Texas GOP rejects Log Cabin Republicans

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On Saturday, the Texas Republican Party barred the Texas Log Cabin Republicans, a state branch of the largest gay and transgender GOP organization, from official party affiliate recognition, even going so far as to deny them a booth at the state convention. Opponents of the gay GOP group’s recognition included Republican state Sen. Bob Hall, who decried the organization for supposedly promoting “unnatural sex,” and religious activist Steven Hotze, who lobbied against the group’s admission by ranting about gay people’s allegedly “immoral and perverted sexual proclivities.”

What a disgrace.

The Texas GOP is well within its rights to maintain socially conservative stances on issues such as same-sex marriage, and individual members have every right to their religious views on homosexuality as well. But to bar gay Republicans from the party despite them agreeing on almost all core principles and having worked hard to elect Republicans screams of bigotry and discrimination.

It’s also awful politics. In a major election year, Republicans should be seeking to make the party as big a tent as possible, to bring in the diverse coalition of voters required to re-elect President Trump and send Republicans to Congress. In some cases, such as San Diego congressional candidate Carl DeMaio and San Antonio candidate Mauro Garza, gay Republicans themselves represent a viable path to flipping more seats red.

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After all, the Log Cabin Republicans had the backing of the Texas Young Republicans and even the support of Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw. The freshman congressman and GOP wonderkid penned a letter calling for their acceptance, insisting that “Disagreements over certain policy issues should not be enough to exclude a group that shares the vast majority of conservative governing principles.”

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