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.