Gay Libertarians
face off over Ron Paul’s idealism and what it means
in the fight for gay rights.
Republican
presidential candidate Ron Paul aggressively opposes the
Iraq war, the war on drugs, the Patriot Act, and
numerous actions of the Federal Reserve.
Unfortunately, many say he feels the same way about gay
rights.
Paul is a
Libertarian-leaning Texas congressman who has recently
party-crashed the neoconservative movement from within the
GOP. An aggressive antiestablishment speaker who is
frequently cited as the most Internet-savvy candidate,
Paul has gained a proactive fan base that
has made him a leader in Web searches, YouTube views, and
many Republican straw polls. His grassroots
supporters, many of them young technology aficionados,
have launched what has become known as the “Ron
Paul revolution” -- and they helped him pull in
$6 million on December 16, the largest fund-raising
day for any presidential candidate in U.S. history.
Paul’s
cult-like following is largely the result of his proximity
to Libertarian and Constitutionalist politics. He ran
for president on the Libertarian Party ticket in 1988,
winning little media attention but plenty of
Libertarian street cred. As a GOP congressman, Paul has
earned the nickname Dr. No because of his career
as an obstetrician and his refusal to vote for
anything not specifically sanctioned by the
Constitution -- including the Iraq war and the Patriot Act.
Often portrayed as a Libertarian in Republican
disguise, he still upholds the majority of the
Libertarian platform and has the support of many
party members.
“Libertarians strongly oppose any government
interfering in their personal, family and business
decisions,” reads the Libertarian website.
“Essentially, we believe all Americans should be free
to live their lives and pursue their interests as they
see fit as long as they do no harm to another. In a
nutshell, we are advocates for a smaller government, lower
taxes and more freedom.”
Does this desired
freedom extend to gays? Since its inception, the party
has had a strong LGBT caucus and several LGBT activist
groups. Although Paul is fervently laissez-faire and
would be delighted to do away with the vast
majority of government departments and programs, the
issue of gay rights is where he parts company with most
of his Libertarian brethren.
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