A Wall Of Separation Between LGB and T

The Log Cabin Republicans will no longer advocate for transgender issues.

Shortly after Obergefell was decided, it became clear that transgender rights was simply the next stop on the train. But the pairing of LGB and T never made sense to me. Gays and lesbians urged society to accept them as they are. Transgender people compelled society to accept they as they are not. More pressingly, transgender rights advocates focused nearly all of their efforts on children: bathrooms in school; teachers telling students to lie to their parents about secret transitions; medical procedures for minors; biologically male athletes in sports; and so on. For generation, gay men were targeted for grooming young children. Growing up in New York City in the 1990s, I heard nonstop jokes about gay priests and Boy Scout troop leaders abusing kids. Yet the T in LGBT focused on the kids.

The issues for gays and lesbians always seemed quite different. I wondered whether gay rights groups were quietly concerned about this merger of LGB and T, but didn't speak up for fear of being labeled transphobic. I think the other shoe has finally dropped.

The Log Cabin Republicans will no longer advocate on transgender issues. Ross Hemminger, the President of LCR, published an essay in Townhall discussing the issues.

In 2015, the Log Cabin Republicans Board of Directors voted to add the "T" under the umbrella of our mission — out of a belief that all adults should be allowed to pursue their own happiness, free of government interference, as long as it did not impede on the inalienable rights of others.

At the time, we did not believe that we would find ourselves where we are today. The transgender movement has ceased focusing on adults at all — nearly all of their efforts and those of their aligned special interest groups focus on minors. They push schools to teach radical gender ideology; they want biological men in women's sports regardless of the consequences; perhaps most offensively, they support gender reassignment treatments for minors, often without the knowledge or consent of the parents, knowing full well these treatments are mostly irreversible.

And Hemminger recognizes how support for gay marriage is declining because of transgender ideology.

Gay men and women are losing public support across the country, and support for gay marriage and other once-widely accepted rights is eroding. Why? Because many voters today weren't alive or cognizant of the politics of gay marriage winding its way through the courts and gaining ground in public opinion. Their view of the gay community is based on today's radical transgender activists with their unnecessary and discomfiting focus on America's youth.

That is why, after significant discussion with our membership, our Board of Directors voted to refine Log Cabin Republicans' national advocacy focus to concentrate specifically on issues of sexual orientation and conservative values — in other words, we are an LGB advocacy organization, as our founders envisioned and as our moral center calls us to be.

The New York Times quotes Danny Sullivan, who previously served as the President of the Houston Chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans:

Danny Stevens, a former president of the Log Cabin Republicans chapter in Houston, said he thought the national group had made a smart move by abandoning trans rights issues, which it embraced in 2015.

The issue was a nonstarter for many Texas Republicans.

"At some point, I just kept thinking, why are we spending all this time convincing Republicans that we're not crazy while associating ourselves with a movement pushing things most of them are never going to accept?" Mr. Stevens wrote in a text message on Tuesday.

He wishes the national Log Cabin group had abandoned trans issues sooner, he said. "I actually think it was necessary," he said, if the group "wants to keep making progress within the Republican Party." 

I spoke at Danny's chapter in Houston last year about Obergefell. I explained that regardless of what one thinks about same-sex marriage, Justice Kennedy's decision was legally indefensible, and a shaky foundation on which to build the institution. The audience was respectful, even if they disagreed. During Q&A, there were a number of questions about transgender rights, and it was clear to me which way the members were trending.

Danny actually stepped down from leadership, largely due to LCR's stance on the transgender issue. I asked Danny if I could publish his letter, and he gladly shared it. I think Danny makes some important points here that are worth considering:

First, I want to say that I love LCR and want the best for our chapter and the entire org. I'm also writing this as Danny. My opinions may/may not represent the singular voice of our Houston board.

I'm growing more concerned and frustrated that the trans issue is not only harming us, but it's undoing much of the work we've accomplished as a chapter and as an organization.

I plan to write a more formal letter, but I needed to get my initial thoughts off my chest now.

My belief is that we need to take a leadership position on this issue, one we have not yet taken. Yes, we have echoed the mainstream Republican positions on men in women's sports and gender transitioning for minors. But this isn't far enough.

Gender dysphoria has been and still is a clinically diagnosed mental illness. From where the illness roots and determination on appropriate treatment is above my paygrade. However, affirming this condition as an equal to sexual orientation is no longer something I'm willing to do.

What someone chooses to do with their own bodies is up to each person. But our willingness as a society to affirm their decision as healthy or normal is not up to the trans movement.

We have many allies in the local Republican Party who have personally and publicly expressed concerns to me about the effects the trans movement has on the greater LGB population. I don't disagree with them.

Furthermore, all of the hardwork, energy and resources our chapter has invested in making gains towards being recognized by the Republican Party of Texas is completely undone by a stream of headline news stories about trans individuals and despicable crimes they are committing at seemingly disproportionate rates relative to their population. Note that I realize there are good and decent trans people. But this doesn't prohibit us from stating what broader issues we are facing as an organization or as a society.

Every time I utter the acronym LGBT, I shutter knowing I'm turning off many in the audience that would otherwise support us. The very usage of this term immediately paints a picture in peoples' minds that is not valid or fair to gay men like all of us in this email.

To me, this is more of an economic argument than anything else. How many gay and lesbian prospective or current members are we losing because of our unwillingness to state what many of us are thinking? Are we really willing to lose 20 gay men to attract 1 trans member?What ratio is acceptable to LCR National?

Let's look at chapter-level contributions in time, labor and money. For our chapter, 99% of this comes from gay men, not our two trans members. In fact, one of our trans members is disenchanted with the Republican Party due to Pres. Trump's policies on trans individuals, primarily ones in the military. I suspect they will no longer be a member if they haven't already stopped membership payments.

Charlie Kirk's assassination was a real turning point for me. It's clear that we have a lot of healing to do as a nation. And we have a lot of soul searching to do as an organization. This starts with being honest with ourselves and with each other.

I'm not willing to continue pouring my heart into a cause that is continually undermined. Really, why bother?

I'm starting to ask myself if my time, energy and passion is better spent outside of LCR. I would bet others are probably asking themselves the same question.

This is a defining issue for the future of LCR. I fear it could really be our undoing unless we face this challenge head on.

Sincerely,
Danny Stevens

As I wrote in April in City Journal, the tide has turned. At some point, even progressive gay rights groups may decide to reconsider the merger of LGB and T.