Texas GOP Welcomes Gay Group – Because They Aren't 'Advocating' For Gay Rights
The rabidly anti-gay Republican Party of Texas is fine with "homosexuals" having a booth at its state convention this year — as long as they keep quiet about being denied their civil rights.
For the first time in its history, the Texas GOP voted to allow a booth sponsored by an LGBT group — Metroplex Republicans of Dallas — at the convention in May. But the party also denied a booth request from another LGBT group, Log Cabin Republicans, which has unsuccessfully sought to be formally included in the convention for 20 years.
A Texas GOP official who serves on the committee that considers booth applications said Metroplex Republicans was approved because the group doesn't openly advocate for LGBT rights, despite the fact that it was founded by gay former Log Cabin members.
"I don’t find that anywhere in their literature or their website,” State Republican Executive Committee member Jean McIver told me for a story in The Texas Observer. “I’ve gone to Metroplex meetings in the past a couple of times. I didn’t find that they were advocating for anything contrary to the principles of the party.”
Jeff Davis, president of Log Cabin Republicans of Texas, said he feels the party is splitting hairs and trying to have it both ways by allowing the Metroplex Republicans booth but denying his group's application. Two years ago, both groups were denied.
“I think the party wants to be able to point to Metroplex and say, ‘See, we let gays in,'" Davis said. "It seems like to get a booth, you can believe anything you want. You just can’t say it.”
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