RNC Leader Racicot Meets with Homosexual Lobby Group
4/9/2003
By Peter LaBarbera
Promises ‘Tolerance,’ No 'Gay-Baiting' Political Ads in HRC Meeting
Republican National Committee Chair Marc Racicot spoke to a gathering of 300 homosexual activists in a meeting organized by the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s leading “gay” pressure group, on March 7 in Washington, D.C.
But an RNC spokesman downplayed the significance of the appearance event in an interview with Culture & Family Report.
According to one “gay” activist who attended the meeting — which the homosexual newspaper The Washington Blade reports was closed to the press — Racicot disavowed “gay-baiting” political ads for GOP candidates endorsed by the RNC. His spokesman Dan Ronayne reportedly told The Blade that Racicot was "honored" to address the HRC activists to express "our party's commitment to tolerance and inclusion."
The former governor of Montana, who gained national attention as the spokesman for George W. Bush during the Florida election crisis in 2000, has a history of pro-homosexual advocacy in his home state. But his appearance at the HRC event set a precedent for the national party. It was the first time the leader of the RNC addressed a homosexual group.
Racicot’s appearance before HRC—which has endorsed scores of mostly Democratic candidates over the years, and which supports homosexual “marriage” and “transgender” rights—is the latest sign that GOP elites are abandoning the party’s “family values” stance opposing homosexual activism. In recent months, some GOP leaders such as New York Gov. George Pataki have stepped up their support for pro-homosexual legislation.
"Some GOP leaders seem intent on cutting off their right arm in order to reach out with their left," said Robert Knight, director of CWA's Culture & Family Institute. "This is foolish and will not go unnoticed by the party's conservative grassroots.
"Mr. Racicot needs to clarify exactly what he means by 'gay-baiting.' Would this mean disavowing Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe's 1994 campaign slogan, 'God, Gays, and Guns,' in which Mr. Inhofe staunchly defended family values?" Knight asked.
The 2000 GOP platform opposes “gay marriage,” homosexuals in the military, and supports the right of the Boy Scouts to reject homosexual scoutmasters.
Racicot’s spokesman, Dan Ronayne, reportedly told The Blade, “Governor Racicot believes the most important obligation we have as a party is to engage with all of our citizens in respectful and insightful dialogue to explain and debate our positions. … The Human Rights Campaign luncheon was a wonderful opportunity to do just that."
Veteran Bladereporter Lou Chibbaro Jr. writes: “Ronayne added that Racicot was ‘honored’ to speak before the HRC event and to address ‘our party's commitment to tolerance and inclusion.’”
RNC Spokesman Downplays Remarks
In an interview with Culture & Family Report, another RNC spokesman, Jim Dyke, downplayed the homosexual-affirming quotations attributed to his boss, Mr. Racicot.
Dyke said Racicot attended the HRC event because he meets with “lots of organizations and individuals to discuss the President’s compassionate conservative agenda, including his commitment to strengthen America’s families.”
When told that many pro-family advocates will find Racicot’s HRC visit troubling because they believe the “gay” lobby group actually is undermining and “redefining the American family,” Dyke said Racicot met with the group mainly to “listen,” and not to make “promises and pledges.”
Asked about Racicot’s reported comment in the Blade disavowing “‘gay-baiting’ ads in Republican election campaigns under [Racicot’s] control,” Dyke said that did not refer to ads in which GOP candidates defended the Boy Scouts’ right to prohibit homosexual scout leaders (which Georgia GOP candidate—and now senator—Saxby Chambliss did, helping him to defeat incumbent Democrat Sen. Max Cleleland).
“Standing up for the Boy Scouts of America is a right of free association and part of President Bush’s compassionate conservative agenda and standing up for American families,” Dyke said.
Not Really ‘Honored’?
Dyke downplayed the remark attributed to Racicot (by HRC spokesman David Smith) that he was “honored” to appear at the HRC luncheon.
“I would say [Racicot] was ‘honored’ in the sense he was honored in his position [as RNC chair] to take the President’s compassionate conservative position to lots of organizations and individuals,” Dyke said.
Although he did not attend the HRC event with Racicot, Dyke said he would not characterize it as a “speech.” He said he did not know how the decision was made to attend the event. HRC endorsed George W. Bush’s opponent, Al Gore, in the 2000 presidential election, and has featured Mr. Gore (and his wife Tipper) at HRC fundraisers.
Dyke also sought to minimize the significance of the comment attributed to Racicot (by his own spokesman, Dan Ronayne) that he was at the HRC luncheon to address “our party’s commitment to tolerance and inclusion."
“Regardless of what Dan said—and I’m not setting out to hang one of my guys out to dry—the reason [Racicot] went to the meeting was to discuss the president’s compassionate conservative agenda.”
Homosexual Praise
Patrick Guerriero, who attended the event as executive director of The Log Cabin Republicans, a homosexual activist group, said of Racicot's HRC appearance:
This is another signal that the new Republican Party under George Bush's leadership is reaching out to all groups of Americans. ... I think his remarks were honest and real and indicate a new willingness of the Republican Party to reach out to folks, including gays.
HRC spokesman David Smith said Racicot's visit to his organization "shows that the Republican Party is changing and becoming more accepting of gays. ... This is an example of how President Bush is moving the party to reflect his vision of the party."
Take Action
To reach the Republican National Committee and RNC Chair Marc Racicot, call or write:
Marc Racicot, RNC, 310 First St. SE, Washington, DC 20003
Phone: 202-863-8500
www.rnc.org
To contact President George Bush, call: 202-456-1414, or visit www.whitehouse.gov
"I think there is a view in the White House that somehow Christian conservatives will stay in the GOP camp no matter what they do on the homosexual issue"
That's called the sin of presumption.
Perhaps not the best choice of spokespersons for items of this nature.
I have no problem with Republicans trying to make clear that they're no enemy of people who merely wish to be lift alone to interact with other, fully-consenting, adults. They must, however, stand firm against any recognition of "gay rights" which go beyond that and beyond those rights enjoyed by anyone else (e.g. gays have every right to be just as protected against battery as anyone else).
If Republicans can take a firm stance there, they stand to win a great many votes not only from homosexuals, but also from "homosexual sympathizers" who currently vote Democratic to protect the "victim class" of gays.
But the items on the Gay agenda-- gay marriage, gays in military, Scouts, are expressly antithetical to 80% of Republicans.
Racicot can't be trying to get lesbian votes, which have got to be 99% Democrat, and forever will be. That leaves gay men, which constitute roughly 2% of the male population. If the GOP were to embrace the gay male population what would it get? Maybe changing 10%, going from 90% to 80% Democrat. To try to get the votes of 0.1% of the population, the GOP must first stick the gay agenda thumb in the eye of 80% of their constituents.
Since that makes no sense, it is more likely that Racicot is trying to make the GOP appear more "inclusive" to the media, in a vain attempt to get them to hate Republicans less. Even more likely, Racicot is probably trying to make Racicot appear more inclusive, so he will get Strange New Respect from the media (e.g. a favorable piece in the "Style" section of the Washington Post). That way, he and the missus will get invited to better parties in Georgetown.
I don't care who Racicot speaks with. I will become concerned when and if the party platform changes.
However, they better not backtrack on abortion.