Gay Republicans blame conservatives for loss

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A gay Republican lobby group has blamed conservatives for alienating voters and determining their mid-term losses, while the National Stonewall Democrats have described the results as a backlash against failed politics.

The Democrats now dominate the House of Representatives after yesterday’s mid-terms with a record number of gay and lesbian and gay-friendly candidates being elected, mainly from the Democrat Party.

Jo Wyrick, executive director of the National Stonewall Democrats, a gay lobby group, said representatives will now be required to enact “fair minded legislation.”

“We’re proving that qualified, well-prepared candidates matched with committed donors means gays and lesbians can move from having a stake in policy to actually making policy. There’s no reason to sit on the sidelines with our fingers crossed anymore.

“An obligation now weighs on LGBT Democrats to help the Democratic Party deepen its support for our families in its new capacity. It is only Democratic leadership that can deliver the bipartisan efforts required to pass fair-minded legislation in Congress and at the statehouse.

But gay Republican group, the Log Cabin Republican, says the party’s loss of control is nothing to do with Democrat policies but it was because of Republican attitudes.

Executive Vice President Patrick Sammon said: “Social conservatives drove the GOP’s agenda the last several years. Their divisive agenda alienated the mainstream Republicans and independents who determined this election’s outcome. Social conservatives should take responsibility for this loss.”

Republicans have been known to side more with the negative attitudes of the religious right recently on issues of gay marriage, adoption and education, while the recent Foley scandal regarding alleged messages with underage interns embarrassed the party. Mr Sammon said: “Democrats didn’t win because of anything they stood for. They won because of Republican mistakes.

“Our Party’s Congressional leaders drove over the bridge to nowhere and left their principles behind.

“The Republicans lost touch with the issues that matter to mainstream voters. The American people lost confidence in the GOP’s ability to govern because of misplaced priorities and ethical scandals.”

It is still unknown who will dominate the Senate.

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