Jonathan Hoffman: Log Cabin Republicans a model for politics

It seems as if our political contests have become more like warfare than debates these days. The increase in identity politics has lead to some political parties becoming more like tribes defined by ethnicity, race or sexual orientation, rather than parties defined by philosophy or principles. As such, there is no place for cooperation or compromise, just a question of who will prevail.

The other day I was wondering if there was some group that, by example, demonstrates that it need not be that way. I then heard someone mention the Log Cabin Republicans, and I thought, “Yeah, those guys.”

Who are the LCR people?

Let us begin with a little history. In the late 1970’s, gay Americans were becoming more accepted in the broader culture. This prompted a backlash. States began banning gay people from teaching in public schools. The California version of this was a ballot initiative championed by a state legislator named John Briggs. The “Briggs Initiative,” as it was called, had overwhelming support and looked like a done deal.

Gay Republican conservatives in California approached former popular governor Ronald Reagan, and though he was organizing his presidential nomination campaign at the time, he repeatedly spoke out publicly against the Briggs Initiative. According to the LCR website, “Long-time Democratic gay activist David Mixner met with Reagan in 1978 to personally lobby him on the Briggs initiative, recalling, ‘Never have I been treated more graciously by a human being. He turned opinion around and saved that election for us,’ Mixner said. ‘We would have been in deep trouble. He just thought it was wrong and came out against it.’”

With this victory, the gay Republicans of California started a group of LGBT Republicans within the party, the Log Cabin Republicans. Their website states, “Log Cabin Republicans is the nation’s original and largest organization representing LGBT conservatives and straight allies who support fairness, freedom, and equality for all Americans. Log Cabin Republicans has state and local chapters nationwide, full-time staff in Washington, D.C., a federal political action committee, and state political action committees.”

I spoke with my friend Bill Beard, a gay Republican who served as chairman of the Pima County Republican Party and is active in LCR. I asked him about endorsements. He told me that the local chapter endorsed all three Republicans for Tucson City Council, and made no formal endorsement for mayor.

Both the Tucson chapter and the national board endorsed President Trump for reelection. I asked, “Why Trump?” Beard noted, “He was the first presidential candidate who actually endorsed marriage equality.” He added, “Donald Trump has done more to put money in your pocket than any president has done in many, many years.” Note that one reason represents a broad Republican economic perspective and one represents an LGBT-specific issue.

I asked Beard if he was ever maligned by other party members. He answered with an anecdote, “When I was elected as chairman to the Pima County Republican Party, it was done by acclamation. I had no opposition. Every person who was responsible for electing the chairman that year voted for me regardless of which part of the party they were from.”

The point of all this is that our country is based on a set of ideas, not a race or ethnicity as one would imagine a tribe. The Log Cabin Republicans share the political ideas and philosophy of the Republican Party that guide policies that affect all Americans.

That does not mean that they have abandoned issues specific to the LGBT community. On the contrary, they engage in discussion with those in the party with whom they disagree. It’s the American way of doing things.

That’s why I thought, “Yeah, those guys.”