My grandmother was a very wise woman. She often used phrases to make a point that were not only poignant but easily understood. I was reminded of one of my grandmother’s sayings when I was attacked by my columnist Nicole Murray Ramirez in his online opinion piece last week; when you throw a rock at a pack of dogs, the one you hit yelps.
Murray Ramirez yelped really loudly. The strange thing is the message I wrote in the last issue about charlatans in our community never mentioned his name. Yet Murray Ramirez complained that I was attacking “pro-equality Republicans.” He could not be more wrong.
I attempt to educate our community with facts, not simple conjecture. When you read something I have written it is well researched and thought through. It is not driven by anything other than advancing LGBT equality. When our community does not hold Republicans to account for their national party platform, which wants to deny our community marriage equality, we have no one to blame but ourselves.
I want to hear a San Diego Republican candidate say “I believe in LGB and T equality nationwide.” Period.
I celebrate that Mayor Faulconer is the new co-chair of Mayors for Marriage Equality. Bravo. I wonder why no one within Faulconer’s organization sent out a press release to LGBT Weekly or to me as chair of the Citizens’ Equal Opportunity Commission? Grandmother always said “actions speak louder than words.”
Many in our community think that when a California Republican says “I support marriage equality” he or she is saying throughout the nation. That is simply a fallacy. Marriage equality is the law in California, saying you support it is like saying “I support the right of minorities to vote.” That’s been the law for 50 years. Does the candidate support the new voter suppression laws promulgated by the right in states across the nation? Many candidates become mimes. Same situation with respect to nationwide LGBT equality.
Why? Money. The money will stop streaming in to Republican candidates from those who hate the concept of LGBT equality, particularly from many in San Diego County and national conservative political action groups. You know those run by Karl Rove, the Koch brothers and others.
My grandmother knew best; she often said “give someone enough rope, and he’ll hang himself.” Murray Ramirez is my friend; I hope he heeds my grandmother’s sage advice. The vast majority of the LGBT community agrees with my political point of view but I let every voice be heard. Even Nicole’s, so far.
STAMPP CORBIN
PUBLISHER
San Diego LGBT Weekly
After Nicole’s column, LGBT Weekly publisher Stampp Corbin stated that the Republican party platform called for a Constitutional Amendment restricting legal marriage to marriage between a man and a woman.
Such an amendment would, of course, make equality between gays and straights impossible.
A very serious charge by Mr. Corbin.
But it’ not true.
I checked.
The 2012 Republican platform (which you can see online) said that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.
But there was no mention of any Constitutional amendment.
The 2016 platform hasn’t been written yet.
So much for “educating our community with facts, not simple conjecture.”
So much for everything Mr. Corbin has written being “well researched and thought through.”
So where does that leave us?
It leaves us with a Republican party platform that agrees with Democrat Obama’s position on gay marriage in 2008 — that marriage should only be between a man and a woman!
Why are Republicans condemned, but not Obama?
I call that hypocrisy and a double standard.
It might surprise Mr. Corbin to know that Republicans have many disagreements within their own party — from libertarians to the religious right — just as Democrats do.
No Republican should have to answer for everything other Republicans have said or done.
Mr. Corbin’s petulant demand that Republicans like Kevin Faulconer or Carl DeMaio condemn other Republicans is just silly.
Why didn’t Toni Atkins or Todd Gloria condemn fellow Democrat Obama for his position on gay marriage?
And spare me the “voter suppression” nonsense. You can hardly do anything in this country without a drivers license or some other form of state-issued photo ID.
Is Mr. Corbin seriously claiming that requiring a state issued photo ID in order to vote is really “voter suppression”?
It sounds like the Democrats are afraid that all of the voter fraud that they claim “doesn’t exist” will come to an end if the Republicans get their way!
The only reason why anyone would object to voter ID is that they want to cheat.
Lying, misrepresenting, cheating.
Is this what we really want?
We need a newspaper that honestly represents the interests of the LGBT community. Not one that just mindlessly and uncritically shills for the Democrats and the extreme left.