THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

Over the past few months, Windy City Times sat down several times with Patrick Ross, president of the Chicago chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans. In the initial interview, Ross discussed increasing the group's visibility and why he has nothing but love for state treasurer Judy Baar Topinka. Subsequent discussions included Bush and the Senate race.

Windy City Times: What's your title?

Patrick Ross: I'm president of the Chicago chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans. We're the only chapter in the state of Illinois and we do have members and supporters throughout the state.

WCT: So do you travel throughout the state a lot?

PR: We would like to travel more. We recently had an event in Springfield and we would like to create more of a presence because we're starting to get more interest from people in suburban counties like DuPage and Will. We're also getting interest from downstate areas like Springfield, Bloomington, and Peoria.

WCT: What was the topic of your forum?

PR: It was about creating acceptance for GLBT individuals within traditionally conservative institutions. There were two people from religious institutions there as well as myself.

WCT: Is it a bigger battle telling people you're gay or telling them you're Republican?

PR: Well, it depends who your audience is. Overall, the Republican officials I've met have been very nice. Even though they don't agree with everything I say, usually I find that they're willing to listen. In the gay community, the response is a lot better than it was when I first joined the Log Cabins six years ago. I think that the GLBT community better understands what we do. The people understand that we're fighting for inclusion in the party and that they're lobbying for GLBT concerns within the party. It also helps that we're getting out there and participating in events like [Northalsted] Market Days.

WCT: Has there been any schism or dissension within your group because of the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage?

PR: I would believe that most of the Log Cabin Republicans I know are opposed to this ban. Our national office is strongly opposed and has been at the forefront fighting it. We've had a national advertising campaign; we've spent almost a million dollars running an ad featuring [U.S. Vice-President] Dick Cheney saying in a 2000 debate that [gay marriage] is an issue that should be left to the states. We've been able to strategically focus the campaign. If we know of a large Republican event, we can show the ad there. It addresses the issue to Republicans in Republican terms.

WCT: When I looked at your site [www.lcrchicago.com], I saw that one of your group's listed national accomplishments was helping to elect George W. Bush as President. Given his stance on [gay] marriage, do you feel like your group committed a blunder?

PR: No, I don't—based on what we knew at the time. Bush met with a group of 12 gays and lesbians (the Austin 12) in 2000; they weren't necessarily Log Cabin members. Actually, his quote after meeting them was, "I'm a better man for this." All of our early indications showed that he was open to an early dialogue with the Log Cabins. He and John Ashcroft had invited the group to the White House; we were the first minority group invited to meet with Ashcroft. Gay ambassadors were appointed, gay cabinet officials were hired, and—up until the amendment—things actually looked pretty good. So, I had every indication that he was going to work with us.

WCT: If you were guaranteed an audience with the President, what questions would you ask him?

PR: I would ask him a lot of questions. (Laughs) As a sixth-generation Republican, [the one question that] I would ask him is why he supports this constitutional ban, especially because it would hinder the growth of the party. I don't believe that a party can grow through exclusion. Trying to exclude someone through one of the most sacred documents in our country is very hurtful.

WCT: When did you realize that you were a Republican?

PR: I joke that I was born Republican. I started working on Republican campaigns as a child and all through my adulthood ... .

WCT: However, you said [in an earlier conversation] that you were a Libertarian in college.

PR: Well, Republicans when they are rebellious become Libertarians. (Laughs) Seriously, I've always agreed with the core Republican tenets, which involve respecting the rights of individuals, limiting government, and having a strong defense.

WCT: What do you think is wrong with the Democratic party?

PR: I really don't find anything wrong with it at all. I think it's very important to have a two-party system; it's great for creating a good government. People join political parties for different reasons. It could be demographics, family history, or something else.

WCT: Are there lesbians in your group?

PR: Well, yes. It's a gay and lesbian organization. However, there's room for more lesbians. At our national convention, one of the national board members who was lesbian encouraged us to recruit more lesbian members. We're reaching out more to women. In fact, on our board we have a lesbian and a straight woman. It's important to have diverse viewpoints.

WCT: By the way, are there racial minorities represented in your group?

PR: We do. It's a diverse group, racially and politically. We have independents and even Democrats. We don't always agree on everything but we agree on the basic tenets.

WCT: What do you think of state treasurer Judy Baar Topinka?

PR: I think she's an incredible asset, not only to the Illinois Republican but the national Republican party as well. She's been at the forefront of securing GLBT rights for her office. She's supported the community—for example, she's been behind the Center on Halsted. She's an amazing example of someone who's for inclusion within the Republican Party and who wants to increase the base. Also, as far as I know, she's the only Republican Party chairman who marched in a Pride Parade. She's also capable of getting votes in areas that other Republicans cannot —and she knows this, which makes her very savvy.

WCT: What's the biggest misconception about your group?

PR: I think a common one is that we're distant or separate from other gay groups. I have to credit Patrick Guerriero (the national Log Cabin president) for spurring us to work very hard with other GLBT groups such as Human Rights Campaign to defeat this attempted constitutional ban.

WCT: What steps are you all taking to make yourselves even more visible to the Republican party?

PR: We go to a lot of Republican events, such as fundraisers. We lobby legislators in Springfield. Also, we help with the campaigns of GLBT-supportive Republicans.

WCT: Are there a lot of supportive candidates?

PR: In Illinois, we're pretty fortunate; we have several supportive Republicans. Some of them are very brave because they're in very conservative districts. To support GLBT issues when you're downstate is very courageous.

WCT: Pardon my naivete, but is it possible to have a gay ultraconservative?

PR: (Laughs) I suspect that anything's possible. I actually have a hard time with the terms 'liberal' and 'conservative' because I think that the political and ideological spectra are so varied. However, I would hope that a good conservative would believe in the rights of individuals and in keeping the government out of your personal life. There are people who talk about the 2nd Amendment (the right to bear arms) or there's the abortion as a personal rights issue. I remind people, if you believe in those things, you should also believe in the rights of GLBT individuals. You shouldn't pick and choose who gets which rights.

WCT: Your group criticized the now-former senatorial candidate Jack Ryan back in October 2003. Why?

PR: At the time, Jack Ryan spoke with a far-right Web site, IllinoisLeader.com . In that interview, he stated that he wanted all Republicans to support him. A few paragraphs later, he said that he didn't want the endorsement of the Log Cabin Republicans. We are active, we're willing to help, and we're Republican. The fact that he chose to exclude us, I think, revealed numerous issues about his character. I think it brought up trust issues as well. We issued a press release and sent a letter to him requesting a meeting so he could explain his position. He never took us up on our offer.

WCT: Do you think that his withdrawal from the Senate race was wise?

PR: Yes, I do. It was definitely the correct decision. I'm proud of our party leaders in Illinois that they made it clear that lying to the voters is not acceptable.

_____

In the time since my interview with Patrick Ross, several developments had taken place. Not only had President George Bush officially announced his intention to run again but Alan Keyes had been brought in from Maryland to compete in the Illinois senatorial race against Barack Obama.

WCT: So a few things have happened since we last talked...

Patrick Ross: [Laughs.] Just a few ... .

WCT: So tell me about the Log Cabin Republicans' national leadership conference [which took place in late August].

PR: We met in New York, which was very important considering the endorsement decision coming up. We covered a lot of area as far as technology. Our national office has acquired a new Web-based application that allows us to do legislative work more effectively. In fact, Equality Illinois uses the same software; it's called GetActive. It allows us to find gay Republicans and allies quickly and effectively. We can send legislative alerts to specific [politicians].

We also had workshops about working with the media. Little did I know how important that would be this week. [Laughs.] We learned how to communicate our issues very effectively—and that's very critical right now. We also networked with people in the party. I went to the Illinois delegation event and saw a lot of Republican friends, such as Judy Baar Topinka and congresswoman Judy Biggert. [Biggert] was thrilled to know that we're endorsing her.

WCT: It sounds like you got a lot accomplished.

PR: Yes. We got to talk to other chapters throughout the country and see how they're communicating relevant issues. We met with folks from Illinois, like Rich Gordon (the 42nd Ward committeeman), Suzanne Davis (the 43rd Ward committeewoman), and Rick Garcia. It was a great experience.

WCT: On the Log Cabin Republicans' Web site is a plea from national president Patrick Guerriero. Basically, he's not too happy about the Party platform.

PR: That was a large part of our discussion. We had submitted a unity plank along with a couple other Republican groups to the platform committee. It was a pretty flexible plank; basically, it stated that we can disagree on issues within the Republican Party. Specifically, the Log Cabins asked that a lot of the anti-gay language in the platform be removed. What happened was that the final platform had more anti-gay rhetoric than we knew. [The platform committee] added that it was also against domestic partnerships and civil unions; no one had seen that before. Obviously, that was a big concern.

Something we noticed is that while these social moderates like Rudolph Giuliani and Arnold Schwarzenegger were at the convention, the platform was more like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell. The platform didn't represent what people saw on TV.

WCT: Speaking of Schwarzenegger, were you heartened when he mentioned how people within the party should be able to disagree on issues and come together?

PR: Yes, I thought it was great. However, I was terribly upset with the President's speech. I felt that bringing up the Defense of Marriage Act was unnecessary—especially since, up until then, he spoke very well of issues that unified Americans, like the economy and the war on terror. He then went to this divisive issue. It was very hurtful. My partner and I were eating dinner at a restaurant and our mouths dropped.

By the way, there was a new advertisement during the convention that attracted a lot of media attention. It was controversial because CNN wouldn't air it. It's at our Web site. We posed the question to the Republicans if they want to be the party of division. It's highly effective.

WCT: Don't you feel that there are Republicans who'll never accept the Log Cabin Republicans?

PR: I believe there are, but I also believe that the overwhelming majority feel that [the controversies over same-sex civil unions and gay Republicans] are not the most critical issues in their lives. Being gay or lesbian is not an issue for a lot of people, especially younger people. We have to decide if we want to disconnect ourselves from a whole generation of voters.

WCT: Do you know how younger Republicans feel about same-sex marriage and gay Republicans in general?

PR: Based on my involvement with the College Republicans and Freedom Alliance [at UIC], it's not an issue. They seem to understand the lives of gays and lesbians more, possibly because they have gay and lesbian friends. This is something our party should know: This is our future.

WCT: Let's move on to Alan Keyes. I'm sure I already know this, but what's your reaction to his 'selfish hedonist' comment about homosexuality and Mary Cheney.

PR: It's hurtful and inexcusable. I am very proud of the leadership of the Illinois Republican Party who said that his comments are just wrong. Judy Baar Topinka said that his remarks were idiotic. [Keyes's comments] hurt a party that's trying to rebuild itself. His thoughts have hurt not only himself but the entire party.

WCT: What do you give his chances in November?

PR: None. He's not connecting with voters. If anything, he's disconnecting himself from people.

WCT: Do you think it was a mistake bringing in someone who doesn't understand how things work in Illinois?

PR: I think that was a mistake—but selecting Alan Keyes himself was a mistake. [Laughs.] He doesn't understand our lives and how we live. My partner and I are not selfish hedonists.

______

Shortly after that interview, the Log Cabin Republicans' national board of directors decide 22 to 2 to withhold its endorsement of President Bush. The decision to not support the president revolved around, among other things, his desire for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

WCT: The voting margin would seem to indicate that withholding the endorsement was not a hard decision. Was it?

PR: In my opinion it was brutally, painfully hard. Remember, these are active Republicans; they worked on Bush's campaign in 2000. For these people to go back to their parties and communities to explain the decision was a very, very difficult thing to do. Also, there were individuals within the organization who disagreed with the [final vote]. However, I'm very proud of them and I think they made the right decision.

WCT: Of course, this decision was a pretty radical move for your group. Are you worried about a permanent schism between the Log Cabin Republicans and other members of the party?

PR: No, I don't worry about it. At the end of the day, I think it shows that we can work together on common issues even though there are variances [regarding] what we believe.

WCT: There are so many things that the Log Cabins support about Bush, including his free market principles and the war on terror. How can one issue turn the tide so much?

PR: I don't believe this was about one issue. The overall tone was more disturbing than any one particular thing. I believe that the national board wanted to send a message that they couldn't use gays as a divisive issue to get votes.

WCT: Some prominent gay Republicans, such as D.C. councilman David Catania, have decided to endorse John Kerry.

PR: There may be individuals doing that. Others may vote for Bush [who also] believe that the Log Cabins should not have endorsed him. What they do is their prerogative.

WCT: Do you know what you're going to do?

PR: [Pause.] No. I really don't.

WCT: So what do you hope regarding the 2008 presidential race, Log Cabin Republicans, and the Republican Party in general?

PR: If you look at the rising stars of the Republican Party, they're all social moderates. The rising stars are not Pat Robertson or Rick Santorum; they're George Pataki, John McCain, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. They're people who are great on our issues. That's definitely reason to be optimistic [about the future].

www.lcrchicago.com .