RNC Chairman Michael Steele: “Welcome, Gays!” or, Why Gay Marriage Is Not A States’ Issue

In a close five-way race, (it would have been six but “Barack, the Magic Negro” intervened,) the Republican National Committee elected Michael Steele on Friday as its Chairman. Steele is the former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. Chris Wallace of “Fox News Sunday” interviewed Steele. The Raw Story reports:

“The newly elected chairman of the Republican National Committee, the first African-American ever to hold that position, says his party must do a better job of courting candidates and voters who support gay marriage and are pro-choice. 

“I think that’s an important opportunity for us, absolutely. Within our party we do have those who have that view,” Michael Steele told Fox’s Chris Wallace Sunday morning.”

Talking about immigration in the video (above), Steele said, “No change in the position of the party. How we message that is where we messed up the last time.” Could Steele could be implying the same about gay marriage?

Steele is looking to broaden the party’s base, no doubt. But he’s using gays to do it, and, unless he’s going to ensure the RNC platform includes support of gay marriage, it’s an insincere, at best, gesture. Perhaps well-intentioned, who knows, but hollow, without substance, and opportunistic. But even if Steele’s RNC were willing to support gay marriage, there are not that many gays who would “switch.”

It’s important to remember that reaching out is not the same as supporting.

Steele goes on to say “yes” when Wallace says, “You also support a Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.” At which point Steele says “we can deal with that [a ban on gay marriage] at the state level.” And there comes that famous “states rights” argument.

Conservatives attempting to broaden their base, or those trying to get reelected in more Democratic strongholds are famous for deferring on gay marriage to the state government level. Here’s why that argument is invalid: civil rights are not a states’ issue. Saying gay marriage is a states’ issue is tantamount to saying a century ago that equal rights for blacks were a states’ rights issue. So, in some states a black man could legally marry a white woman, but if they were to cross the state line, he could be thrown in jail for being with her. (In fact, this is a true story.) 

Civil rights are a federal issue, governed by federal law. It’s the Federal Bureau of Investigation (the FBI) that investigates violations of civil rights. Gay marriage is an issue of civil rights. That is the only valid argument when it comes to gay marriage. Religion is not a valid argument, as the Bill of Rights makes clear. Procreation is not a valid argument, as nationwide it has been established the heterosexual marriage is not only for the purpose of procreation. What other argument is left? None, but civil rights, which means there is no argument.