1579 Charlotte: MeckPAC has Record Month, p.4
HRC: Carolinas Awards Deadline Nears, p.18
September 10, 2004
Serving the Carolinas Since 1979
Volume 25, Number 19
Inside and
Co
Protest Re
Bigots
not
welcome
• Log Cabin Republicans Fed Up
• Bush Blasts Gay Marriage
• Mary Cheney Disappears
By Rex Wockner
Contributing Writer
NEW YORK — The big gay story of the Republican
National Convention, held here Aug. 30 to Sept. 2,
was the gay Log Cabin Republicans' new get-tough
approach to the Republican Party.
Log Cabin declared that the COP has been
"hijacked" by "the radical right" and repeatedly threat
ened to withhold its endorsement of George W.
Bush’s re-election effort.
The group is upset primarily about Bush's outspo
ken support for amending the U.S. Constitution to
ban same-sex marriage and about the GOP platform's
denunciations of civil unions and domestic-partner
benefits.
For too long we have watched while the radical
right hijacked our party," said Log Cabin Executive
Director Patrick Guerriero. "And for too long we have
been asked to be loyal foot soldiers on election day
and asked to remain silent.... This party platform is so
outrageous and insulting to some of us, that some of
us have to call our own party on it.
"If we don't do it, nobody will. And if we don't do
it now, we'll be back in four years at a convention with
language that's even worse," he said.
Log Cabin's strong language -- and its new TV ad
featuring Ronald Reagan -- drew heavy media cover
age. In the ad, Reagan says, "Whatever else history
may say about me when I'm gone, I hope it will
record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your
worst fears."
CNN refused to air the ad, calling it "too controver
sial." The ad shows photos of preacher Jerry Falwell,
writer-activist Pat Buchanan and U.S. Sen. Rick
Santorum, and implies they "divide the American
family with the politics of intolerance and fear that
only lead to hate." It also shows the Rev. Fred Phelps
holding a "God Hates Fags" sign.
"The Republican Party has to make a choice,"
Guerriero said. "We can be the party of Giuliani,
McCain and Schwarzenegger or we can be the party
of Falwell, Santorum and Buchanan. We can unite on
those things that bring us together or we can contin
ue the politics of intolerance and fear."
Guerriero called it a "fight for the heart and soul of
continued on page 8
A group calling themselves Gays Against Bush protest Missouri delegates leaving a restaurant
and jazz bar in New York City, Tuesday, August 31, 2004. The group was targeting the Missouri
delegation as Missouri recently became the first state to amend their constitution to prohibit
same-sex marriage. (AP Photo/stuart Ramson)