The gay and
lesbian organization Log Cabin Republicans has decided to
sit out the Republican primary by not endorsing a
candidate. Why aren’t they backing Rudy
Giuliani, the most pro-gay Republican White House
contender in history?
The mission
of Log Cabin Republicans, according to the
group's website, is "to make the Republican Party more
inclusive, particularly on gay and lesbian issues." The
group recognizes -- correctly -- that "equality
will be impossible to achieve without Republican
votes." Democrats are largely on board with gay rights
issues; it’s conservatives who need convincing. It is
for this reason that Log Cabin, with its handful of
staffers and a mere 20,000 members, is one of the most
important gay political organizations in the country.
Yet Log Cabin is
sitting out what is perhaps the most important
presidential primary for gay voters in political history.
Running for the 2008 Republican nomination is former
New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, the ideal Log Cabin
Republican candidate. Indeed, Log Cabin endorsed him
in his previous runs for mayor and U.S. Senate, and he spoke
at the organization’s national convention in
1999. While it’s true that since becoming a
major presidential contender Giuliani has backtracked on his
previous support for civil unions (his campaign claims that
the New Hampshire legislature’s passage of a
civil unions law was overreaching because it
recognizes same-sex unions from other states), Giuliani
still says he supports domestic partnerships that
ensure the same legal rights for gay couples. Add his
regular participation in New York City’s gay
pride parades, his appointments of openly gay people to city
offices, and his having lived with a gay couple after
his wife kicked him out of the house -- plus a dearth
of gay-supportive Republican rivals -- and you have a
no-brainer of a Log Cabin endorsement.
But, alas, Log
Cabin is sitting this one out, at least until the general
election. In a recent interview with Mother
Jones, Log Cabin’s grassroots outreach director
said, "We will probably not endorse anyone in the
primary." The recent endorsement of Giuliani by
televangelist Pat Robertson, who has a record of
homophobia rivaling that of any major American public
figure, may dissuade socially moderate Republicans
from supporting Giuliani. But sitting this GOP primary
out is a grave mistake for Log Cabin, as it dilutes
gay political power right when it is most necessary to
assert it.
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Kirchick
is an assistant editor at The New Republic.