Proudly Out: Reveling in the Crumbs

Last night I had the honor of presenting three awards at the Capital District Gay and Lesbian Community Council’s annual dinner.

The event is always a fun one but more importantly it always lifts the spirits of all who attend because of the palpable pride in the room. All the awardees from the winner of the Nancy Burton Straight But Not Narrow Award to the recipient of the Harvey Milk Award show us what it means to always go for the gold ring and to not settle for anything less.

For these folks and the millions of LGBT activists like them around the country there’s no such thing as being happy with just the crumbs. We want it all and, honestly, why shouldn’t we?

That’s why the “we’ll take whatever crumbs you’ll leave for us” mentality of the Log Cabin Republicans has always bewildered me. For the uninitiated, Log Cabin Republicans are the oxymoronic assemblage of Gay Republicans throughout our fair country.

Log Cabin Republicans are really Uncle Tom Republicans. Their website says it all -- Log Cabin Republicans promote legislation that provides “basic fairness” for gay and lesbian Americans. Wow, talk about setting the bar as low as you can.

So, it’s no surprise that they endorsed John McCain for President. This is a man who has made it clear that he doesn’t support our issues in any way.

He thinks Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is working, he cast a deciding vote to defeat the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, he routinely votes against hate crimes legislation, he supports state-based initiatives to ban same-sex marriage and he doesn’t support civil unions or equal benefits for our partnerships. He has consistently supported Bush nominees to the Supreme Court and believes that gay adoption is not in the best interest of children.

I’d say the Log Cabin folks would have to be incredibly lithe to play the GOP’s game of Limbo. The bar is set so low with McCain and our rights that you’d have to turn into vapor in order to slither under it. But being flexible is what they’re all about.

So flexible in fact that the small crumbs that the GOP throws out to them are interpreted as a lavish banquet at the Palace.

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Log Cabin found a small space for itself inside the GOP’s big tent at its national convention this year. Steve Schmidt, McCain’s top campaign advisor, stopped by Log Cabin’s convention luncheon where he threw them a few crumbs to munch on.

He told those assembled “Your organization is an important one in the fabric of our party.” As Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers say on Saturday Night Live, “Really!” Which thread would that be? The one you can pull out to show how inclusive the GOP is or the one you pull out and flick away because it’s ruining the line of your garment?

Schmidt went on to do the “I have gay friends” routine when he talked about his lesbian sister, her partner and just how important they are to his wife and kids. He ended with "I admire your group and your organization and I encourage you to keep fighting for what you believe in because the day is going to come."

He’s right. The day is coming but it will be under an Obama presidency and it won’t just be about basic rights but the full spectrum of rights we deserve.

Log Cabin got all a twitter again when the McCain campaign agreed to an interview, of sorts, with the Washington Blade. This was no sit down with Kevin Naff, the Blade’s editor, on one side of the table and McCain on the other. Far from it -- the paper had to submit questions in advance and someone in the campaign -- not McCain -- wrote the answers for the candidate.

When asked about legislation, McCain promised to give “full consideration to any legislation that reaches my desk.” Sorry, that’s not the answer we want to hear. We want our next president to say, as Barack Obama has, that he’ll sign legislation that outlaws discrimination, hate crime and repeals Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. We want our next president to say, as Obama has, that he’ll sign legislation that fully recognizes our families and provides all the federal rights and responsibilities.

McCain went on to say he doesn’t support gay adoption, does support the state propositions to ban same-sex marriage and yet somehow he will be “the President for all Americans.”

I guess just being considered an American is a crumb enough for Log Cabin. I’d rather eat cake.

Miss the last 'Proudly Out"?Read it here.