LGBT conservatism
Encyclopedia
LGBT conservatism refers to a socio-political movement which embraces and promotes the ideology of conservatism
within an LGBT
(lesbian
, gay
, bisexual
, transgender
) context. Gay conservatives may also refer to lesbian or gay persons with conservative political views.
The number of openly LGBT advocates for conservative policies has only become increasingly apparent since the advent of the modern LGBT civil rights movement in the 1970s, while many more LGBT conservatives remain closeted in countries where other socially conservative politicians have led the most organized opposition to LGBT civil rights efforts. The situation and ideology for LGBT conservatives varies by each country's social and political LGBT rights climate.
, was founded in 1977 to represent the minority of Republicans who opposed the Briggs Initiative. Since then, while retaining loyalty to most of the Republican party's platform regarding the economy and defense, the LCR organization has largely diverged from the socially conservative wing of the party due to the latter's open opposition to LGBT civil rights.
Despite such a divergence, the LGBT conservative movement has been derided by decidedly liberal or progressive LGBT outlets for its association with the Republican party because of the dominance of socially conservative constituents. The movement's leading constituents, during or after their terms in political office or other positions of influence, have been roundly criticized for having supported anti-LGBT initiatives prior to having come out of the closet; in their defense, many of these individuals admit to initial dishonesty or confusion regarding their own sexual orientations or gender identities, often referring to upbringing by, and potential reprisal from family members and colleagues as the two most outstanding reasons for not addressing their own sexuality.
. This group was active until 2003. Some years later LGBTory
was formed. LGBTory has an active membership organised often organised using its Facebook Groups and pages and attends Vigils and LGBT Pride events across the UK including Pride London, Pride Scotia, Leeds Pride
, Manchester Pride, Doncaster Pride and Brighton Pride.
LGBTory campaigned in seats throughout the campaign for the 6 May 2010 General Election. There are now at least 12 openly Gay and Lesbian Conservative MP
s in parliament
, this includes Margot James
who is only the second openly lesbian in parliament.
LGBTory works to promote LGBT Equality within the Conservative Party and generally across the UK, actively campaigning against the Gay Blood Ban and for marriage equality, regardless of sexuality or gender identity.
, was an openly gay self-described centrist who held views on immigration, Islam and multiculturalism which managed to attract a large number of Dutch conservatives to his own political party both before and after his assassination in 2002. Since that time (and since the events on September 11, 2001 in the United States), much of the Dutch right wing (including figures such as Geert Wilders
) has evolved to include LGBT rights platforms which do not conflict with the current status quo but also embrace an increased perturbation to supposed threats from minority religions (especially Islam) which, in their view, threaten to upend the vestiges of the liberalism and tolerance which has been associated with the Dutch social climate.
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
within an LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
(lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, bisexual
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
, transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
) context. Gay conservatives may also refer to lesbian or gay persons with conservative political views.
The number of openly LGBT advocates for conservative policies has only become increasingly apparent since the advent of the modern LGBT civil rights movement in the 1970s, while many more LGBT conservatives remain closeted in countries where other socially conservative politicians have led the most organized opposition to LGBT civil rights efforts. The situation and ideology for LGBT conservatives varies by each country's social and political LGBT rights climate.
United States
The first organized gay conservative political advocacy organization, the Log Cabin RepublicansLog Cabin Republicans
The Log Cabin Republicans is an organization that works within the Republican Party to advocate equal rights for all Americans, including gays and lesbians in the United States with state chapters and a national office in Washington, D.C...
, was founded in 1977 to represent the minority of Republicans who opposed the Briggs Initiative. Since then, while retaining loyalty to most of the Republican party's platform regarding the economy and defense, the LCR organization has largely diverged from the socially conservative wing of the party due to the latter's open opposition to LGBT civil rights.
Despite such a divergence, the LGBT conservative movement has been derided by decidedly liberal or progressive LGBT outlets for its association with the Republican party because of the dominance of socially conservative constituents. The movement's leading constituents, during or after their terms in political office or other positions of influence, have been roundly criticized for having supported anti-LGBT initiatives prior to having come out of the closet; in their defense, many of these individuals admit to initial dishonesty or confusion regarding their own sexual orientations or gender identities, often referring to upbringing by, and potential reprisal from family members and colleagues as the two most outstanding reasons for not addressing their own sexuality.
United Kingdom
The first LGBT Conservative group was called CGHE (Conservative Group for Homosexual Equality). It was founded in 1975 by Professor Peter Campbell of Reading University. That group was reconstituted at the Conservative party Conference in 1991 and was renamed TORCHE (the Tory Campaign for Homosexual Equality) under the chairmanship of Dr David StarkeyDavid Starkey
David Starkey, CBE, FSA is a British constitutional historian, and a radio and television presenter.He was born the only child of Quaker parents, and attended Kendal Grammar School before entering Cambridge through a scholarship. There he specialised in Tudor history, writing a thesis on King...
. This group was active until 2003. Some years later LGBTory
LGBTory
LGBTory is a LGBT and Conservative Group linked to, but not run, directed or funded by the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom. The first LGBT Conservative group was called CGHE LGBTory is a LGBT and Conservative Group linked to, but not run, directed or funded by the Conservative Party of the...
was formed. LGBTory has an active membership organised often organised using its Facebook Groups and pages and attends Vigils and LGBT Pride events across the UK including Pride London, Pride Scotia, Leeds Pride
Leeds Pride
Leeds Pride is an annual Gay Pride celebration held in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.It has been running since 2006, and in its fourth year had over 17,000 people in attendance, with the figure expected to grow in 2010....
, Manchester Pride, Doncaster Pride and Brighton Pride.
LGBTory campaigned in seats throughout the campaign for the 6 May 2010 General Election. There are now at least 12 openly Gay and Lesbian Conservative MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
s in parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
, this includes Margot James
Margot James
Margot James MP is a British politician and entrepreneur. She is currently a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party with responsibility for women, and the Member of Parliament for the consituency of Stourbridge. She is the first openly lesbian MP in the Conservative Party...
who is only the second openly lesbian in parliament.
LGBTory works to promote LGBT Equality within the Conservative Party and generally across the UK, actively campaigning against the Gay Blood Ban and for marriage equality, regardless of sexuality or gender identity.
Netherlands and the Low countries
The first LGBT politician to make an open bid for the office of Prime Minister, Pim FortuynPim Fortuyn
Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn, known as Pim Fortuyn was a Dutch politician, civil servant, sociologist, author and professor who formed his own party, Pim Fortuyn List ....
, was an openly gay self-described centrist who held views on immigration, Islam and multiculturalism which managed to attract a large number of Dutch conservatives to his own political party both before and after his assassination in 2002. Since that time (and since the events on September 11, 2001 in the United States), much of the Dutch right wing (including figures such as Geert Wilders
Geert Wilders
Geert Wilders is a Dutch right-wing politician and leader of the Party for Freedom , the third-largest political party in the Netherlands. He is the Parliamentary group leader of his party in the Dutch House of Representatives...
) has evolved to include LGBT rights platforms which do not conflict with the current status quo but also embrace an increased perturbation to supposed threats from minority religions (especially Islam) which, in their view, threaten to upend the vestiges of the liberalism and tolerance which has been associated with the Dutch social climate.
Organizations
Some organizations include:- GayLibGayLibGayLib is an LGBT faction affiliated with the Union for a Popular Movement, France's political party currently in power. Its president is Emmanuel Blanc.-History:...
- linked to Union for a Popular MovementUnion for a Popular MovementThe Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party...
(France) - GOProudGOProudGOProud is an American tax exempt 527 organization representing conservative gays, lesbians, transgendered people, and their allies. GOProud advocates for small government conservatism at the level of federal public policy. GOProud was founded by Christopher R...
— linked to the Republican Party (United States)Republican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... - LGBToryLGBToryLGBTory is a LGBT and Conservative Group linked to, but not run, directed or funded by the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom. The first LGBT Conservative group was called CGHE LGBTory is a LGBT and Conservative Group linked to, but not run, directed or funded by the Conservative Party of the...
— linked to the Conservative Party (United Kingdom)Conservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... - Log Cabin RepublicansLog Cabin RepublicansThe Log Cabin Republicans is an organization that works within the Republican Party to advocate equal rights for all Americans, including gays and lesbians in the United States with state chapters and a national office in Washington, D.C...
— linked to the Republican Party (United States)Republican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
See also
- Outright LibertariansOutright LibertariansOutright Libertarians is an association in the United States of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and other self-identified "queer" people who are active in the Libertarian Party...
— linked to the Libertarian Party (United States)Libertarian Party (United States)The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...