Gay Republicans come out of the closet

By Ed Stoddard

DALLAS (Reuters) - Doug Warner seems like a stereotypical Republican: Southern, white, male, he served in the military, drives an SUV and likes hunting and fishing.

He is also openly gay.

Warner's sexual orientation makes for an awkward fit in a party with a powerful evangelical Christian wing that regards homosexuality as a sin and same-sex marriage as a threat to the traditional family.

"I believe that the approach of the social extremists eliminates our party's ability to grow in the future," he told Reuters by phone from his home in Charleston, South Carolina.

For years, bashing the "homosexual agenda" worked well for Republicans. In 2004, the party placed anti-gay marriage referendums on 11 state ballots. All passed by large majorities and the tactic boosted turnout among religious conservatives, helping President George W. Bush win re-election.

But times may be changing. The leading Republican candidate for 2008 is former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani who supports gay rights, including "domestic partnerships" and equal rights under the law.

Republicans were embarrassed this summer when one of their most outspoken anti-gay spokesmen, Idaho Sen. Larry Craig, pleaded guilty to lewd behavior in an airport bathroom, having apparently made a homosexual advance to an undercover agent. Craig has since tried and failed to rescind his guilty plea, saying he was panicked into a confession.

All the major Democrats in the race believe workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation should be outlawed and back full equality in civil unions. Much of the organized gay community has long been an integral part of the Democratic base. Meanwhile conservative gays have felt they had no place to go.

Warner's concern about his party's direction has led him to become an active member in a growing movement of conservative gays called the Log Cabin Republicans. It claims to have 20,000 members nationwide with over 40 official chapters.

Interviews with several Log Cabin Republicans revealed a familiar refrain: disappointment with a party seen betraying its commitment to fiscal prudence and limited government.

"Somewhere along the way our party was hijacked by the social extremists who say that government needs to regulate things that were once considered private," said Warner's partner Truman Smith, who works as a private consultant and is the president of Log Cabin's South Carolina chapter.

"If we believe in lower taxes and less government, what are we going to do? Become Democrats?," he asked.

While the organization is not endorsing a presidential candidate for 2008, Giuliani is clearly their favorite.

GIULIANI ALONE

This is hardly surprising as he is pointedly alone in the Republican field in his support for gay rights. And it suggests the party may be more diverse than its image suggests.