I’m a Gay Republican, and I Hate Identity Politics

People should be judged based on the content of their character, not their identity traits.

“If you’re gay and Republican, you must hate yourself.” It’s a phrase I’ve heard a hundred times. For many people, the idea of a gay Republican man is so outlandish that they can’t wrap their heads around it. “How can you vote for a party that hates you?” they ask.

In today’s divisive world of politics, liberal politicians are more than happy to preach how gay people face discrimination and hatred from Republicans. They preach that gays are “special” and “need protection” from the harsh world and the bigots on the other side of the aisle. They push the notion that words can be physically harmful, and someone who disagrees with you is a hateful bigot.

There are two massive problems with that.

First, gay people don’t face much discrimination nowadays. In the distant past, being gay could get you put in an insane asylum. And a little bit more recently, being gay could get you shunned and discriminated against. However, in today’s world, this is simply no longer the case. I have always been open about my sexuality since the day I came out years ago. I have never been discriminated against for being gay, not even once, and that’s not to say discrimination doesn’t exist anymore. I know that I’m lucky, but the point is that society has become pretty tolerant and accepting, contrary to what many on the left would have you believe.

Believe it or not, one of the reasons some remain homophobic is because of events embedded in gay pride marches. There is a massive sexualization of gay people in the parades. I believe people should be able to express themselves however they want; it’s our basic First Amendment right. However, when pride marches devolve into naked men walking around in leather harnesses waving dildos, that’s when people are put off by gays. Gay people walking around naked in the streets of San Francisco encourages people to think that’s how all gay people behave, and this encourages homophobia.