022
“By the way,” noted Richard Stengel, a former U.S. Under Secretary of State, “Trump now has the search warrant and the inventory of what was taken in his possession. If this raid was so egregious and unjustified, why not release them?”
“Trump can release the search warrant and the inventory of what the FBI took. Why hasn’t he?” asked Marc Elias, the DNC’s top attorney who successfully fought more than 60 cases of alleged election fraud brought by the Trump team and his supporters.
Former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti, responding to a Fox News tweet with video of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) that reads, “‘WE DESERVE ANSWERS NOW'” wrote: “Some of those questions could be answered if Trump released the search warrant as well as the inventory of items seized, which his team presumably has.”
Politico’s Kyle Cheney tweeting his article titled, “Why the Trump search warrant is nothing like Hillary’s emails,” wrote: “One person who could clear most of it up? Trump. He has access to the inventory of records at Mar-a-Lago and likely received a copy of the search warrant. He would also know the nature of the classified documents at issue.”
News
‘He Was Going to Sacrifice You’: Pence Mocked for Rushing to Support Trump After FBI Mar-a-Lago Raid
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who was by Donald Trump‘s side constantly promoting and defending him when he was President, and who was subjected to Trump’s support of rioters and insurrectionists calling to “hang Mike Pence,” is being highly criticized and mocked for again rushing to defend Trump in the wake of the FBI’s raid at Mar-a-Lago.
Experts have made clear they believe FBI’s execution of a lawful federal search warrant is most likely in connection with a national security and counterintelligence operation, not a casual stroll into the private estate of a former U.S. president.
But not according to Pence, who is strongly believed to be organizing a 2024 presidential run.
“I share the deep concern of millions of Americans over the unprecedented search of the personal residence of President Trump. No former President of the United States has ever been subject to a raid of their personal residence in American history,” he writes.
“After years where FBI agents were found to be acting on political motivation during our administration, the appearance of continued partisanship by the Justice Department must be addressed,” he claims, which is at best a twisting of facts. No FBI agent was found to have taken official action based on personal political beliefs.
“Yesterday’s action undermines public confidence in our system of justice and Attorney General Garland must give a full accounting to the American people as to why this action was taken and he must do so immediately,” Pence demanded.
Pence could have made the exact same demand of Donald Trump, who has a copy of the lawfully executed search warrant and inventory of the likely hundreds or thousands of documents that are the rightful property of the U.S. government, and recovered by the FBI from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.
Meanwhile, Pence was singing a very different tune int he weeks before he was elected Vice President.
“We call on the FBI to immediately release all emails pertinent to their investigation,” he tweeted about Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on October 28, 2016. “Americans have the right to know before Election Day.”
Trump “and I commend the FBI for reopening an investigation into Clinton’s personal email server because no one is above the law,” Pence added just hours later.
Responses to Pence’s remarks on Tuesday were strong.
“Mike he was going to sacrifice you,” tweeted Daily Kos staff writer Gabe Ortíz.
“No President has ever attempted to have an armed mob assassinate his Vice President either,” wrote journalist Marcy Wheeler.
Trump sent a “violent mob to murder you so he could end [the] republic,” tweeted economist David Rothschild. “Trump took boxes of classified documents from White House & is known to destroy documents.”
“Trump won in 2016 because FBI intervened on his behalf over ‘concern’ about Clinton’s document retention & security,” he continued. “Not investigating & prosecuting former president who flaunts breaking law, including leading coup against US, undermines rule-of-law for all of US.”
“You don’t know what the FBI’s warrant said or what evidence was presented to the judge who authorized it,” tweeted U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA). “Your suggestion that Trump should be beyond accountability to the law, like your silence when Trump called for imprisonment of his opponents as president, harms our country.”
Talking Points memo editor and founder Josh Marshall writes, “this is a good reminder of who Mike Pence is. None of this happened. The FBI never plotted against Trump. To the extent it has org bias it’s toward the right. Everyone knows this. Pence is just repeating anti-‘deep state’ propaganda invented to give Trump cover for his crimes.”
“The pervasive rightwing lie and conspiracy theory that the FBI is controlled by Biden for political purposes is based on the assumption that everyone in the Biden admin, the FBI, the department of justice, the media and secret service is corrupt and abusing power—and trump is not,” wrote Condé Nast legal affairs editor Luke Zaleski.
Vox’s legal expert, Ian Millhiser asks, “Is there anyone on earth more pathetic than Mike Pence? Donald Trump egged on a lynch mob that wanted Pence hanged, and Pence is still Trump’s toady.”
‘God Anointed Him’: Christian Right Expert Explains Conservative Outrage After FBI Raided Trump’s Mar-a-Lago
‘I’d Be Advising My Client to Tell Their Family I’m Looking at Jail Time’: Mueller Prosecutor on the FBI’s Trump Raid
‘This Is a National Security Issue’: Former FBI Agents Note Key Details About ‘Raid’ on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago
Federal Appeals Court Rules House Can Have Trump’s Tax Returns – Committee Expects Them ‘Immediately’
‘Pledging to Sue’: Christian Nationalist GOP Nominee Subpoenaed by J6 Committee ‘Didn’t Answer a Single Question’
Trump to Give Long-Delayed Court-Ordered Sworn Testimony to NY Attorney General in Real Estate Pricing Probe
Experts Call on Trump to Release Search Warrant and Inventory List as His Supporters Talk of ‘Civil War’
‘He Was Going to Sacrifice You’: Pence Mocked for Rushing to Support Trump After FBI Mar-a-Lago Raid
‘Pledging to Sue’: Christian Nationalist GOP Nominee Subpoenaed by J6 Committee ‘Didn’t Answer a Single Question’
Federal Appeals Court Rules House Can Have Trump’s Tax Returns – Committee Expects Them ‘Immediately’
News2 days agoNew Bombshell Book on Trump Reveals He Wanted to Be Treated Like Hitler: ‘Totally Loyal’
RIGHT WING EXTREMISM3 days agoTrump Rambles for 108 Minutes in CPAC Speech Filled With ‘Unapologetic Fascism’: Report
- RIGHT WING EXTREMISM20 hours ago
‘God Anointed Him’: Christian Right Expert Explains Conservative Outrage After FBI Raided Trump’s Mar-a-Lago
BREAKING NEWS2 days agoTravis McMichael Gets Life Prison Sentence for Killing of Ahmaud Arbery
BREAKING NEWS2 days agoFBI Has Executed a Search Warrant at Mar-a-Lago: ‘My Beautiful Home Is Under Siege’ Trump Says
News23 hours ago‘I’d Be Advising My Client to Tell Their Family I’m Looking at Jail Time’: Mueller Prosecutor on the FBI’s Trump Raid
News2 days agoLess Than Half of Florida Voters Would Choose ‘Polarizing’ DeSantis New Poll Finds
News22 hours ago‘This Is a National Security Issue’: Former FBI Agents Note Key Details About ‘Raid’ on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago
