Posted on 01/03/2012 7:58:36 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Traveling around Iowa to cover today's caucuses, Washington Blade journalist Chris Johnson met up with some often overlooked voters: young gay men willing to confess Republican-leanings. Well, five of them, anyway.
"I come from a farming family, so it’s conservative or Catholic," said a 21-year old, Bryan Pulda. "Our personal views are more reflected in the Republican candidates.”
Ryan Schrader also traced his political leanings to his family, saying, “I come from a very conservative background myself. My family is very conservative Baptists." Like Pulda and so many other Iowa voters, Schrader's faith also influences his political preference. In this case, Ron Paul. "His views are more towards letting the people, which would be all of us, make the decisions to shape our country."
Another gay Paul supporter, 21-year old Dereck Plagmann, pointed to the candidate's calls for strict constitutional originalism, "I think it’s something that we’ve definitely drifted away from."
"We need to get back to it basically," he said. "Other presidents, everybody’s trying to make changes to it. They’ve lost focus on what really made this country, and what made us who we are.”
Mitt Romney is also getting some love in Iowa. CJ Peterson, 21, tells Johnson he's impressed by Romney's emotional evolution since his last campaign in 2008. "If you compare the YouTube videos from ’08 to now, he seems a lot less robotic and choppy and nervous," he explained. "I think he seems a lot more relaxed, and almost presidential, ready to be a leader.”
So, why would openly gay men support candidates like Romney and Paul, neither of whom have stellar records when it comes to equality? Pulda says he supports the GOP, yet no specific candidate yet, because he has worries other than inclusion. "I would find it almost selfish for me to go out and say, ‘I vote for this person simply because they want same-sex marriage,'” he explained. “There are so many more problems in this country affecting more people than just me.”
I guess that's fair enough, but then one has to ask themselves whether the Republicans have all the answers on corporate regulation, global warming or other issues as important for the nation's future. Clearly these men think they do, and many other LGBT people probably do, too. But isn't voting for someone based on their religion just the same?
It is worth noting, however, that none of these men showed support for the most anti-gay candidates, including Rick Santorum, Rick Perry or Michele Bachmann, so clearly there is some LGBT interest afoot.
In other gay election news, Google interviewed Johnson to get his perspective on Iowa, the race as a whole and where the GOP stands on LGBT equality. Check it out, AFTER THE JUMP...
(VIDEO AT LINK)
filth
There is no such thing as “gay conservative”. That only means “infiltration”.
Of course mentally ill sex perverts like Romney and Paul. I’ll ping tomorrow.
Puke.
They are socially liberally, but fiscally conservative. Gays like the liberal social policies, but want the government to keep their hands off their paychecks.
A column about gays voting for Romney and this quote:
“Mitt Romney is also getting some love in Iowa”
Yipe.
Sure, I’ll comment. They are going to vote against Obama ... so what’s your issue with them? They will defy the establishment and vote Republican regardless of how much people tell them they shouldn’t.
Comment? I hope it’s ok.
I am not so sure. Yea, I know its weird, I do know some homosexuals who are actually the most conservative people I know on all issues except on who they have sex with. I have a cousin, that would put most conservatives to shame on their political stances except the sex thing. He has been with his partner for 40 years.(They do not beleive in homosexual adoption or marriage)
Do I think homosexuality is wrong you bectha, I just do not think you can make a blanket statement.
I mean I know people who are heterosexual that are stink’n liberals.
Paulistinians and Mittbots unite!
I see what you mean.....but that would almost be a Libertarian stance, wouldn’t it?
Antiestablishmentarianism.
“They are socially liberally, but fiscally conservative. Gays like the liberal social policies, but want the government to keep their hands off their paychecks.”
I find that only plays out in theory, not practice. Social liberalism in society is ultimately a breeding ground for statism in an attempt to pay for the consequences of the social liberalism.
Well I’m a gay Conservative and my opinion is all the Republicans running for President are a bunch of liberal pussies
Comments?
Simple: conservative, not.
libertarian: yes.
Romney:.what ever gets the vote.
Constitutional: not a single thing in the constittion about it. must be a state, local or individual issue ... Just like abortion, unless her legs span the borders between two states as the fetus is sucked out of ... you get the idea.
Log cabin fags: reform your lives, God is watching
Congratulations.
Careful. The Puritans will run and tell the Mods to get you banned and then the cheerleaders will get to post their collection of lightning pics and stupid cartoons.
I KNEW I wasn’t the only one!
The weird part is that they are excoriated by your run-of-the-mill homo-activist worse than a normal conservative. Almost as bad as an ex-gay.
Was referring to the media source. Getting sick of homo sites getting linked on FR. Clicked on some site called HillBuzz that for some reason is allowed on FR (Pro-hillary clinton homo website on FR???!!!) and I read about how some homo liked enjoyed young men dressed as alter boys. Sick sick sick.
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