Tsathoggua Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 Hey, my best friend and I were just walking back to work after lunching at Subway. A fellow approached us and started talking to my pal about his watch. Then he asked if we were a couple. We said no, but in a "not that there's anything wrong with that" kind of way. He laughed and said that he was gay, and then started in on a tirade about politics and the Orlando shooting and how Hilary would flood the country with Muslim refugees, more so than Obama has. He was convinced that Trump would be the only person who could stem the tide! He was definitely going to vote for the Donald, especially after the Orlando incident! He felt that Hilary would try to go after gun rights as much as politically feasible. Interesting and chatty fellow! I actually hope that we run into him again. Has any one else run into gay Trump supporters, lately? This Orlando incident may really wind up getting him elected. (Personally, I have problems with both Trump and Hilary, Republican and Democrats, conservatives and liberals. I don't like the whole political system as it stands in the USA, right now. Too much polarization in politics and society!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blood Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 Trump was/is unusual in that he hasn't made gay-bashing a central part of his platform, unlike Cruz, Rubio, and the rest of the GOP God Squad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOHO Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 tsathaggua, I'm not sure why you feel that a gay Trump supporter is so unusual. Perhaps you could enlighten me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsathoggua Posted June 15, 2016 Author Share Posted June 15, 2016 tsathaggua, I'm not sure why you feel that a gay Trump supporter is so unusual. Perhaps you could enlighten me. Well, I don't necessarily think that it is unusual at all. I felt that it was newsworthy because of the recent attack at the gay nightclub in Orlando, which the guy kept referencing in his conversation. He was convinced that Trump's promise to crack down on Muslim immigration would be a great thing for both the gay community and the wider American culture, due to the intolerance of the religion. He was afraid that Hilary would just invite more of them into the country. Unfortunately, due to my aging brain, I am already forgetting some of the other specific points that he made. I'm hoping to encounter him again. He was a friendly, interesting fellow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blood Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 Gay and transgender Republicans aren't that rare. Look at Caitlyn Jenner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsathoggua Posted June 15, 2016 Author Share Posted June 15, 2016 Gay and transgender Republicans aren't that rare. Look at Caitlyn Jenner. It is an indication of the broad coalition in the party, I suppose. Not all Republicans are gonna be religious conservatives, even though lately, they are the "loudest" group, it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOHO Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 "It is an indication of the broad coalition in the party, I suppose. Not all Republicans are gonna be religious conservatives, even though lately, they are the "loudest" group, it seems." Back in the 80's (aging brain here too) the moral majority hijacked the Republican party - just as Bernie's socialists are tempting to do to the Democrat party now. The Republicans neglected to distance themselves from those fundies, I'm certain, because they figured a vote is a vote. That decision is kinda back-firing these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blood Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 "It is an indication of the broad coalition in the party, I suppose. Not all Republicans are gonna be religious conservatives, even though lately, they are the "loudest" group, it seems." Back in the 80's (aging brain here too) the moral majority hijacked the Republican party - just as Bernie's socialists are tempting to do to the Democrat party now. The Republicans neglected to distance themselves from those fundies, I'm certain, because they figured a vote is a vote. That decision is kinda back-firing these days. Southern Democrats left the party because of desegregation and hippies, and remade the Republican Party into their own. Nothing was "hijacked." The old school Republicans welcomed them with open arms not because they liked them, but because they needed their votes to win and get their tax cuts, offshoring, and deregulation legislation passed. The relationship has worked pretty well -- exponential profits for the old school Wall Street Republicans, and re-segregation plus constant fear-mongering and Bible-thumping from the Southerners. Everybody's happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealityCheck Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 Trump was/is unusual in that he hasn't made gay-bashing a central part of his platform, unlike Cruz, Rubio, and the rest of the GOP God Squad. Despite all of his faults, it seems that he isn't directly pandering to the religious right. Maybe, just maybe this marks the end of religion in politics as we've seen through out the 2000s and beyond. I wouldn't hold my breath though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blood Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 You're too optimistic. Religion is never going to cease being a large part of American politics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pratt Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 he is against anyone who would flood USA with muslims, being gay or whatever is secondary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeCycle Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 Good, keep them out. We have enough problems. #VeteransBeforeRefugees Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOHO Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 Blood, "Nothing was "hijacked." The old school Republicans welcomed them with open arms..." yes. "Welcomed" better word than "hijacked" And thanx for mentioning "old school Republicans". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhim Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 Well, I don't necessarily think that it is unusual at all. I felt that it was newsworthy because of the recent attack at the gay nightclub in Orlando, which the guy kept referencing in his conversation. He was convinced that Trump's promise to crack down on Muslim immigration would be a great thing for both the gay community and the wider American culture, due to the intolerance of the religion. He was afraid that Hilary would just invite more of them into the country. Unfortunately, due to my aging brain, I am already forgetting some of the other specific points that he made. I'm hoping to encounter him again. He was a friendly, interesting fellow. I'm not surprised by this person. If one thinks Christianity is anti-gay, then treatment of gays in Islamic republics would come as a shock. Donald Trump wants to ban Muslims, and he recently hosted Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner to use the restroom at Trump Tower. Superficial though this may seem, one would be reasonable to think that a Trump administration would not make life too difficult for gays. It's true that Trump has promised a more conservative Supreme Court, but recall that the Court which recently legalized gay marriage is not known for its liberality. Supporting Donald Trump is a bad idea, but not, in my opinion, for the reason that most political commentators say it is. Trump is capricious and changes his mind frequently, and it is difficult to discern what a Trump presidency would be like with regards to many issues (the one I mentioned above notwithstanding, of course). If anything, risk aversion should lead us away from Trump. But I do not believe his "racism" is a problem. Trump is opposed to Islam. Islam is a religion, not a race. And, I would add, it is quite a despicable religion which doesn't deserve to see the light of day. If despising Islam is racist, then my racism could give Trump a run for his money. I would be in favor of detaining every Muslim who is not currently a citizen, and deporting each individual who isn't willing to give up his faith. Islam has no place on American soil. Alas, I digress. Regarding the immigration issue, Donald Trump has done a rare thing and told the truth about Hillary Clinton. His claim that Clinton would expand the Syrian refugee population by 500%, and on this he happens to be correct (see: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jun/13/donald-trump/donald-trump-says-hillary-clinton-wants-let-500-pe/). I live in an area that accepted a lot of Muslim refugees back in the 90s, and so I saw the transformation of the culture as I was growing up. I'm sure many would praise the refugee program for introducing diversity and diluting the boring, white population (I'm not white, so no comment on whether that's a good or bad thing). I would not be among that number; I'd say that the large number of Muslims in the community diminished the quality of life substantially, and I would thank our leaders to permanently hold off on any future immigration of Muslims. Donald Trump is isolationist and perhaps xenophobic, but as far as I can tell he doesn't seem racist. As a brown guy I'm regularly mistaken to be a Muslim. On rare occasions when I run into Trump supporters, they're perfectly courteous as soon as I let them know I'm not Muslim. Given the choice between living in a society with Islamophobic whites who vilify me until they learn my religious affiliation, and droves of Muslims who want to stone me upon acquiring the same information, I'll opt for the white Islamophobes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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