The Republican
National Committee Friday elected as its chairman Michael
Steele, Maryland's former lieutenant governor and chair of
the state party. Steele, who nudged out a conservative
South Carolinian 91-77 on the sixth round of voting,
is the first African-American to hold the position and
is viewed as a relatively moderate Republican.
Log Cabin
Republicans welcomed the choice as a potential turning point
for the party. "After two straight election defeats, it was
clear that more of the same was not the answer. I'm
excited that members of the Republican National
Committee understood this fact," said Log Cabin
president Patrick Sammon. "Steele is an inclusive
leader who will bring a new energy and a new vision to
the GOP at a critical time."
But some
activists noted that Steele has made indifferent remarks
regarding LGBT issues and promoted his share of homophobic
causes.
Steele opposes
gay marriage, and in January 2005 he joined socially
conservative religious leaders for a rally in Baltimore
calling for a statewide constitutional ban on same-sex
unions. "We are here to affirm that marriage is only
between a man and a woman," he said, according to
The Baltimore Sun. "We need to make
it
clear where Maryland stands." The measure failed,
though state law currently prohibits gay marriage.
Steele has shown
some ambivalence around the Federal Marriage Amendment,
telling the Christian Broadcasting
Network last December that he does not personally
favor the idea but would support it if he was chosen to lead
the GOP.
"As
chairman of the party, it is in the platform. We will
support it, and if members of Congress introduce the
bill, then we will be the advocates for that
legislation," he said. "Personally, I do not like
messing around with the Constitution. I really don't,
and I'm conflicted by it and I really
appreciate the idea of wanting to put something like
that -- same with the pro-life issue, same with gay marriage
-- but I really believe we are a federal
government."
Perhaps not
surprisingly, the National Stonewall Democrats cast a
suspicious eye on Steele's record.
"Although there
were candidates that were not selected for RNC chair
with stronger anti-equality credentials than Michael Steele,
which shows hope for the party, we should carefully
consider his record as the Republican Party moves
forward," Jon Hoadley, executive director of
Stonewall, said in a statement. "The Republican Party has a
troubling history of anti-equality activism.
Unfortunately, Michael Steele has been a part of that
record. Each time that he has promised voters a new tone
in politics he has also taken steps to solidify the
anti-LGBT positions of his own party."
On seizing the
chairmanship, Steele announced "the dawn of a new
party" and made clear that he plans on expanding the base of
the white-male-dominated GOP.
"We have been
misdefined as a party that doesn't care, a party that's
insensitive, a party that is unconcerned about minorities, a
party that is unconcerned about the lives and the
expectations and dreams of average Americans," he
said. "Nothing could be further from the truth."
(Kerry Eleveld, Advocate.com)