The GOP's Growing Civil War Over Gay Marriage

Former and active-duty Navy sailors gather before the Gay Pride Parade on July 16, 2011, in San Diego

Few things symbolize the struggle for the soul - a virtual civil war, if you will - of the Republican Party in terms of accepting modernity and reforming itself to recognize a changing society and demographics than the the issue of gay marriage.  Yesterday's filing of a brief arguing that there is a federal constitutional right to gay marriage by roughly 80 prominent Republicans and conservatives will likely mark a new line in the sand between the competing forces within the GOP and can be expected to cause the religious extremists who were foolishly allowed to infiltrate and take over the party grassroots (which is certainly what happened in Virginia) go utterly berserk.  Nothing threatens the house of cards belief system of these people more that the prospect that the Bible doesn't condemn homosexuality and that being gay is a normal aspect of humanity for some of us.  (In truth, they should be more worried that Adam and Eve did not exist as historical figures since it undercuts the entire salvation story line).  A piece in the National Journal looks at the struggle.  Here are excerpts:

As Republicans rebound from the 2012 election and plot their future, an uncomfortable debate over gay rights is taking place.

Some party leaders are promoting a more inclusive approach to help the GOP modernize its image and reach across the generational divide. Polls show a narrow majority of Americans--and an overwhelming number of young people--think same-sex couples should have the right to marry. “The marketplace of ideas will render us irrelevant, and soon, if we are not honest about our time and place in history,” wrote former Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman last week in declaring his support for gay marriage.

The marriage debate is expected to reach fever pitch next month when the Supreme Court hears opening arguments in challenges to the federal Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Proposition 8 outlawing gay marriage. The massive publicity surrounding these court cases will make it difficult for Republican politicians who want to keep their distance from the debate while offering others a chance to proclaim the party's support for traditional marriage.

Gay marriage opponents warn of consequences if Republicans retreat from championing traditional marriage.  “I don’t think that’s a constructive attitude to take because Republican officials cannot win without social conservatives,” said Peter Sprigg, a senior fellow for policy studies at the Family Research Council. “They are the core base of the Republican Party and the most active volunteers, and it would make no sense to turn their backs on them.” 

Opponents of gay marriage are planning a “March for Marriage” in Washington, D.C., on March 26. The speaker’s lineup has not yet been released. “The fight for marriage is absolutely not over. It’s going strong,” said Thomas Peters, a spokesman for the National Organization for Marriage. “The idea that there’s a consensus on overthrowing marriage is absurd.”

Still, the momentum appears to be on the side of gay right supporters, who won four ballot initiatives in 2012 and are eying marriage equality laws in Illinois, Rhode Island, Delaware and Hawaii. Efforts to repeal gay marriage bans are underway in Oregon, New Jersey and Ohio. Barack Obama became the first president to invoke gay rights in an inaugural speech last month.

Still, gay Republicans feel excluded from most conservative corners, including the high-profile CPAC conference last month that will showcase likely presidential contenders and other rising stars in the party.   .  .  .  .  “If people are concerned about the future of the conservative movement, they know we need to broaden our appeal,” said the group’s executive director Jimmy LaSalvia. “They need to deal with the political reality of this issue, and beating the drum against gay marriage is a political loser.”

LaSalvia's mistake is that he talks as if the Christofascists were logical and reasonable.  They are not and I do not see them leaving the alternate universe bubble to embrace objective reality much less gay marriage.  Instead, I suspect we will see growing hysteria and attacks on Republicans who try to move the GOP into the 21st century.