US Gay Republicans Drop Transgender Advocacy From Their Mission
Log Cabin Republicans, the largest political organization in the United States representing gay and lesbian conservatives, has announced the removal of transgender rights advocacy from its official mission. The group stated it is returning to its roots as an organization exclusively advocating for the interests of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals (LGB).
The organization’s president, Ross Hemminger, announced in an op-ed that the board of directors had voted to revise its goals. The group added the “T” to its platform in 2015 but has now decided to step away from that focus.
According to Hemminger, the modern transgender movement “has ceased focusing on adults at all” and concentrated its efforts on minors. He cited the promotion of gender ideology in schools, the inclusion of biological men in women’s sports, and the support of gender reassignment medical procedures for teenagers—often without parental knowledge or consent—as primary reasons for the shift.
“The new era of gender identity politics is not the movement we supported and fought for. Gay men and women are losing public support across the country, and support for gay marriage and other once-widely accepted rights is eroding,” Hemminger emphasized. He linked this trend to the fact that parts of society now judge the gay community based on the actions of “radical transgender activists.”
Moving forward, the organization plans to concentrate specifically on “issues of sexual orientation and conservative values,” including the right to marriage, adoption, military service, and religious liberty protections. However, Hemminger noted that membership in the Log Cabin Republicans will remain open to conservative transgender individuals who share the group’s values.
