Here’s an example that shows how LGBT Democratic partisan operatives who present themselves as LGBT activists owe their primary allegiance to the party, not to struggle for gay legal equality.
As San Diego’s LGBT Weekly reports, far-right Democratic Kansas state representative Jan Pauls will run against a Republican with a record of support for gay rights in the state legislative race. Democrat Pauls authored the Kansas anti-marriage-equality law and has fought hard to keep its sodomy laws on the books. LGBT activist groups are unlikely to support her, but the Equality Coalition “has not decided whether or not to back [Paul’s opponent Dakota Bass] in the general election.” Bass is a former board member of the Hutchison chapter of the Equality Coalition, and until recently a Democrat himself. He describes himself as “socially liberal” and a “fiscal conservative,” and said he favors same-sex marriage.
The Kansas Democratic Party said it is supporting Pauls, as it does all party nominees.
It’s just a state legislative race, with a truly awful anti-gay Democrat against a truly pro-gay Republican, and the LGBT activist coalition (of which the GOP candidate has been a member!) can’t say whether they’ll unhitch themselves from the Democratic Party and support the Republican. And gay activists wonder why the GOP isn’t showing more progress on gay issues.
10 Comments for “Party First!”
posted by Thom on
So does that mean you’ll be putting gay equality over party allegiance and vote for Obama? Yea, I didn’t think so.
posted by Houndentenor on
oh *snap*!
posted by Watson on
Wouldn’t it be fair to say that gay individuals can certainly make up their minds on a range of issues — taxes, defense, environment, etc. — but gay organizations should focus on gay issues? So a gay Democrat might still this antigay Democrat’s other positions. But an organization set up to advance gay equality surely should oppose her.
posted by JohnInCA on
… LGBT groups endorse Obama before primaries are over? You complain they’re partisan.
An LGBT group holds off on endorsing someone? You complain they’re partisan.
Just how big is the window of opportunity they have to fit in to make you happy?
posted by Tom Scharbach on
“It’s just a state legislative race, with a truly awful anti-gay Democrat against a truly pro-gay Republican, and the activist coalition (of which the GOP candidate has been a member!) can’t say whether they’ll support the Republican. And gay activists wonder why the GOP isn’t showing more progress on gay issues. ”
I took a look at this race, and it is the kind of story that is usually preceded by “I am not making this up …”
Dakota Bass, 20, the Republican candidate in this race, is running unopposed in the Republican primary. Bass was, until March 13 when he resigned, the Co-Chair of the Kansas Progressive Caucus of the Kansas Democratic Party.
Bass said his candidacy as a Republican was primarily a political strategy to get a spot in the general election, since no other Republican has entered the race. He now self-describes, incidentally, as a “moderate Republican”.
Meanwhile, Jan Pauls, the Democratic incumbent (and apparently every bit as horrible as Stephen says, if not worse) is being challenged in the Democratic primary by Erich Bishop, a 28-year-old Democrat who served with Dakota Bass on the board of the Kansas Equality Coalition’s chapter in Hutchison, Kansas, until recently.
At this point, the Kansas Equality Coalition has endorsed Bishop over Pauls in the Democratic primary. It has not endorsed Bass, who is running unopposed, in the Republican primary. I suppose that it could, but I don’t understand what would be achieved by a primary endorsement for a candidate running unopposed.
Whatever the merits of that decision, appears that ousting Pauls is a priority for the statewide Kansas Equality Coalition.
Tom Witt, the statewide executive director, said “We want Jan Pauls gone. She is the most anti-LGBT legislator in Kansas. Every year she is on a crusade against equality and to roll back equality laws we already have. She needs to go.”
Despite the appearances (and the obvious implications of the fact that two young former board members of the Hutchinson chapter of the Kansas Equality Coalition are running against Pauls, effectively taking two bites at the apple, one in the Democratic primary and the other in the general election), the Kansas Equality Coalition denied that it put either of them up to running.
It appears that if Bishop fails in the Democratic primary, the Kansas Equality Coalition will back Bass in the general.
Jon Powell of the Kansas Equality Coalition’s Hutchinson chapter said this: “Obviously, we’re supporting Mr. Bishop. Our whole point was to have a challenger for her. If Erich doesn’t beat Jan in the primary, maybe Dakota can do something in the general.”
The Democratic primary on August 7 was effectively a tie. The AP reported on Monday: “And in Reno County, Rep. Jan Pauls, a conservative Hutchinson Democrat targeted for defeat by gay rights advocates, finished seven votes ahead of her challenger. Candidates had until 5 p.m. Friday to ask for recounts.”
We won’t know who the Democratic candidate is until Friday, at the earliest, and more likely until after a recount is completed, which will take some time.
I could see Stephen’s point if Bishop was facing Pauls in the general — and I would agree with him in that case — but not in this truth-is-stranger-that-fiction situation.
It seems to me that Stephen is ahead of his facts.
Bass isn’t yet running against anyone. If Pauls is officially declared the winner in the Democratic primary, and if the Kansas Equality Commission then fails to endorse Bass in the general election, Stephen will have a legitimate complaint.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
An correction and an update:
Correction: The Kansas City Star reports that Jan Pauls has won the primary, after a recount: “A recount of votes done by hand Monday confirmed that a conservative Democrat targeted for defeat by gay rights advocates narrowly won a primary election for a Kansas House seat. Rep. Jan Pauls, of Hutchinson, picked up one vote against challenger Erich Bishop, also of Hutchinson, in the recount done by the Reno County clerk’s office. The final tally was 428-420 in Pauls’ favor. The initial margin was seven votes.”
Update: The article also reports that the Kansas Equality Coalition is actively considering endorsing Dakota Bass: ““We are still hopeful that this will be her final term in the Legislature,” said Tom Witt, the Kansas Equality Coalition’s executive director, though he added that the group is still examining Bass’ stance on issues.”
So let’s stay tuned before we get our drawers in a knot.
posted by Doug on
Follow your own advice, Stephen, tell us that you will not vote for Romney/Ryan. Show us that you believe in the fight for gay rights over your party affiliation.
posted by Don on
When I first read Stephen’s post, I felt a lift. Finally, one that isn’t so obviously skewed and overly apologetic for republican misdeeds while vicious at the tiniest of missteps by democrats. If the comments are accurate in their factual clarifications, this would be a form of journalistic malpractice akin to Fox and Friends. The right has wonderful arguments much of the time. Why must you heap mounds of misinformation and omit exculpatory evidence just to skewer gay democrats? This isn’t the way to win over converts who might be in the middle.
I want to hear good, sound reporting and thoughtful editorials about breaking the partisanship of gays and lesbians. This ain’t it. You’re better than this, Stephen.
You could convince a lot more people like me. But so far I’m looking at promises of a 1% cut in my taxes and criminalizing my relationship in one party versus saving me thousands annually by recognizing my marriage and, well recognizing i’m not a deviant, child-molesting criminal but a married man in the other party.
I keep thinking things will get worse with republicans before they get better. It seems the same may be true of this blog.
posted by another steve on
The usual commenters above, being loyal Democrats and progressives, are making the same excuses for their party and the same snide, dismissive remarks about the blogger we’ve come to expect.
The Kansas LGBT activists clearly are tying themselves in knots to avoid admitting the obvious — that the Democratic incumbent is beyond the pale and her Republican opponent, albeit inexperienced, is pro-gay and of course preferable. Is that so hard to admit?
You’d think that the fact the GOP candidate was recently a Democrat would be in his favor when it comes to these “progressives,” but apparently not.
posted by Jorge on
When I first read Stephen’s post, I felt a lift. Finally, one that isn’t so obviously skewed and overly apologetic for republican misdeeds while vicious at the tiniest of missteps by democrats.
Perhaps, but in return I got a lift out of Tom’s post. One out of two isn’t bad.