The Republicans suddenly care about LGBT Americans and they know who doesn't: Democrats. Because Republicans have always had our backs. Here's Donald Trump earlier this week:
"Ask yourself, who is really the friend of women and the LGBT community," he mused. "Donald Trump with his actions, or Hillary Clinton with her words? [...] Hillary Clinton can never claim to be a friend of the gay community as long as she continues to support immigration policies that bring Islamic extremists to our country who suppress women, gays and anyone who doesn’t share their views."
Ted Cruz spewed the same laughable message from the Senate floor, suggesting that if Democrats were real "champions" of LGBT people, they would be protecting them from a "vicious ideology" that targets gays. And no, he wasn't talking about Republicans or Christian fundamentalism, he was talking about "radical Islamic terrorism." Frankly, LGBT folks need protection from Cruz and his father, Rafael Cruz.
But GOP Rep. Mo Brooks really took the cake on hypocrisy, saying Muslims would “kill every homosexual” if they had the chance:
“On the one hand, [Democrats are] trying to appeal to the gay community, but, on the other hand, they’re trying to also appeal to the Muslim community, which, if it had its way, would kill every homosexual in the United States of America,” the Republican lawmaker said while being interviewed on the Matt & Aunie show, a radio program in Birmingham, Alabama's WAPI-AM, as first reported by BuzzFeed News.
Just wondering if Brooks has checked out Cruz's chit-chat with Baptist Pastor Kevin Swanson at last year's "National Religious Liberties Conference" in Iowa, where Swanson trumpeted his support for "the death penalty for homosexuals."
But no, the Democrats are the real enemy of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. Just because Republicans have used every bit of leverage possible to benefit from the demonization of gays for decades doesn't mean we should discount their sincerity now. The GOP truly does want to capitalize off our tragedy to vilify another minority: Muslims. Because when it comes to “homosexuals,” Republicans always have their own best interests at heart.