It’s not a party and shouldn’t be. It’s a coalition of citizens pushing for a return to constitutional government. Taxes are just one issue of many.
Absolutely, taxes are only a part of it. But they are a very significant part of it, given the Boston Tea Party served as the inspiration for the name.
Are gays in the military a good idea? I don’t think so. But I also don’t think that the Constitution addresses that issue. If the debate over gays in the military is separate from the discussions of taxes and constitutional government, then I don’t think the discussion belongs under the tea party label. Maybe I am wrong about whether this is addressed in the constitution. If so, I am open to correction.
The majority of self described tea partiers probably share similar views on a wide array of subjects. But that doesn’t make all those subjects tea party issues.