What an apt metaphor. The Republican Party has finally reached its pubescence with respect to LGBT rights. Donald Trump actually uttered LGBTQ, quite awkwardly, during his acceptance speech for the nomination of his party. Coupled with billionaire Peter Thiel declaring he was a gay, proud Republican and an American; the Republicans have come into the 1990’s with respect to LGBT acknowledgement. The problem is their party platform is a hate-filled manifesto with respect to the LGBT community.
Yow will now hear LGBT Republicans expel how far Trump’s speech moved LGBT rights in the Republican Party; that is completely false on its face. What Trump said was “As your President, I will do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology, believe me.” Here’s the news, LGBT people are not afraid of the violence and oppression from hateful foreign ideology, they are afraid of hateful domestic ideology which is personified by his running mate Mike Pence and the conservative wing of the Republican Party. I’ll take the hateful foreign ideology any day over the domestic discrimination and cruelty many in the LGBT community experience every day in America.
Trump chose his words well. He could have said protect LGBT citizens from hateful domestic and foreign ideology, but he didn’t. Why? The simple truth is Trump could not utter that phrase for fear of alienating his base, working class evangelical white men and women who still would like the faggots to go away. Trump’s LGBTQ statement got cheers in the convention hall, after all there are floor whips who guarantee that certain lines get applause. Don’t be fooled. The Republican Party platform is supportive of conversion therapy, the overturning of marriage equality, as well as questionable about LGBT adoption rights. That is where LGBT voters should focus, not on some platitude that Trump uttered about our community. Yet, I worry there are those among us who will use that one line to justify supporting Trump. That would be a tragic mistake.
The Republican Party balls have dropped and they have entered LGBT puberty. The problem is they need an adult in the room.
