White House Aides Confer With 200 Gay Republicans

NY Times ^ | May 10, 2003 | SHERYL GAY STOLBERG

[Pharmboy]

WASHINGTON, May 9 — At a time of intense debate over the relationship between gays and Republicans, 200 members of the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay group, met today with senior White House officials. The name of Senator Rick Santorum, the Pennsylvania Republican whose impolitic remarks about gays prompted the current debate, did not come up.

Instead, participants said, the session was devoted to education, judicial nominees and AIDS.

"They were substantive and really terrific policy discussions," Patrick Guerriero, the group's executive director, said, adding that no discussion of Mr. Santorum was necessary. "The core of the Republican Party, from the White House to Congress, understands that we're an important part of the American family."

The afternoon briefing, which took place at the Old Executive Office Building, across the street from the White House, was part of the Log Cabin Republicans' annual convention, a three-day event that this year includes talks on gays in the military, a tour of the Capitol and a reception for members of Congress.

At the reception tonight, the attendees included Representative Jim Kolbe of Arizona, the only openly gay Republican member of the House.

Conflict between gays and Republicans is hardly new. But Mr. Santorum inflamed long-simmering tensions when, in an interview with The Associated Press, he likened homosexuality to incest and bigamy. The Log Cabin Republicans have been on the defensive ever since.

Today, Mr. Guerriero said the group was trying to get past the flap, and described the senator's remarks as "a terrible disappointment."

In a speech to the group this morning, Rich Galen, a Republican strategist, drew a contrast between Senator Trent Lott, who lost his job as majority leader over remarks he made about segregation, and Mr. Santorum, who remains third in line in the Republican Senate leadership.

"In America in 2003, you can't say bad things about African-Americans, but you can still say bad things about gays," Mr. Galen said, adding, "That's where we are."

That must change, several members of the Log Cabin Republicans said. Yet many said it already was changing. A number of those in attendance dismissed the Santorum controversy, saying the Pennsylvania senator does not represent the Republican Party they know.

"I think the Santorum thing was way overblown," said William Thibault, 59, of Donaldsonville, La. "Certainly, the Democratic side will always exploit a situation like this when a Republican missteps."

Sheri Clemons, a social worker from Brooklyn, agreed. "What Rick Santorum said was stupid," Ms. Clemons said. "It's not really representative of what the Republican Party is moving toward. I think we are the future of the Republican Party, people like us."

Among the White House officials briefing the Log Cabin Republicans today was Dr. Joe O'Neill, the administration's AIDS czar, who is openly gay. Bobby Bottoms, a Log Cabin Republican from San Diego, said he was struck by photographs in Dr. O'Neill's office, taken during the White House Christmas party, of Dr. O'Neill and his partner with the president and Laura Bush.

Mr. Bottoms said Dr. O'Neill told the group that the White House was "the most wonderful working environment that he had ever worked in."

"He spoke from the heart and you could tell in his tone, and in his words," Mr. Bottoms said, "he was very passionate that there was absolutely no issue with him and his sexuality."

[Pharmboy]

His name isn't really Bobby Bottoms, is it?

[Archangelsk]

Personally, I don't know how the flippy-floppies can stand being Republicans, but I guess there's enough room under the tent.

[RAT Patrol]

"In America in 2003, you can't say bad things about African-Americans, but you can still say bad things about gays,"

That's because skin color isn't a behavior. Further, what's this "bad things" business? The behavior is immoral. The "bad thing" isn't what's being said, it's what's being done.

[rhombus]

Simple little meetings like this can go a long way to difuse the Democratic hate machine.

[Kevin Curry]

His name isn't really Bobby Bottoms, is it?

Doomed from birth.

[byteback]

Well isn't this just

[Jeff Chandler]

Isn't that special?

[Pharmboy]

You are too funny! I am LOLing in my backyard right now...

[jla]

His name isn't really Bobby Bottoms, is it?

What? Ya think Sheryl Gay Stolberg would make that up??

"The core of the Republican Party, from the White House to Congress, understands that we're an important part of the American family."

That's news to me.

[joesnuffy]

When God confered with Abraham over the destruction of Sodom...
It wasnt a lack of Republicans that God was angry about....

[Texas Eagle]

Why are they Repubicans in the first place? What do they hope to achieve through the Republican Party that they can't achieve through the RATS?

Same thing with the Republicans for Choice. What are some of the things they think they can only achieve as members of the Republican Party?

You don't think they're really just RAT infiltrators do ya? You know, kinda like the Mayor of New York?

[dark_lord]

I suspect that your typical gay male "Log Cabin" Republican is in favor of the same things as many Freepers -- you know, right to bear arms, a strong military, conservative fiscal policies, etc. Its just that they are strongly attracted to other men's anuses.

[Texas Eagle]

Then how come they never say "we're pro-2nd amendment", "we're for cutting taxes", "we're for this and we're for that"?

[dark_lord]

Good point. I just googled them and went to their site. Except for being against the "death tax" they seem focused only on their little gay issue, so they don't seem particularly Republican.

[Texas Eagle]

Something tells me they like being googled.

It amuses me (for lack of a better word) that they concern themselves with death taxes and not the behavior in which they engage that leads to an early grave.

[meenie]

We straights in the Republican party have to be happy over this, this is 200 more votes. The loss of family values and principle have nothing to do with it. The realization that we are hell-bent on copying the Dumcrats and becoming more like them in every way should not affect us. We are even learning to lie with a straight face. So much for the old conservative values of honesty, truthfulness, and morality. Just win the next election is the order of the day.

[Dale 1]

I’m sorry, but I cannot accept the gay movement as being anything related to a conservative ideology. It’s a human perversion. If the PC crowd succeeds making the gays acceptable, then next they will be telling us that bestiality is ok because it’s between a consenting adult and a fully grown ewe.

[dark_lord]

Nonsense. If the gay males "get into" sheep, clearly they will prefer rams to ewes. And on that note, EEEWWWWWW!

[risk]

Then how come they never say "we're pro-2nd amendment",...

I suspect the Pink Pistols have a large number of Republican members:

[upcountryhorseman]

I feel sorry for the poor souls. Extensive psycho-therapy
might help. Most conservatives probably consider their
behavior immoral.

[Texas Eagle]

Not to mention self-destructive. But then, so is smoking. And nobody goes around saying, "Hey! No smokey smokey!"

Or do-o-o-o-o they?

[BenR2]

His name isn't really Bobby Bottoms, is it?


///////////////////

Yes, and his nickname is "Buggers."

Hence: Bobby "Buggers" Bottoms is his full name. (LOL.)

[BenR2]

I'm hurt that White House aids have not yet conferred with my personal favorite anti-social groups: necrophiles and pickpockets.

Until they do, all this talk about a "Republican Big-Tent" is just so much noise.

[Munson]

The majority of the members of the group could care less about focusing about more issues aside from 'homosexual issues', but if they want crediblity they need to broaden their horizons with the second amendment or working to get more judges appointed to the judiciary.

[Kevin Curry]

I'm hurt that White House aids have not yet conferred with my personal favorite anti-social groups: necrophiles and pickpockets.

Don't forget the beastophiles and even the pedophiles (using the math of libertarian platform, all one has to do is define the age of consent down to--say-11 or 12 to bring the pedos into the Big Tent).

But we certainly wouldn't want to be thought of as "hysterical" by the perverts and their "ain't nobody's bizness if'n they do" supporters.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

I read confer to mean.. that "the WH aides agreed with 200 gay republicans". Do you think the writer was trying to slant the title? Nah!