Spartan Daily - Serving San Jose State University since 1934

Issue date: 2/14/08 Section: Opinion

Michael Rizzo

Abraham Lincoln, at his best: "I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States are, and henceforward shall be, free."

John McCain, at his best: "On the issue of the gay marriage, I believe if people want to have private ceremonies - that's fine. I do not believe that gay marriage should be legal."

A yesteryear emancipation proclamation. A modern-day separate but equal.



Hug 'em, then log 'em

Gay Republican. It should be an oxymoron. But it's not.

Mark Patrosso, 52, told me he's always been on the more "moderate, centrist wing of the party."

In 1990, he founded the Silicon Valley chapter of the "nation's leading voice for fairness, inclusion and tolerance in the GOP" - the Log Cabin Republicans. It's a gay political activist club.

"We come in dressed just like them," he said. "We have real jobs. We're real professionals. So they can't just say, 'You're a bunch of weird people.' Plus, we write checks."

Think of Log Cabin as a grassroots operation meant to peck away at the gays-are-freaks illusion planted in the imaginations of too many Republican conservatives.

It's just going to take lots of hacking (at lots of tree trunks) before anybody has enough lumber to build a cabin.



The squirrel hole

One of the (I'd say many) problems with the GOP is what Patrosso called the "Bible Nazis." They've moved in on the party, and now it's a home for their bushy-tailed, self-righteous, my-way-or-no-way iron fist.

Not even 30 pieces of silver from Log Cabin could trump the religious right's God card.

"If people think Jesus hates you or God hates you," he said, "then they're not going to be with you. But we're going to fight back. We don't agree with those people. We think they're nuts."

And that's why Patrosso would never vote for Mike Huckabee (Thank God).



The banana tree

In a May 1995 letter to the president of Log Cabin, Bob Dole's presidential campaign finance director wrote:

"I am attaching a list of upcoming 'Dole for President' fundraising events. Sen. Dole and I would appreciate any assistance you could give us in turning out your members at each event."

Log Cabin wrote a check for $1000.

Three months later, Dole decided he didn't want it anymore and gave it back.

He called the whole thing a "financial screw-up" and explained that the campaign director's communication with Log Cabin was never authorized in the first place.

"I don't agree with their agenda," he said out loud.

I wonder what he said under his breath.

But, why were we trying to buy our liberation, anyway?



Grinding the ax

Patrosso told me how it all works: To redeem the Republicans, a positive rapport must be established with as many of the party's affiliates as possible.

It's the oldest trick in the book: Tell them you're queer; show them you're normal. Once you relate to someone who's gay, you can't hate them anymore.

"I think they're getting it," he said.

In the local Republican Party, which he called "pretty damn conservative," he told me he feels totally comfortable.

He contends that Log Cabin would be able to rally enough support among California Republicans to overturn any anti-gay state legislation that may arise.

"We write checks," he reminded me.

Patrosso's been logging away at the Republicans for almost two decades now, still believing he'll eventually have enough timber to build his cabin.

"I can imagine a day that most states and counties have nondiscrimination policies," he said. "I can imagine that, in a not too distant future, marriage will be available as well as nondiscrimination in the military. I'm looking to that future and I'm fighting to that end."



Uprooting the entrenched

The gay community is lucky that the black civil rights movement paved the way. Some bigots can be much more responsible about their prejudices these days.

But in the last few decades, the battle for gay rights has finally entered the political arena. It's time to pick sides.

The Democratic Party is certainly more gay-friendly, but it's still a disappointment. Neither Clinton nor Obama support gay marriage. And everyone thank the former's life partner for the Defense of Marriage Act and Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

I used to think being a gay Republican was worse than being a Republican. Now I'm just happy we have loggers on both sides.

"This Queer Life" appears in print the first and third Thursday of every month and online every Thursday. Michael Rizzo is the Spartan Daily project manager.