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I am a member of the LGBT Community and I have been reading many of the most important publications and web sites in this community here on the East Coast. Last month I was in Miami and Fort Lauderdale (Wilton Manors) and was observing community events and listening to political discourse amongst LGBT people. I attended an important reception that was given to honor the founder of Fort Lauderdale's Stonewall National Museum & Archives.
Last week I spent the week in New York City and visited that City's LGBT Community Center on 13th Street in the West Village, among other gay gathering places.
This weekend was Gay Pride Weekend here in Philly, and the number of marchers in the parade down Market Street and revelers at the LGBT Pride festival at the riverfront Penn's Landing has broken all records. It made the front page of the daily Metro newspaper.
It seems to me that the majority of gay people, as a minority in the US like African-Americans, Asians, Jews, etc., have always leaned towards the Democratic Party in presidential elections. No surprise. However it appears that this year there is no attempt by the Republicans to even show up or to make some kind of token attempt to court the gay vote. In the Philly Gay Pride weekend events nearly everyone was wearing Obama 2012 pins and stickers. I understand the biggest (perhaps only?) organization of gay Republicans - The Log Cabin Republican Club - is going to even withhold an endorsement of Romney for pandering to the extreme right wing elements in his party which forced the removal of the only openly gay member of his team, and taking a hard-line view against Marriage Equality.
What do you think?
I think number 1-Romney did not force the removal of of the only openly gay member of his team: yes, the guy resigned but what makes you think anyone forced him to do so and what makes you think, Romney was lieing when he said he asked the guy to stay on the team? You don't know nor do I?
2-I happen to know a lot of gay and lesbian people, including our foster daughter, her partner and some of their friends, many of my X cliants and my X boss and none of them even bother with things like Gay Pride weekend or Gay Pride marches, they do not think it is necessary to bring attention to themselves and happen to feel it is flaunting the sexual orientation. From this, I it appears to me, Gay Pride marches do not represent the attitudes of all gays.
3-We all know the majority of gays and lesbians will vote Democrat, so what is new about that?
4-Endorsiing a candidate does not particularly help or hurt. Now, if you can honestly say, you are hearing the Log Cabin Republicans are not voting for Romney that is a little different.
I will add just one more thing, to me, choosing who you vote for, based on one issue is a little narrow minded, but we live in a free country and everyone has a right to vote the way they want. I choose to base my decision on several issues.
Well, the gay individuals should vote as they like. And if they go whole hog for Mr. O, more power to them.
I wonder how powerful this voting block will be, however. It seems at this point that black and hispanics, gays, jews, younger college educated whites, and probably many women are leaning strongly towards Obama.
Older white high school or less educated guys , Mormons, Wall Street brokers, and maybe evangelicals are the main voting block for Romney. I don't really know the calculus, but I am guessing that some of those white, high school educated guys will be energized to vote the antigay candidate.
So, I think the gay vote might just be a kicker, but it could go either way.
You do realize that Romney will win the vote of people who hold a Bachelor's degree and Obama will win the vote of High School drop outs and people who at most hold a High School degree. You make it seem like Obama has some monopoly on educated voters.
You do realize that Romney will win the vote of people who hold a Bachelor's degree and Obama will win the vote of High School drop outs and people who at most hold a High School degree. You make it seem like Obama has some monopoly on educated voters.
P.S. Yes, Obama will win the PhD vote.
This.
Actually, Romney may win the people who hold only a high school diploma, as well as the people who have "some college" (I assume this would also include voters with associate's degrees) These groups are slightly more Republican than the average voters. But, those with Bachelor's degrees favor Republicans over Democrats more than any other group. Those with postgraduate education favor Democrats, as do high school dropouts.
I think number 1-Romney did not force the removal of of the only openly gay member of his team: yes, the guy resigned but what makes you think anyone forced him to do so and what makes you think, Romney was lieing when he said he asked the guy to stay on the team? You don't know nor do I?
2-I happen to know a lot of gay and lesbian people, including our foster daughter, her partner and some of their friends, many of my X cliants and my X boss and none of them even bother with things like Gay Pride weekend or Gay Pride marches, they do not think it is necessary to bring attention to themselves and happen to feel it is flaunting the sexual orientation. From this, I it appears to me, Gay Pride marches do not represent the attitudes of all gays.
3-We all know the majority of gays and lesbians will vote Democrat, so what is new about that?
4-Endorsiing a candidate does not particularly help or hurt. Now, if you can honestly say, you are hearing the Log Cabin Republicans are not voting for Romney that is a little different.
I will add just one more thing, to me, choosing who you vote for, based on one issue is a little narrow minded, but we live in a free country and everyone has a right to vote the way they want. I choose to base my decision on several issues.
Nita
I so agree with all that you have stated. I also have gay friends many of them for over 20 years now. Love them, they are just my friends as my straight friends are.
They do not do the Gay Pride Parades, or anything of that nature. As they say to me, we know who we are, don't need a parade to define us.
I have gay friends who have neve supported Obama, nor like him, these ones will not change their minds. As they said to me, the most importat thing gay or straight, black or white, is the economy and jobs. Getting housing back on the right track too.
I have some gay friends who love Obama's decision. on gay stance, and will support him.
I think no matter who we vote for, it is ingorant in part, to vote for someone based solely on one issue only, that just gets us into trouble.
I'm sure the LGBT community will vote for Obama en masse.
BFD. It's estimated there are some 4 million homosexuals living in the United States, and most are probably living in big city areas that are part of blue states anyway. Vote away.
How many people voted for Obama because he was going to close Gitmo or pass the dream act? That didn't work out quite as planned. Now we have troops in Iraq til 2014, to boot.
In light of the Syria/Russia issues you have to wonder what his disscussion with Russia is that he got caught in.
One issue voters will normally get hurt because the candidate pushing single issues know they are tough issues and not likely to pass.
I think this study is way too conservative, and Gary Gates himself says it is imprecise. He was estimating the number of people openly and publicly declare themselves to be homosexual and does not include bisexuals, transgendered people and the other groups that make up this community. By his own admission, Gates says that 8.2 % of all Americans have engaged in homosexual relations.
In our lifetimes we will never how many LGBT people there are, because so many are still in the "closet."
Civil rights are important to a minority group whether they are just 1 % or 15 % of the nation's population.
More to the point: there are heterosexual friends, neighbors, and family members who support the LGBT community and are sometimes members and active in LGBT organizations or community events. One example is PFFLAG group (Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) that has thousands of members.
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