"Don't Say Gay" at the GOP Convention

From the Huffington Post:

...Romney campaign chair John Sununu was at first jovial and surprisingly friendly when I ran into him at the Wisconsin delegation. But, usually combative and fully engaged in defending all of Mitt Romney's views, he suddenly clammed up, deciding that the issue of gay marriage and Romney's support for a federal marriage amendment were "too complicated" to discuss in a brief interview. He said, however, he'd be happy to sit down with "two cases of beer" to talk about it with me some time. (And he wanted me to buy!) This is a man who, as governor of New Hampshire, and in years following, railed against LGBT rights, including marriage equality, which the state eventually enacted. Now, he was at a complete loss for words.

But this was far from any sort of retreat, and very much about the GOP's every-four-years masquerade ball. Make no mistake: homophobia is enshrined in the party's platform and was promoted by speaker after speaker in coded language meant to telegraph to the faithful that Mitt Romney would protect the world from the homosexual agenda. From Ann Romney's mention of "real marriage" and Ryan's line about "defending marriage," to Romney's promise to "honor the institution of marriage," the message was clear to religious right base.

Speaking with social conservatives on the floor, it's evident that they understand, pragmatically, that blatant fire and brimstone rantings just don't cut it anymore -- and they blame the "liberal media" for that -- but they point to the very pointed party platform plank on gay rights, which the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins proudly touted that he had written. A Texas delegate told me that the platform was enough for her and that Christian conservatives have now been "forced to be stealth" about taking on gay rights, casting her lot as the victims. "It's appalling that we have to be very quiet about Biblical values, but that's the way it is now," she said. "I'm fine with that as long as we protect the sanctity of marriage. We just have to trust our leaders to very quietly keep the gay agenda back and defend traditional marriage..."

Written by Michelangelo Signorile