Texas Gay Rights Groups Denied Booths At GOP State Convention


Two Republican gay rights groups in Texas held a press conference Thursday to voice their opposition after the state party denied them the chance to have booths at the GOP convention in Forth Worth.

The Log Cabin Republicans and Metroplex Republicans denounced the party’s decision to exclude them from the convention, which will be held June 5-7.

“Overall, Log Cabin Republicans of Texas has found incredible support within the Republican party – Texans, like the rest of the country, are evolving on LGBT rights issues,” the group’s chairman, Jeffrey Davis, said in a statement. “The Republican Party of Texas has even welcomed many of our members as delegates of the Texas State Republican Convention. However the party has denied our several attempts to host a booth in the convention exhibit hall, citing archaic language in the party platform to support their actions.”

The Texas GOP denied the request based on language in the 2012 party platform that states “the practice of homosexuality tears at the fabric of society and contributes to the breakdown of the family unit,” reported The Huffington Post.

Steve Munisteri, chairman of the Texas Republican Party, confirmed the groups were denied booths due to their advocacy for gay rights.

“The reason it was rejected was because the group applying was associated with advocating for gay marriage,” Munisteri said. “So the problem was associated for advocating a policy decision that was contrary to the platform.”

Munisteri added other groups pushing for legalization of marijuana and gambling were also denied booths, according to The Houston Chronicle.

Gregory Angelo, executive director of the national Log Cabin Republicans, said in a statement that the Texas GOP exclusionary stance would hurt Republicans at the ballot box.

“This isn’t about disagreements we may have on civil marriage; this isn’t about the party platform – this is about an anti-gay wing of the party that hates gay people so much they can’t even stand to see us acknowledged as a necessary part of a winning Republican coalition,” he said. “At a time when Democrats are working overtime to turn Texas from red to purple and then a vibrant blue, now is not the time for the politics subtraction and division in the GOP. It is time for addition and multiplication. The Texas State GOP and its leadership ignore that advice at their peril.”

Munisteri invited the Log Cabin Republicans to attend the convention as individuals.

[Image via latimes.com]

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