From Politico:
Billionaire industrialist David Koch, who is helping steer millions of dollars to elect Mitt Romney and congressional Republicans, on Thursday told POLITICO he disagrees with the GOP’s stance on gay marriage and believes the U.S. needs to consider raising taxes to balance the budget.
“Marriage equality” is the more accurate term, but whatever he calls it, it’s significant that he talks about his position on the “issue” now. It’s yet another indication that even though the “religious right” will continue fighting LGBT equality, they are slowly but consistently becoming a smaller and smaller minority.
Koch was a delegate at the Republican National Convention.
The 1980 vice presidential nominee for the socially liberal — but fiscally conservative — Libertarian Party, Koch told POLITICO ‘I believe in gay marriage’ when asked about the GOP’s stance on gay rights.
He and his brother are supporting the GOP with big dollar amounts. Via Metro Weekly:
It was reported in May that the Koch brothers plan to give nearly $400 million by November to conservative groups set on defeating President Barack Obama in November and electing Republicans to Congress. David Koch alone is worth an estimated $25 billion.
Nevertheless, Koch indicated a clear break with at least a few of the positions of the GOP. From Metro Weekly:
Although Mitt Romney and much of the Republican Party support a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and the Defense of Marriage Act, which forbids federal recognition of same-sex marriages, Koch thinks otherwise, telling Politico, ‘Well, I disagree with that.’
Koch told Politico that “he considers himself a Republican first, despite his differing ideological views,” which includes more than just “gay marriage” differences. He told Politico that
… U.S. military should withdraw from the Middle East and said the government should consider defense spending cuts, as well as possible tax increases to get its fiscal house in order — a stance anathema to many in the Republican Party.
At America Blog Gay, commenting on Koch’s pro “gay marriage” statement, Aravosis writes
Though a good friend thinks gay marriage is the popular beard that Republicans are using to try to seem less hateful. It gives them cover with their liberal friends in NYC, so they can still keep going to all the society parties.
Still, this one merits a good ‘huh.’
If money talks, and it does, I wonder what message the Republicans are hearing from David Koch? Of course, as long as he keeps the money coming in spite of his differences with party line policy, I guess they really don’t have much motive to listen to anything but the sound of funding successes.
(Graphic via Wipe Out Homophobia FB)
I’m not sure what to think about this. Obviously like a lot of my Republican friends who say they’re not “anti-gay” but yet vote GOP, the GOP stances on these and other issues are not a priority to them and the most important thing is getting their goodies and well, sorry, gay people. I might be for gay marriage but my tax cut is way more important.
I had the same sort of reaction, Ga. Or as Aravosis put it, “huh.”
Yes. It is the same with abortion. Better to get that tax cut than let a woman have the right to choose what happens with her own body.
Questions of priorities I guess. Poor answers, if that’s the case.
I believe in Gay marriage but I fund the gibbering UBERChristian psychos who have taken over the republican party and made it into the repugnantklan/teabagger mob.
Makes sense to me! About as much sense as anything else that comes from the right anyway.
Open Quote:
I’m not sure what to think about this. Obviously like a lot of my Republican friends who say they’re not “anti-gay” but yet vote GOP, the GOP stances on these and other issues are not a priority to them and the most important thing is getting their goodies and well, sorry, gay people. I might be for gay marriage but my tax cut is way more important.Ga6thDem
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I agree with this. It also seems to me that sometime in the near future when the younger generation, who are mostly in favor of gay marriage, control the GOP, there will be no distinguishing differences between both parties on this. But, abortion and women’s right to their own bodily autonomy will still be something we will still be fighting against GOP. This is why every woman regardless of sexuality has to continue to be vigilant in this regard.
I also think for the most part, the over riding focus of most Republican’s is money. I’ve seen this in my own life with friends, acquaintences and family members. You can even see it here on this blog from conservative commenters who consistently talk about money in a way that I rarely hear from liberals. And, many conservatives even speak about money as a distinguishing feature of someone relating that to their “outstanding character” as a human being. It goes a long way to explain why so many (not all, nothing is absolute, but most) blame someone who is poor or working class for their lot in life and look down upon them for being “lazy and of lessor character”.
We all need money to survive and when you don’t have it, it does become a priority but outside of it’s necessity in our lives to survive, people who are not greedy don’t treat money as something to be revered and worshipped and don’t annoint people who have a lot of it into heros or saints because they’re not.
I don’t know how many people here know of Fran Lebowitz. Here is a bit about her from wiki:
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Lebowitz is known for her sardonic social commentary on American life as filtered through her New York sensibilities. Some reviewers have called her a modern-day Dorothy Parker
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She’s also homosexual (who doesn’t like the words gay and/or lesbian) so I’ll respect her wishes.
I love her take on life and especially her own view on being gay/lesbian and what astounds her about the current priorities of the gay movement: being in the military and gay marriage.
And, she’s not alone in thinking this way either and it’s refreshing to listen to her speak about it. Although we have a ways to go, it’s not a coincidence that we have been successful in many of our wins in recent years regarding service in the military and with the right to marry because they are basically traditional “institutions” that are meant to control behavior. I’m for both, and I was married last year in NY. However, I also sympathize with Fran Lebowitz’ humorous but biting take on these things. I think she makes a great point. And, contrary to what some might think about gays and lesbians, we don’t all share the same priorities when it comes to our civil rights and I champion those differences.
http://tinyurl.com/brnxvch
I love reading and listening to Lebowitz. I’m all for marriage equality, and for anyone who wants to serve in the military to be able to do so, openly, honestly, and with all the rights.
But I’ve wondered, too, about the primary focus on these two issues. ENDA, as many have noted, would help provide equal rights for many more people than the repeal of DADT or DOMA. I don’t think it’s a matter of either / or, but full equality is the goal. But of course, often times it’s necessary to take a step at a time approach. And often times some particular “issue” will grab so much attention and energy that advocacy organizations “go with the flow.” We do keep building toward that full equality goal.
Finally, I laughed outloud, in agreement, at “contrary to what some might think about gays and lesbians, we don’t all share the same priorities when it comes to our civil rights and I champion those differences.” LGBTs are as likely to all think alike, about most anything, as are heterosexuals
Joyce, don’t go dancing with the devil just because he smiles and says hello.