Why Can't Republicans See the Error of Their Ways on Gay Rights?

Republicans argue that they aren’t waging a policy war on women, and though state and regional legislative votes and proposed Congressional legislation speak otherwise, there is no question the party is waging a hateful and vicious war on gays.

Despite an obvious shift in voter opinions on gay marriage, Republicans continue to add to their already extreme anti-gay positions, doubling-down wherever they can, however they can.

The latest example is Texas, where the Republican draft platform openly endorses and encourages “gay conversion therapy,” a controversial, medically rejected therapy that they say can cause “significant physical and psychological harm.” Two states, California and New Jersey have banned the practice on minors.

In Pew Research polling in 2001, Americans opposed same-sex marriage by a 57% to 35% margin.

Since then, support for same-sex marriage has steadily grown. Today, a majority of Americans (54%) support same-sex marriage, compared with 39% who oppose it. Some 68 percent of those born after 1980 support gay marriage, up from 44 percent in 2004.

Among people who are religiously unaffiliated, a solid majority have supported same-sex marriage since 2001.

Among Catholics and white mainline Protestants, roughly six-in-ten now express support for same-sex marriage. Support for same-sex marriage also has grown among black Protestants (to 44 percent from 19 percent in 2004). Support among white evangelical Protestants remains lower than among other groups (up from 11 percent in 2004 to 23 percent now). (Pew)

Various detailed polls and studies on same-sex marriage that were conducted in several countries show that support for same-sex marriage generally increases with higher levels of education, and that younger people are more likely to support legalization than older generations. (Wiki) Something reflected in the Pew polling.

The trend is clear and irrefutable, but Republicans are stuck in their anti-gay rut. I’m not sure why they can’t step away from it. I suppose it’s an issue that fires up the local and regional base, but with state after state having anti-gay marriage bans overturned, what’s the upside for the GOP?

Texas (They do have good barbeque anyway . . . and a bunch of other good stuff, thank goodness . . .) is living in a political Stone Age. The GOP platform also contains sections endorsing the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as being between one man and one woman. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a major portion of that law last year, paving the way for judges around the country to declare marriage equality legal. There are now 19 states plus the District of Columbia where same-sex marriage is allowed.

So why is the Texas GOP fighting these battles?