News :: GLBT
Log Cabin Republicans make presence known in N.H. by Scott Kearnan
Arts EditorTuesday Jan 8, 2008MILFORD, N.H. -- As Spokesperson for the Washington DC-based Log Cabin Republicans, Scott Tucker is used to shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with high-profile members of his political party. As part of the nation’s largest organization for gay and lesbian Republicans, he’s not unfamiliar with the meet-and-greet smiles, baby-kissing and photo-mugging that accompany the social facet of the political process. But he received a particularly memorable reaction on Sunday, after traveling to New Hampshire for the First in the Nation Presidential Brunch.
Upon meeting Kerry Healy, former Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts under the Romney administration, Tucker’s reception was a bit more brusque than most. "I went up to her and shook her hand," says Tucker. "I said, ’Hi, we’re with the Log Cabin Republicans. Remember us?’"
He chuckles, recalling her reaction. "She said, ’I sure do!’ and just kept on walking."
Her quick exit was no surprise. The Log Cabin Republicans have already aired one radio ad in New Hampshire criticizing Mitt Romney’s presidential candidacy, and Healy’s former boss is the subject of regular scrutiny by the Log Cabin for his "Mitt-Flops" on major political issues (including, of course, gay rights).
Healy may have been quick to end her "conversation" with Tucker, but it only served to validate the Log Cabin’s presence at the Brunch. "That’s the reason we go to things like this," says Tucker of the morning reception, hosted by the New Hampshire Republican State Committee. "It’s important for people to know we’re there, and that we’re not shying away from conversation at these types of events."
"Shy" certainly would not categorize the Log Cabin attendance at the Presidential Brunch. Though the Republican Party’s use of civil marriage rights for same-sex couples as a wedge issue during the 2004 presidential campaign and its push for Federal Marriage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution places LGBT rights at odds with the party, Log Cabin was a highly visible sponsor -- and a visible presence -- at the event. Several large, Log Cabin banners proclaimed the organization’s participation at the Hampshire Hills facility where the brunch. Two tables of Log Cabin attendees (15 members, in total) provided vital dialogue. Attendees wore stickers proclaiming the organization’s "Liberty for All" slogan, and informative literature and an advertisement in the event program detailed the group’s mission to build a more inclusive Republican party: One that believes in "fairness and freedom for gay and lesbian Americans."
The event drew two candidates: Congressman Ron Paul and Congressman Duncan Hunter. Other candidates sent representatives on their behalf: U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina attended for U.S. Sen. John McCain; former Mass. Gov. Paul Cellucci was there for Rudy Giuliani; and Healy appeared on Romney’s behalf. Two candidates, former Ark. Gov. Mike Huckabee and former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson, did not attend and did not send delegates.
Despite some candidates’ attempts to use gay rights as an issue during the campaign (most notably Romney and his opposition to civil marriage rights and Giuliani’s distancing himself from his pro-gay rights past), speakers made no mention of LGBT topics from the podium. There weren’t even any roundabout references to "family values."
Tucker attributed that to the progress New Hampshire has made on LGBT issues, most notably passage last year of a civil unions bill for same-sex couples that took effect Jan. 1. "There are a lot of mainstream Republicans there [New Hampshire]," says Tucker. "The funny thing about New Hampshire is that they don’t focus too much on social issues that can be a much greater focus in other states."
Log Cabin President Patrick Sammon agrees. "My understanding is that New Hampshire voters and Republicans are more unified on core Republican issues, so, not surprisingly, social issues aren’t a large part of the discussion," says Sammon.
"I went up to her and shook her hand. I said, ’Hi, we’re with the Log Cabin Republicans. Remember us?’ She said, ’I sure do!’ and just kept on walking." Indeed. Not one of the speakers mentioned the advent of legalized civil unions in the Granite State. "I quite honestly expected one of the candidates to make hay out of that," says Sammon. To his surprise, the landmark went unnoted. "I think it [the lack of comment] is a function of how much of a non-story civil unions have been," Sammon explains. "By that, I mean that there hasn’t been any sort of public backlash or public outcry. So I quite honestly think the silence on that issue was a good sign."
Besides which, Sammon adds, there’s much more to talk about, like "immigration, the war in Iraq, and the economy are the big issues defining this primary." And that’s what the candidates and their surrogates focused on.
Paul addressed the issue of immigration, cracking wise about a recent Arizona poll that downplayed residents’ concerns about immigration: "Twenty percent say immigration is a serious problem," said Paul. "Eighty percent say ’no esa problemo serioso!’"
Speaking for McCain, Graham defended the current war policy in Iraq. His emphatic defense was commended by Sammon, who noted that his "aggressive policy in the war on terror was certainly well received."
And economics played a vital role in Healy’s speech for Romney. Her words portrayed him as an "agent of change" whose business savvy imbues the right fiscal responsibility to govern. Healy also served as character witness, attesting to Romney’s family-man status and his desire to visit his own New Hampshire home "any time he could get away from Massachusetts [when he was Governor]."
Amidst the continued dialogue, Log Cabin is not yet prepared to officially endorse a Republican candidate for the 2008 election. "Republicans can disagree!" says Richard L. Babson of Boston, countering the popular perception of GOP groupthink. Babson, who has been involved with the organization’s Massachusetts chapter for 13 years, outlined where his personal opinions diverged from Republican Party positions.
"Personally, I am an advocate for marriage equality. Personally, I am pro-choice. Personally, I have some issues with the Bush doctrine, or the lack of what I would call the Bush doctrine," he says. "I [also] had issues about going into Iraq and trying to find weapons of mass destruction, in terms of how that was instigated, the propagandization, and how it was executed. For me, that raised a great deal of concern for the current administration."
But he adds that those who hold the key to the election will be those who don’t favor one party over another. "The big question is: Where do the Independents go?" asks Babson. "Are they going to pick up a Republican or a Democratic ballot?"
The answer remains to be seen. Given where all of the Democratic presidential candidates are on LGBT issues (all favor civil unions, except for two - Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel - who favor full civil marriage rights), the Democratic Party is unquestioningly the more welcoming of the two major political parties for LGBT voters. But Log Cabin won’t give up on the GOP.
"Part of the importance of these events for us is [simply] showing up," says Tucker, who also helped run the Log Cabin booth, disseminate information, and conduct television interviews to raise the organization’s profile. "We had a lot of great conversations," he says. "I think we were received really well, and a lot of people were telling us they that they were really glad we were there."
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