Gay conservative writer, blogger, and marriage equality activist Andrew Sullivan tweeted today about the resignation of Richard Grenell and, in 121 characters, perfectly captured what it’s like to be an LGBT conservative in a Republican party that really, really, really hates you:
What do Republicans call a gay man with neoconservative passion, a committed relationship and personal courage? A faggot.
Sullivan elaborated on this point in a post for the Daily Beast entitled “The Lonely Plight of the Gay Republican:”
Yes, Grenell was prepared to work for an administration opposed to marriage equality even when he supported it passionately (like, ahem, Dick Cheney). He was prepared to be ostracized by many in his own community for being a Republican, taking brickbats from the gay liberal establishment, and throwing many punches back. His neoconservatism is, so far as I can tell, completely sincere, and he has a huge amount of experience as a spokesman.
It’s sometimes hard to explain to outsiders what level of principle is required to withstand the personal cost of being an out gay Republican. I’ve only ever been a gay conservative (never a Republican), and back in the 1990s, it was brutal living in the gay world and challenging liberal assumptions. I cannot imagine the social isolation of Grenell in Los Angeles today, doing what he did.
And his reward for such loyalty, sincerity and pugnacity? Vilification.
I don’t know if I’d agree with Sullivan that being an out gay Republican requires principle as much as masochism, but tragically, he has a point where personal costs are concerned. As I’ve said for a long time, equal rights for LGBT people should not be a political issue. Unfortunately, though, the Republican Party is bound and determined to both cling to and pander to homophobic bigotry, ensuring that LGBT rights will continue to be politicized for the foreseeable future and that gay conservatives like Sullivan and Grenell will continue to be marginalized, ostracized, vilified, and silenced.
Truman Capote?
Gay Republicans and gay conservatives are not silenced. On the contrary, they have a bigger media megaphone and presence than their Democratic counterparts. Add up the number of TV appearances for the Logs and GOProud and then compare that with National Stonewall Democrats. Overwhelming, since NSD has had NO invitations, even from Rachel Maddow or Chris Matthews, to provide a counterpoint to these self-abnegating gay Republicans. And is there any left-oriented gay pundit to counter Sullivan’s conservative catholic views with anywhere near the ubiquity of his public appearances?
Agreed that they’re not silenced in the media (and that an NSD rep should appear whenever the Logs/GOProud are featured), but within their party it’s a different story.
There are always some minority members who will a*s-kiss the oppressors in order to gain selfish advantages for themselves at the political expense of the rest of the members of their minority. Pay no attention to those a*s-kissers’ duplicitous alibis. This jerk Grenell is now going to do even more a*s-kissing of the Rethugliturd enemy, mark my words.
To me it isn’t principals when you support people wh hate you, want to take all your rights away and do everything in their power to hurt you and others in your community. I believe that that is called “collaboration” and it is vile beyond belief. I have no sympathy for Richard Grenell. He got exactly what he deserved. These “Toyko Roses” typical are able to avoid the negative impacts from the base of the Republican Party as they typically have enough money to buy their rights. Now Grenell gets to see up close and personal what the rest of us must endure in our lives. The fact that he was forced out should serve as a canary in the coal mine to other gay Republicans how bad an idea it is to put their wallets ahead of the civil rights for the entire LGBT community.
A gay Republican is like a Jewish Nazi
Until such time as there is a major change in party philosophy, Grenell’s hand is alongside that of all the others who are knifing Gays in tghe back.
There are courageous gay Republicans such as Fred Karger who are outspoken against party misconduct.
And then there are gay Republicans such as Richard Grenell, who silence themselves and victimize themselves. For what, exactly?
To be fair, the same dichotomy applies to gay Democrats in highly conservative states.
There is no choice between a greater or lesser evil. Remaining silent about the lesser evil facilitates the greater evil.
[...] Sullivan wrote another column about the Richard Grenell resignation today in which he revealed specifics about the way Grenell was muzzled by Mitt Romney’s [...]
I’m glad Grenell is gone. I found this quote today:
” Reuters veteran Irwin Arieff told The Huffington Post that he’s “appalled to hear that the Romney campaign has hired Mr. Grenell in any capacity.” In an email response, Arieff, who worked over two decades at Reuters, including seven years covering the U.N, said he found Grenell “to be the most dishonest and deceptive press person I ever worked with.”
“He often lied, even more frequently offered half answers or withheld information that would weaken his case or reflect poorly on his ideological point of view,” Arieff said. “He was always argumentative with the press, castigating reporters for asking questions he did not like, and calling them to criticize them for writing articles he did not like.”
And also, did he not tweet some very sexist remarks a couple of weeks ago, which he was roundly criticized for (but seems to fall in with the GOP’s current party line on women and their rights).
He may have been ousted for the completely wrong reasons (his sexuality), but it can only be a good thing that he is not there anymore.
Just because someone is gay, does not stop them from being a total prick.