Pondering the Homocons

There are quite a few gay conservatives - homocons appears to be the new mot de jour for them - but there has been some debate about why they would actively support the Republican Party when Republicans are usually so hostile to gays and gay rights. Being conservative and gay isn’t a contradiction, but perhaps being Republican and gay is.

Richard Goldstein writes:

I know that some gay conservatives are anguishing over Bush’s bias. The Log Cabin Republicans have been notably critical (though they haven’t actually rejected the GOP ticket). Other homocons have gone all the way by declaring that they can’t support Bush. It takes courage to break ranks like that. But how could these tormented souls ever have thought that a president who walks with religious extremists would do the right thing? Dude, where’s your gaydar?

In a second Bush term you can expect the White House to coddle preachers who take up the sword against our civil rights. And if the Republicans maintain control of Congress, that pesky amendment will probably come up for a vote. Every zealot needs a demon, and right now, I’m afraid it’s us. That’s why it’s not enough for homocons to cry their hearts out over a false friend’s betrayal. You’re entitled to do that in your personal life but not in politics. When Bush comes to shove, you have to make a choice. It often comes down to distinguishing between disappointment and outrage, but when the presidency is at stake, that can mean the difference between life and death. If you condemn one side without endorsing the other, you’re not making a decision—you’re saving face. What you aren’t saving is your ass.

BuzzFlash writes about Matt Drudge, apparently an outed gay man who delights in encouraging homophobia while shilling for far-right conservatives:

[H]ow does Drudge, who has been outed by a variety of people -- including David Brock -- since we first wrote our June, 2000, editorials justify his anti-gay innuendo? Last week, he headlined a series of photos -- along with an extended commentary -- that insidiously tries to imply that Kerry and Edwards aren't "real men" because of photos Drudge highlights showing them patting each other on the back and so forth.

It’s certainly fair to wonder why a gay person would actively work to help the reelection of politicians who can be counted on not simply to ignore their concerns, but are likely to work against gay rights. At the very least one would think that conservative gays would refuse to vote for anyone or vote for some third party candidate, assuming that Democrats’ policies are far too liberal to stomach. At the very least, though, Democrats can be counted on not to make the legal situation for gays worse.

Read More:

• Gay Rights, Gay Marriage
• 2004 Elections
• Election Polls
• George W. Bush
• John Kerry