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A-Paul-ed

Gay Libertarians face off over Ron Paul’s idealism and what it means in the fight for gay rights.
An Advocate.com exclusive posted January 4, 2008
A-Paul-ed

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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Barclay is a New York-based writer.

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