Self

It's Election Time: What It Really Means To 'Vote Gay'

elections

Yes. All LGBT individuals are right-wing, liberals, out to emasculate the political fabric of society. NOT! 

Contrary to popular assumptions, not all LGBT individuals are democratic, liberalist with a gay agenda. No more than all Christians are right-wing conservatives. 

As shocking as it may seem, there are conservative, republican, gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals, and transgenders. Given the youth of today, there's probably even some conservative polyamours, asexual, queers across the party lines too...all willing to reach across the aisle when it makes sense.

To buy into a belief that sexual orientaiton determines political party affiliation, would be akin to buy into a belief that all person's with white skin are racist! There's a couple of funny little things called core values and power of choice that determine which party an LGBT individual affiliates with when it comes to the politics. Funny, no much different than the rest of ya heterosexuals, is it? 

For exacmple, how many of you knew there's a powerful gay group called the Log Cabin Republicans. They're the nation’s largest Republican organization dedicated to representing gay and lesbian conservatives and allies. GASP, and please don't fall off you chair in disbelief. Through groups like the Log Cabin Republicans, the hope is to foster inclusion and diversity in politics where those initiatives may fall flat based on asssumptions that party lines are party lines. In reality, more inclusion is about seeing, hearing, and welcoming people from all walks of life, even if they don't 100% agree with everything in the political Gucci bag!

Dating back to the 1950s, the Mattachine Society stood on a solid platform that gays and lesbians didn't have to exercise radical politics to invoke change. Instead, their core philosophy was built upon winning acceptance rather than invoking radical change of mainstream values - no RuPaul makeover required!

In an era when pundits and mudslinging seems to be resume requirements to belong to any political affiliation, is it any wonder, that once again, society demands an answer to the impending question, "Which party do you belong to?" Yet, how different is that question from "Are you gay or straight?" There both questions to simply make someone feel better about including you or not including you in their lives.

When all is said and done, once again, politics and coming out of the closet aside, "Why can't we just let people be people, and their politics, sex lives, favorite flavor of ice cream, and preffered sexual position with their preferred sexual partner, be their own business?" I they choose to share that information, all the more power to them. If they don't all the more power to them. Isn't that what "for the people, by the people" is all about? Just letting people just be people? And if you can't wrap your head around that thought, then keep on working at it. One day it will all make sense and you too will be able to vote your conscious without thinking twice about what anyone else thinks!

Now get out there and vote. These mid-term elections could mean more than the next Presidential ones. Just sayin!