Gay Republicans
by Wash Westmoreland
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DVD details
Actor: Carol Newman, Mark Harris, Maurice Bonamigo, Steve May, Terry HamiltonDirector: Wash Westmoreland
Cinematographer: James Conant
Cinematographer: Tracy Wares
Writer: Wash Westmoreland
Editor: Clay Zimmerman
Producer: Andrew Cohen
Producer: Anne Clements
Producer: Fenton Bailey
Producer: Michael Kaufman
Producer: Randy Barbato
Producer: Samuel Paul
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 63 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-08-30
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Disinformation
DVD Reviews of Gay Republicans
DVD Review: Well, that was interesting.
Summary: 3 Stars
This documentary is really about how President Bush alienated gay Republicans by backing a proposed defense of marriage amendment to the US Constitution, resulting in the Log Cabin Republicans not endorsing Bush in the election of 2004. Still, this is an interesting look at a group of people that many might not suspect could even exist. I learned something.DVD Review: Great to Have You Aboard Fellows.
Summary: 4 Stars
And well met. The right in America is in no position to be turning down allies for any reason--especially due to an individual's sex, race or sexual orientation. We need logical, clear-thinking types on our side just like a couple of the men and women profiled here. Let's fight the slow creep of socialism and political correctness together. Who cares what someone's personal habits are? That's nobody else's business anyway. I was very impressed with the LA Log Cabin member in particular. He hit the nail on the head, "The gay community is supposed to be about diversity" but they hate his guts because he's a Republican. Well, they do respect diversity provided it is rooted in skin color or having a colorful accent, but ideological diversity is not the type of thing that can be allowed.
I felt the director and interlocutor of this production were extremely biased and interjected their left-wing viewpoint into the narrative whenever possible, but I do credit them for at least giving the Log Cabinites the chance to speak. They could have pulled a Chris Matthews and interrupted them continuously but they did not. Therefore, as I really enjoyed the documentary, I'll give it four stars.
Surprisingly, as it came out in 2004, the film is already dated because the anti-Bush perspective is now absurd. The Democratic frontrunners--Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards--refused to have anything to do with supporting gay marriage the other night during the forum on the Logo Channel. The present day makes the "Republicans Evil/Democrats Good" slant of the narration look as foolish and shortsighted as we now know it to be.
The bottom line is that most gay activists are dishonest. Civil unions are about "rights" but marriage has nothing to do with it. The disadvantages they cite are accurate and unfair, but they can be easily ameliorated with the passage of civil union legislation. The longing for gay marriage has nothing to do with justice. It would be nice though if we could have an honest discussion about this subject but PC has made that impossible. With activists describing voting for Bush as being like Jews voting for Hitler, no meaningful exchange of ideas is possible with them. Also, it would be nice if people could be a little more deep; one's sexuality should not be the entire basis for their political views.
DVD Review: Sensationalism over substance.
Summary: 2 Stars
While the four subjects were evenly split between two decent people and two obnoxious loudmouths, the latter got quite a bit more screen-time. Rather than honestly showing how "gay Republican" isn't an oxymoron, something Newman and May might have been able to do if given a chance, the filmmakers instead decided to show Harris and Bonamigo endlessly making total fools out of themselves. I guess they decided that two intelligent human beings calmly and somberly discussing how difficult it is to battle the theocrats who have hijacked their political party isn't as much fun as letting a couple of self-righteous morons reinforce all of the bigoted stereotypes most gays believe about their more conservative brethren.DVD Review: Insightful, depressing, revealing.
Summary: 5 Stars
I was eager to see this DVD once I heard about it's existance, and it does not disapoint. As a gay male, I have, like many other gay males, been perplexed at the existance of Gay Republicans. This DVD does not dig as deep as it could, but its primary focus was not the why of Gay Republicans, but their reaction to the events of the 2004 election.
Denial is not a term I use lightly at all, and I have to say that some of the people interviewed in this documentary are in a deeper state of denial than anyone I have ever seen, and I state that without any hyperbole at all. Some of them are genuinely conflicted people, who believe in smaller government, less taxes, pro american foreign policy, etc. and oppose the moralizing monstrosity of the religious reich, sometimes on the grounds of these principles. They were torn up by their own party inciting anti gay hate to win votes. But others, such as the spiky haired california pseudo hipster, or the sanctimonius straight laced money grubber in Florida, are nothing but arrogant Bush zombies, and in many cases they come off as holding certain opinions more out of shock value and the desire to upset "liberals" than out of genuine conviction.
This documentary deserves a follow up that digs deeper in to why a gay person would be a member of the GOP.
DVD Review: Gay Democratic Majority: You Won't Be Converted!
Summary: 2 Stars
This documentary starts off by presenting gay Republicans as the bats between the birds and the beasts. "Gays don't like us for being Republican and Republicans don't like us for being gay." However, this was really about an internal dispute. Since Bush the Second stated that he is against gay marriage, Log Cabin members were divided on whether to support him or not.
The cover of this DVD only shows white men. That was a grave error in that a woman is featured here. She is the most articulate and reasonable person of those featured. This movie quickly states, "The grand majority of Log Cabin members are older, white men." and then moves on. No, this needs to be interrogated. Usually when a group is incredibly homogenous, that's a problem because it doesn't include the positive aspects of diversity. In many ways, it seems as if these LC members are so privileged that they don't have to think about justice for all, they only feel the need to worry about their own self-interests.
This documentary would never make a reasonable gay person want to convert to Republicanism. They never explain why they like the GOP; it's as if they are happy to be herded sheep. Most of the interviewees are rude and arrogant beyond belief. While one person passes out Bush propaganda, he curses at a civilian and starts making gestures with his hands and buttocks at him! This person says Barbara Streisand "should shut up" about her progressive beliefs. However, he never criticizes the many athletes that are pro-Republican. It's okay for him to express his political views, but somehow Babs, a fellow American, should not under his logic. Further, the interviewees make numerous statements that are just self-loathing and pathetic.
This documentary never touches upon why most gay men and lesbians vote Democrat, rather than Republican. With Frank and Baldwin, there are more gay Democrats in the House than are Republicans. There are more gay Democrats than Republicans in state legislatures such as Illinois, Rhode Island, California, Texas, and numerous other states. As far back as 1972, the Democratic National Convention has had openly gay speakers. At the most recent Conventions, Roberta Achtenburg, an out lesbian, was welcomed by Democrats without exception; many Republicans ignored openly gay Jim Kolbe when he spoke at their convention, even though he did not speak about a gay topic. Former President Clinton supported ENDA and the current president has said almost nothing about it. Still in all, the Log Cabin member interviewed seemed to be totally ignorant of what the gay Democratic majority could let them know.
This is not a bad documentary. I give this a low rating because those interviewed were so obnoxious and repulsive.
Description of Gay Republicans
After years of relative obscurity, Log Cabin-the gay Republican club formed in California in 1977-has found itself in the National spotlight. George Bush's unequivocal opposition to gay marriage put them at the forefront of one of the most hotly contested elections in years. With the issue of whether or not to support the President distilling into a stark choice between their civil rights and their loyalty to the party, 2004 forced the Gay Republicans to a crude decision: what was more important, being gay or being Republican?This documentary follows a handful of Log Cabin members on their different paths to "Decision 2004." A stereotype-shattering, gut wrenching portrait of an organization in turmoil that is incisive, moving, disturbing and humorous.
Watch as POLITICS GETS PERSONAL.
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