Though Donald Trump's use of the LGBT community's tragedy to re-up his call for a Muslim ban is completely shameful, it has some gay conservatives hopeful that his mere mention of LGBT issues could signal a turning point within the GOP, reports Kyle Cheney.
“I believe we truly hit a tipping point in the LGBT equality movement in the United States in that for so long, you had Republicans reluctant to even mention the phrase ‘LGBT community’ and here we have our presumptive Republican presidential nominee not only using that phrase but directly expressing sympathy,” said Greg T. Angelo, president of the Log Cabin Republicans. “If Republicans try to position themselves as being justified in maintaining harsh anti-gay rhetoric in the platform … you better believe that Democrats are going to demonize them any chance they get.”
Oh yes they will, and that opportunity is sure to arise. It’s true that Trump’s mere usage of the terms "LGBT" and "gay" for anything other than derision and disdain is new for a GOP presidential candidate. Even so, social conservatives are going to hang on ‘til the bitter end—because their whole reason for existing is to push hateful anti-LGBT, anti-abortion messages. It's just one more part of the Republican party Trump is managing to alienate.
Conservatives, though, aren’t prepared to give any ground on the issue. Most members of the Republican convention’s 112-member Platform Committee, they note, are likely to be hardcore conservative activists. Even backers of a moderate approach acknowledge that disadvantage. Ted Cruz’s protracted battle with Trump for influence at the convention led to the appointment of hundreds of conservative delegates, from Virginia’s Ken Cuccinelli to Louisiana’s Tony Perkins, who will have outsized voices in the party’s debate. If even a quarter of them are willing to strike the party’s approach to gay marriage – the minimum number needed to force a debate of the issue on the convention floor – it would be a surprise, they said.
Yep, that platform debate will be a much better gauge of where the party stands on LGBT freedom and equality—and it won’t be pretty.