Some articles and reactions…
Katy Grimes in FlashReport: LGBT Republican Group Wins Charter in California Republican Party
BreitbartCA: Gay Activist Group Formally Recognized by California GOP
LA Times: State GOP formally welcomes gays to the party
SF Chronicle: After decade of struggle, Log Cabin Republicans win GOP recognition
from Capitol Resource Institute…
Log Cabin Inside the Tent
By a lopsided vote the California Republican Party (CRP) granted a charter to Log Cabin California, a gay Republican organization. Meeting in Sacramento Sunday, Republican delegates voted 861 to 293 to grant official recognition to the California chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans.
“The vote was not surprising since the issue was presented as inclusion in the Party, not endorsement by the Party,” said Karen England, Executive Director of Capitol Resource Institute. “Of course all political parties want as many people as possible in the tent, because this translates to votes. But it is a different thing for a political party to say that they endorse an organization. And that is what a charter is.”
Log Cabin California noted that they have worked quietly or two years to fit within the standards set by the Republican Party rules to gain a charter. This involved modifying the organizations bylaws and setting up chapters in various parts of California.
“What they did not mention is that last night they took down the California and national Log Cabin websites,” said England. “Just yesterday, the state and national sites described an organization that was in conflict with CRP bylaws and its platform.”
California Republican Party bylaws prohibit chartering organizations of “Republicans for certain lifestyle preferences or orientations” and the California platform opposes same sex marriage. These are at odds with statements on the state and national Log Cabin websites prior to being taken down on Saturday.
“We can hope that when the websites come back up, each will describe Log Cabin California as an organization that puts Republican principles and the current Republican platform ahead of a narrower agenda,” said England. “But this is politics. We fear that Log Cabin leadership said what was necessary to get the votes and will be something quite different tomorrow.”
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