Well the GOP has opened its first bag of Skittles for the 2016 election and it includes San Diegan Jacquie Atkinson. A bag of Skittles, you ask. Yes, a Skittle is a member of the LGBT community who puts their personal interest before that of the community as a whole. A Skittle is someone who is rainbow on the outside, self serving on the inside; basically the LGBT equivalent of an Uncle Tom, a person complicit in the oppression of their own group.
First up, Republican Jacquie Atkinson is deciding “in the next few weeks” whether she plans to run for Congressman Scott Peters’ seat in 2016. She says she is waiting to hear the “opinions of leaders in my community.” OK, here is the opinion of one leader, don’t run. San Diegans have shown they understand and reject those LGBT people that belong to a party that has many members who openly disdain “homosexuals.” Jacquie, unless you can guarantee that the anti-LGBT language in the Republican platform is removed by 2016, don’t waste your time and money. Ask your good friend Carl DeMaio; I told him the same thing but he didn’t listen. I think you know how that turned out. Even with the language removed, you don’t stand a chance. We don’t need another LGBT loser.
Next is super Skittle Ken Mehlman. Former RNC chair and 2004 George W. Bush campaign manager, Mehlman has been introducing Bush to pro-LGBT Republicans who are willing to open their wallets to support his more moderate view of the “homosexuals.” As you know, Mehlman helped put 12 anti-marriage referendums on the ballot in 2004 with the help of his good friend Karl Rove. His penance is to get more Republicans to support marriage equality. Nothing Mehlman can do will ever let many in our community forgive him for his previous transgressions. So those in the LGBT media who keep praising the great work Mehlman is doing on marriage equality, please stop. The community does not want to see or hear from Mehlman.
Then there is uber Skittle, Log Cabin Republican (LCR) Executive Director Greg Angelo. Angelo claimed that the Log Cabin Republicans were not allowed to sponsor the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) taking place this week in Maryland. After a lot of back and forth, CPAC put Angelo on a panel. Angelo said “There has been a great deal of confusion over the last 48 hours regarding the Log Cabin Republicans role in CPAC 2015. After some very fruitful conversations with the leadership of The American Conservative Union, we would like to express regret if anyone associated with The American Conservative Union felt unfairly maligned. That was never our intention.”
The Log Cabin Republicans are a bag of Skittles on their own. Why apologize to an organization that refuses to accept LCR money for fear of offending people who do not agree with the “homosexual agenda”? The answer is simple; Angelo so wants to be one of them he and LCR will do anything to be accepted, the quintessential definition of an Uncle Tom; in our community a Skittle. It is disgusting and embarrassing.
I have already written about openly gay Tim Miller who is going to be Jeb Bush’s presidential campaign communications director. Miller will be packaging Jeb’s anti-LGBT positions to be palatable for the general electorate. Add the newly minted New Hampshire GOP Finance Chair Dan Innis and you have a double bag of the rainbow treats. Innis is the same-sex married man who is also running for Congress. His colleagues in the leadership of the New Hampshire GOP oppose same-sex marriage, oppose adoption by LGBT people and even believe in a constitutional amendment to prevent same-sex marriage. I guess they don’t talk politics over drinks, or worse, they do and Innis says nothing.
So, there you have it. The gauntlet has been thrown down. Are you going to follow these self-hating and self-serving Republicans? I certainly don’t have a taste for the rainbow.
STAMPP CORBIN
PUBLISHER
San Diego LGBT Weekly
LGBTweekly.com
Dear Editor,
While you are picking through your bag of “skittles” would you be so kind to spell Ms. Atkinson’s first name correctly,Jacque or Jacquelyn. If your going to call and relate a combat veteran and caring woman a piece of candy,get her name right .#Bullyfail
It baffles the mind that a female, gay, republican even exists.
My husband Dan Innis ran for Congress in 2014. Your facts do not seem well checked here. If the LGBT is never going to be part of the GOP, how do you expect it to evolve? These brave folks are breaking the mold and are in fact part of the diversity the GOP is gaining. My hunch is you fear the GOP will evolve and the Dems are left with little to use for scare tactics and hateful remarks like you suggest above. The skittles you mention here are doing far more for the cause than your poorly researched article.