In a touching article memorializing a recently deceased gay friend, Steve Lonegan, the mayor of Bogota, New Jersey, provides a timely reminder that there's a very different way to be a gay Republican office-holder. That's the path Lonegan has chosen: openly gay and dedicated to the principles of the Open Society. Lonegan writes:
Historically, gay Americans have struggled for the freedom to live their lives the way they choose in order to pursue happiness. This is the American Dream, the cornerstone of conservative thinking, and it is these principles that make the increasingly influential gay community the conservative movement's natural ally.
Sadly, it is just about impossible to imagine any nationally prominent Republican, gay or straight, make that statement—as opposed to the kind of statement Sen. Larry Craig made ("I am not gay")
Oops...my bad. Commenter Steve notes that Lonegan is not gay. I misread Lonegan's line about a "fellow conservative who also happened to be gay." Plus I must have become so used to straight Republicans' making obtuse statements that I automatically assumed Lonegan wasn't straight. These days, in the GOP, it's politically easier to be gay than gay-friendly.