Why do closeted gay Republican legislators vote against gay rights legislation?

Question

Honest question, I am wondering why they vote to deny civil rights protections and marriage rights to people like themselves?
Here is another one.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071101/ap_on_re_us/lawmaker_extortion_1

Thanks everyone.

Too many good answers to pick from; I'll put it to a vote.

Answer 1

I wonder that myself. Wouldn't it just make more sense to not say anything at all and not draw attention to the whole thing?

Its always the guys who are the most outspoken that get exposed.

Answer 2

It is crazy, shows that the whole American
Oligarchy in DC can book a ticket in an MFO.
(Meanwhile Identified Flying Object=Cannon Ball)

Germany's capital has a gay Mayor, socialist.
Germany's 2nd largest town, Hamburg, has a gay
Mayor, Christian-Democrat, both towns sailing fairly
well in troubled economical waters. Funny in that context,
the "Republican" coalition partner in Hamburg, tried to
blackmail the Chr.-Democrat in hope to take over, then he
went public to the press in a charade with no dignity - and
go figure - Hamburg citizens voted that bigot sucker out in
no time, as long as Ole von Beust doesn't celebrate public
parties or tries to make being gay OBLIGATORY (lol) they
rather look at the political performance in CLEVER countries,
and I would bet my last dime, THERE B.Clinton had not lied.

Answer 3

As an interesting sidelight, I note that NONE of the major Democrat or Republican candidates support same-sex marriage. So there could be a major scandal if any of them are found to be gay, or lesbian.

Does that mean that the private sexual lives of all of them are fair game, to smoke out who may be a "hypocrite?" Maybe.

Time will tell. It could be an interesting 12 months!

Answer 4

This may be a hard concept for you to grasp, but just BEING gay does not automatically carry with it the assumption that one is a self-respecting gay person who has "gay pride."

"You are a sad and pathetic man. You're a homosexual and you don't want to be, but there is nothing you can do to change it. Not all your prayers to your God. Not all the analysis you can buy in all the years you've got left to live. You may very well be able to know a heterosexual life, if you want it desperately enough, if you pursue it with the fervor with which you annihilate. But you will always be homosexual as well. Always, Michael. Always. Until the day you die." -- (A speech by one of the gay characters in the play/movie "The Boys in the Band," written by Mart Crowley.)

Since you used the word "closeted," you ought to know at least a little bit about what the word means. Sometimes it is a gay person who is clearly aware, in their own heads, that they are gay, but who are deeply afraid of telling anyone else about it. On the other hand, the word "closeted" means someone who is not even able to look at themselves in the mirror and admit to themselves that they are gay. Their feelings of attraction towards the same sex is so repulsive to the moral values that they were taught -- by their parents and by their church -- that they keep hoping that if they pray hard enough and deny often enough, the feelings will go away.

I disagree, btw, with Dizz's estimation of 50% of the people who "hate" gays being closet-cases themselves. A lot of wishful thinking goes into Dizz's estimation, but no one really knows.

Like I said, Dizz, no one knows. Alfie Kinsey ended up concluding that all people's sexual orientation is so fluid and so open to varying interpretations that he devised a 6-point scale of sexuality.

Answer 5

The Republicans get too many votes with their hatred of homosexuals, so they have to pretend that they are not themselves. Believe it or not even in this day and age, there are still many undereducated people that still hate, loathe and despise homosexuals; and they will consistently vote Republican.

Also, if one is caught, or there are rumors around, everyone will say,"Oh he (she) cannot be homosexual, he always votes AGAINST gay rights !"

Like Vitter, just hypocrisy. Perhaps the National Republican party should rename itself, The National Hypocrisy Party. But then that would be telling the truth and they cannot do that.

Answer 6

Because self-loathing is a trademark of closeted homosexuals, and they'll do just about anything to hide the truth of their own sexual identity.

It's truly unfortunate, because society is not entirely blameless for situations like the link you provided. Maintaining a societal stigma against homosexuality only amplifies problems within self-loathing gays.

Many times, a closeted homosexual will often end up hurting others as well as himself because he can't deal with the fear of rejection or ostracism by society.

Answer 7

cos they feel threatened by the gay peeps as they av com out of the closet which is something their afraid 2 do, in 2days society tho i don't blame them peeps can be so cruel and spineless its no wonder peeps feel the need to change and jump on the band wagon, its like women if a women doesn't bother to put makeup on or do her hair she is automatically classed as a tramp or a bloke. first impressions are vital and they feel that wen people find out they are gay no one will give em the time of day

Answer 8

Because they don't support them. Gays are not denied civil rights. They have all the civil rights that all Americans have. I'm a heterosexual white guy. Does that mean that I should support all the things that heterosexual white guys support and that if I don't that I'm denying the civil rights of heterosexual white guys across America?

But don't confuse two guys wanting to get married a 'civil right'. It's not. No more than a father being denied his 'civil right' to marry his son or me being denied my civil right to marry my Labrador retriever.

Answer 9

I have no idea. And I have no idea why Jim McGreevey pretended to be straight for so long. You think he would've come out sooner,being in the Party of So Called Tolerance.

Answer 10

If they didnt, the constituencies along with the $$$$$ they bring with them would disappear. Politicians arent necessarily the people who they protray themselves to be to the public. The people you see are the carefully crafted images that they know will win them votes and elections.

Answer 11

From the article;

"Rep. Richard Curtis, 48, said he was resigning immediately to spare his wife and children more public embarrassment."

"He also declared he was not gay."

He's self-loathing and full of shame. I think that accounts for 50% of the people who hate gays.

EDIT; To Mark D below. You may be right about wishful thinking on my part. What's your estimate?