Log Cabin Democrats

Morat and Steve Gilliard can't understand why the Log Cabin Republicans stay Republicans when the GOP is so blatantly anti-homosexual. I'm not a fan of the "why are you gay people still Republicans"? line.

The main problem is that it portrays gay voters as one-dimensional. Yes, gay rights are clearly very important to someone who would join a group like the Log Cabin Republicans. But I imagine they also care about other things, like cutting taxes and the war in Iraq. I don't see how we have any call to demand that people sell out all but one of their principles. And if they came over to the Democrats, they'd get the same kind of flak -- "why don't you and Zell Miller take your pro-war views and go join the Republicans?"

Second, there's an important role for people working for change from within. If the Log Cabin Republicans ought to give up on the GOP and vote Democratic, why shouldn't all American gays give up on America -- which is still legally and socially a fairly homophobic country -- and move to Canada or the Netherlands? Because gay Americans have an attachment to the non-homophobia elements of America, and thus they'd like to stick around and reform the place. I don't think it's a hopeless cause. As bad as the contemporary GOP is, it (and the Democrats) used to be worse. Each succeeding generation is more gay-friendly than the last. The Log Cabin Republicans are in it for the long haul, to create what Matthew Yglesias has called "two non-insane parties." The two-party system is entrenched enough that the only way gay rights will ever be on a secure footing is for the GOP to be converted (in the same way that they were converted to supporters of Medicare and Social Security).