Would embracing gays cost conservatives votes?

[Martinus]

I sometimes read editorials on a Polish leftist website, and someone there called gays the "fifth column of the right" recently. The argument was that gays are, as a group, prone to pro-market, pro-low-tax, anti-welfare stances and the moment they get what they want (full recognition of gay marriage) they will abandon the left like the last year's trendy clubbing joint.

There is something to it, as gays are usually single or DINKs, which means they have more disposable income than the average people, and are selfish and immature, which makes them prone to anti-social stances, like libertarianism. Plus while gays champion many leftist causes, such as pro-choice, I have a feeling that a lot of them is more the case of "I champion your cause so you champion mine" than any actual zeal (especially, as abortion is an issue that affects preciously low number of gays and lesbians).

So my question is - why does the right (with some exceptions) not embrace the gays and thus wins them as voters from the left? Would the right lose votes of the religious because of it (will they have anywhere else to go?) or is this because many rightwinger politicians are less cynical than we think and actually really hate gays?

[Grey Fox]

They have somewhere to go & it's not voting. There's no other group that can offer a solution to losing the religious vote.

[Valmy]

Once the gay issue stops being a wedge issue of course.  I mean why would a religious voter be anti-gay if no gay issues are part of the political game anymore?

I am sure some right wing pols really hate gays but ultimately it is about winning and, in the US anyway, raising funds.

[Eddie Teach]

Religious voters will stay home. They had a significantly lower turnout compared with the general population before Reagan started courting them.

[derspiess]

IIRC, embracing gays has cost some GOP politicians their career

At any rate, I'm somewhat skeptical that gays will abandon the Democrats in large numbers anytime soon.  The Dems tend to do a pretty good job of holding on to core constituencies, sometimes with little or no effort.

I hope the GOP continues to put a lot of the social issues to the side and I hope that encourages gay voters to vote GOP.  But "gay neutral" is about where I'd draw the line.  I would not support adding "pro gay" positions into the party platform.  I'm all for the big tent, but I don't want a lavender one.

[Valmy]

Religious voters will stay home. They had a significantly lower turnout compared with the general population before Reagan started courting them.

They can still be courted there will just be another wedge issue they will use to mobilize them.

[Eddie Teach]

Religious voters will stay home. They had a significantly lower turnout compared with the general population before Reagan started courting them.

They can still be courted there will just be another wedge issue they will use to mobilize them.

Sure, but I think Marty's question was dealing with right now. They're not ready to concede on this one yet.

[Valmy]

Sure, but I think Marty's question was dealing with right now. They're not ready to concede on this one yet.

Ah I thought he was talking about a future period after Gays had won their political struggles...that they would abandon the Left and hop on the Tea Party train.

[Martinus]

Sure, but I think Marty's question was dealing with right now. They're not ready to concede on this one yet.

Ah I thought he was talking about a future period after Gays had won their political struggles...that they would abandon the Left and hop on the Tea Party train.

No, no, I mean if the GOP changed their position overnight, would it help or hurt them politically, in terms of votes.

[Martinus]

IIRC, embracing gays has cost some GOP politicians their career

At any rate, I'm somewhat skeptical that gays will abandon the Democrats in large numbers anytime soon.  The Dems tend to do a pretty good job of holding on to core constituencies, sometimes with little or no effort.

I hope the GOP continues to put a lot of the social issues to the side and I hope that encourages gay voters to vote GOP.  But "gay neutral" is about where I'd draw the line.  I would not support adding "pro gay" positions into the party platform.  I'm all for the big tent, but I don't want a lavender one.

Once it stops being an issue, being "pro-gay" would be as ridiculous as being "pro-women voting rights" or "pro-black civil rights" i.e. a non-issue.

[HVC]

Sure, but I think Marty's question was dealing with right now. They're not ready to concede on this one yet.

Ah I thought he was talking about a future period after Gays had won their political struggles...that they would abandon the Left and hop on the Tea Party train.

No, no, I mean if the GOP changed their position overnight, would it help or hurt them politically, in terms of votes.

Sink them for a good generation.

[Valmy]

No, no, I mean if the GOP changed their position overnight, would it help or hurt them politically, in terms of votes.

On a national level?  Oh yeah.  On a statewide level they already do where it is politically acceptable to do so.

[Gups]

It's a non-issue in the UK. Happened really quickly too. In 1990 it was an issue (tho' not a big one), by the last election all parties were in favour of civil partnerships. I have no idea whether gays vote for one party more than another now.

[Martinus]

It's a non-issue in the UK. Happened really quickly too. In 1990 it was an issue (tho' not a big one), by the last election all parties were in favour of civil partnerships. I have no idea whether gays vote for one party more than another now.

At least in gay media, there is still a general trend that tories are "fake" when it comes to gay rights. If I were to guess, I'd say most gays vote lib dem.

[Gups]

I doubt it. Lib Dems only get 10-20% of the general public, why would they get any more than than amongst gays when they have identical policies.

You think that gay people are as obsessed as you are with being gay. Most aren't. They are interested in taxes, pensions, jobs etc and vote accordingly.

This is from a couple of years back

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8131792.stm

"But new research by Jake, a networking organisation for gay professionals, suggests a worrying trend for Labour, with 38% of Jake members who took part saying they would vote Conservative at the next election, 1% higher than the general population, according to an average of recent opinion polls.

Labour came third on 20% behind the Liberal Democrats - even though 86.6% of those surveyed said Labour was the party that had achieved most for gay people and just 4% said the Tories were "gay friendly", compared with 44% for Labour and the Lib Dems"

Not a very good opinion poll but better than nothing.