Former congressman Jim Kolbe wants Republican leadership to condemn Rep. Forbes (Blade file photo by Michael Key).
A gay former Republican member of the U.S. House is calling on GOP leaders to condemn Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) in the wake of a recent report that he opposes party money going to gay congressional candidates.
Former congressman Jim Kolbe, who served in Congress from 1985 to 2007, told the Washington Blade via email that Forbes’ statements against candidates like Richard Tisei and Carl DeMaio are “outrageous” and merit a response from House leadership.
“They represent everything the party is trying to get away from,” Kolbe said. “Both candidates have very good chances of being elected. Forbes, apparently, would rather lose the two seats and further jeopardize our chances of holding the majority. I am pleased that Cong. Walden was quick to say the NRCC would support whoever was nominated, but I would like to see all of the leadership condemn such bigoted remarks as those made by Forbes.”
On Wednesday, Politico reported that Forbes, a Virginia Republican with a strong anti-LGBT record in Congress, has engaged in “a lengthy crusade” to convince the National Republican Congressional Committee it shouldn’t back gay candidates. The report prompted immediate criticism from gay Republican groups as well as congressional Democrats.
Asked during his news conference on Thursday whether he thinks Republican money should go toward gay Republican congressional candidates, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) replied simply, “I do.”
In response to Kolbe’s call for condemnation of Forbes, the only member of Republican leadership to respond immediately to the Blade’s request for comment was Boehner. Michael Steel, a Boehner spokesperson, said, “The Speaker addressed this issue yesterday. I have nothing to add.”
Although Kolbe and Forbes served together in the House Republican caucus between 2001 and 2007, Kolbe said the two didn’t have a strong relationship.
“I hardly knew Forbes,” Kolbe said. “I think we only served one term together. He seemed OK, but we were never socially close. Obviously, he knew I was gay so I guess wouldn’t have sought me out as a personal friend.”
Kolbe came out as gay in 1996 shortly after his vote in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act. Since he left Congress, he’s been active in LGBT activism.
The Arizona Republican was among the signers of a Republican friend-of-the-court brief against California’s Proposition 8 and testified before the Senate in favor of including a provision for bi-national same-sex couples as part of immigration reform. In May, Kolbe married his longtime partner, Hector Alfonso, in D.C.
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The GOP may not support marriage equality anytime soon … but sooner or later they’ll have to come to grips with the fact that vilifying Gay Americans is no longer a vote-getter for them. Back in 2009 a CBS News survey found that while only 18% of Americans over the age of 65 supported marriage equality for Gay couples, 41% of American under the age of 45 supported it. That was FOUR YEARS AGO, & the generational shift in attitudes among young people toward their Gay friends and family members is accelerating.
Even conservative National Review columnist Andrew Stuttaford grudgingly acknowledged this: “I fully understand (even if I do not agree with) the idea that same-sex unions are a threat to conventional marriage and I fully understand those who argue that opposition to gay marriage is a fundamental principle too important to be abandoned for reasons of political expediency, but these findings should, I reckon, at least be some sort of warning to those who assume that the GOP’s current position on this issue will continue to be a vote-winner.”
30 years ago most Americans were not aware of any Gay friends, family members, or co-workers. Today most Americans ARE aware, and they have become dramatically more accepting and supportive of the Gay people and Gay couples in their lives. And social networking sites like Facebook have made the proverbial "closet" virtually obsolete. The Republican Party ignores this growing acceptance at their own peril. Jobs and the economy are important, yes … but your friends and family members are PERSONAL.
The GOP may not support marriage equality anytime soon … but sooner or later they’ll have to come to grips with the fact that vilifying Gay Americans is no longer a vote-getter for them. Back in 2009 a CBS News survey found that while only 18% of Americans over the age of 65 supported marriage equality for Gay couples, 41% of American under the age of 45 supported it. That was FOUR YEARS AGO, & the generational shift in attitudes among young people toward their Gay friends and family members is accelerating.
Even conservative National Review columnist Andrew Stuttaford grudgingly acknowledged this: “I fully understand (even if I do not agree with) the idea that same-sex unions are a threat to conventional marriage and I fully understand those who argue that opposition to gay marriage is a fundamental principle too important to be abandoned for reasons of political expediency, but these findings should, I reckon, at least be some sort of warning to those who assume that the GOP’s current position on this issue will continue to be a vote-winner.”
30 years ago most Americans were not aware of any Gay friends, family members, or co-workers. Today most Americans ARE aware, and they have become dramatically more accepting and supportive of the Gay people and Gay couples in their lives. And social networking sites like Facebook have made the proverbial “closet” virtually obsolete. The Republican Party ignores this growing acceptance at their own peril. Jobs and the economy are important, yes … but your friends and family members are PERSONAL.
About the best way to send a message to the Republicans is in the mid-term election next November. Vote very Republican that's not with the program and the 21st century out. If they ever want to have a president from their party in office again they are going to have to do some major changes in their attitude and policies.
John Boehner stating "I do" to "whether he thinks Republican money should go toward gay Republican congressional candidates" represents the most cautious of progress. At least Boehner (the BLAG thug-incarnate) did not say "no" or "no comment".
I am not having a coming out party and cake for John Boehner anytime soon, but for what it is worth, at least he did not side with Forbes, which would have been more predictable. This only means that Boehner is more loyal to the Republican party, more than he hates gays. Forbes and others are on a suicidal crusade so blinded by hate and ideology, that they will sacrifice the GOP just to get the last gasp of hatred expressed. While Boehner is certainly not much better, at least he has the common sense to be pragmatic.
Any Republican who is not up to speed on environment, women, LGBTs, consumers, jobs, ending poverty, helping kids to be safe and healthy, clean, renewable and sustainable energy, affordable health care, safe and new infrastructure and other things that benefit humankind and Planet Earth, vote them out.
I don't understand, why he's republican they weren't any better with logic when Regan was in office when he first began. Does he not realize he joined an associates with the wrong party? if he wanted logical republicans he missed the 1940-60s by a few decades.