{"id":5486,"date":"2017-07-02T18:44:07","date_gmt":"2017-07-03T01:44:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vinsuprynowicz.com\/?p=5486"},"modified":"2017-07-02T19:32:09","modified_gmt":"2017-07-03T02:32:09","slug":"conservatism-what-does-it-mean-to-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vinsuprynowicz.com\/?p=5486","title":{"rendered":"A Surprising Haven For Gays Fleeing the Regressive Left"},"content":{"rendered":"

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(Brunette again.) With recent LGBT Pride Day celebrations fading from the headlines, especially since posting my last piece<\/a>, I’ve found myself thinking about various stories I’ve read over the past year or two, particularly accounts of gay men coming out as conservative: They say — and I have no trouble believing them — that it’s harder than coming out as gay was. Their former friends and often family members tend to be liberal, as the liberals see themselves as defenders of LGBT people. But is that really true?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I’m coming to suspect that whatever Ism (Liberalism, Libertarianism, Anarchism, Conservatism) is in growth mode, is the one that’s most welcoming and tolerant at any given time. That Ism begins to attract fresh interest from displaced moderates who feel their former group — like the liberal left at present, which has wielded power for decades and is now acting utterly senile — no longer represents (or has outright betrayed) them and their interests. Respecting your elders is good, but there comes a time to leave their basement, too. For good. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

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Here are a few of the coming-out-as-conservative accounts:<\/p>\n

From a Salon article<\/a> about Chadwick Moore<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know when I came out as gay, I suddenly had this whole support network,\u201d he said. \u201cOf course, the liberals come to you and all these new friends and it sort of becomes this political issue. I got all new friends and it was just a really wonderful, lovely experience. Coming out as conservative has been both that, but initially it was scary because you know, much like being gay 50 years ago, you face employment discrimination if you come out as a Trump supporter, you lose friends and family members, people get angry with you. Politics are so violent at the moment. So that was really, really scary, and I wasn\u2019t sure what was going to happen to me when I decided to make this announcement.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Moore talked about how the conservative community welcomed him. He also mentioned that he sees conservatives as inclusive and tolerant.<\/p>\n

\u201c[S]imilar to coming out gay, I\u2019ve had this whole new world that\u2019s opened up to me, all these wonderful people coming forward. Also that same sense of newness and excitement for things that are ahead,\u201d Moore said. \u201cAnd not all conservative are going to agree with me on this, but the way I see it, I like the term \u2018conservative\u2019 as this umbrella term for essentially a very diverse coalition of political thought: the religious right, the Tea Party and the establishment republicans, and libertarians and classical liberals.\u201d (Read the rest here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Also, from an interview<\/a> with Tucker Carlson, Moore states:<\/p>\n

I was outside of the liberal bubble and looking in. What I saw was ugly, lockstep, incurious and mean-spirited. (Watch video here<\/a>.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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James Campbell writes for The Rebel<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Coming out as gay in rural Scotland wasn\u2019t easy, but it was a walk in Stanley Park compared to coming out as a conservative in Vancouver.<\/p>\n

That’s because Vancouver is liberal — and the Vancouver gay scene is VERY liberal.<\/p>\n

As the flamboyant conservative activist Milo Yiannopoulos<\/strong><\/a> tweeted:<\/p>\n

“I had no trouble coming out as gay. I had a lot of trouble coming out as a gay conservative.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He wasn\u2019t exaggerating. (. . .)<\/p>\n

Gay men accused me of having “internalized homophobia” for failing to celebrate with gusto the giant publicity stunt which was marriage equality — a teaspoon of distraction in exchange for a bucket of freedom.<\/p>\n

I was called a sociopath, a psychopath, “cisgendered,” right-winger, retard, fascist, arrogant and dangerous. I was even anonymously threatened with violence. (Read the article here<\/a>.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

James Merse writes for the Washington Examiner<\/a>:<\/p>\n

I am white and I am male, from the suburbs of New Jersey, which forfeits my free speech in the eyes of leftists, but I haven’t played my ace just yet.<\/p>\n

I’m also a gay Christian and a registered Democrat (for now). But above all, I am American. (. . .)<\/p>\n

Gay conservatives are being vilified and neutralized by the liberal agenda. They are being systematically silenced on social media, called names via traditional media and just plain neglected. It’s all leading to a marginalization of right-leaning gay men.<\/p>\n

Tolerance is conditional to LGBT leftists. And that’s why I have no problem revoking my affiliations with LGBT groups and causes, which includes financial support.<\/p>\n

For me, LGBT stands for “Let’s Get Behind Trump,” and I did, and we won.” (Read the article here<\/a>.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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James Merse reflects on his friendship with Chadwick Moore for Daily Caller<\/a>:<\/p>\n

I had a chance to catch up with Chadwick, who\u2019s been working with Milo since May.<\/p>\n

\u201cLately I\u2019ve been reflecting on how miserable I was when I was on the Left, and how that poisonous liberal dogma makes people intrinsically unhappy. There was so much genuine warmth, excitement, and joy in the room, which is always the case when I\u2019ve been in a sizable group of Trump-lovers,\u201d Chadwick said. \u201cThis may have been the first time in gay history that 200 homos were in a room together and there was zero bitchiness or judgment. Gays can be awful to each other, but not in this group. And of course we must acknowledge our many straight friends who came out to support us. It\u2019s so important for conservatives, especially in New York and other liberal strongholds, to continue making real life connections with one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Left\u2019s poison Chadwick mentioned found its way into my life last year. I have been on the receiving end of a great deal of hate from the LGBT Left regarding my separation from liberalism. It is a blessing that the conservative gay community has welcomed me with open arms, without judgment and accepts me for who I am.<\/p>\n

Despite not knowing anyone but Chadwick and my plus one, I wasn\u2019t alone in a crowded room. I felt right at home, like I was with old friends and like I found a place that I don\u2019t have to worry about what other will say about me.<\/p>\n

This mirrors the little known fact about the new right \u2013 there\u2019s a family dynamic and unity that is equal to that of a sports team or club.<\/p>\n

When we made the choice to come out conservative, we all faced the same intolerance from the Left, and became pariahs. In fact, since coming out as a homosexual in 2012, I can truthfully say I have never faced discrimination or was ostracized and ridiculed, which is a stark difference from what happened when I came out conservative. (Read the article here<\/a>.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Gay conservative Jacob Engels of Orlando spoke out<\/a> about the Democrats’ politicization of the Pulse Nightclub attack:<\/p>\n

As a firm believer in the 2nd Amendment, I ask Americans and Floridians to not let politicians use this senseless tragedy as an excuse to further disarm our citizens.<\/p>\n

To those who think that Hillary Clinton is an ally or friend of the gay community, I implore you to consider the fact that she has taken millions upon millions in donations and speaking fees from oppressive foreign regimes and Islamic countries that regularly commit acts of depravity and violence against gay men and women.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, her top aide, Huma Abedin, has been linked to a Saudi Arabian group that is currently listed as a funder of terrorism.<\/p>\n

If Hillary Clinton is truly a friend and ally of the gay community, we call on her to return the millions she and her husband have received from Islamic regimes that perpetrate senseless acts of violence against the gay community each and every day. (Article and video here<\/a>.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Similarly, Jim Hoft of the popular Gateway Pundit<\/a> conservative website, came out as gay<\/a> after the Pulse Nightclub massacre:<\/p>\n

Like most gay Americans, I don\u2019t wear my sexuality on my sleeve. I go about my daily business. I try not to harm anyone. I love my family. I love my friends. I love my country.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been a conservative activist for years.\u00a0But today I\u2019m coming out as a conservative gay activist.<\/p>\n

In the past few years I\u2019ve built one of the most prominent conservative websites in America. I created The Gateway Pundit because I wanted to speak the truth. I wanted to expose the wickedness of the left. I was raised to love my country. Today I serve my country by defending her from the socialist onslaught. (Breitbart article here<\/a>.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

London’s Ivan Massow echoes a (now familiar) theme<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Massow, 47, described having to \u201ceffectively apologise\u201d for being Conservative as many felt that the party was against the LGBT community. The reality, Massow maintains, is very different. \u201cOur LGBT group is bigger than all the other groups for all the other parties put together. They [the Conservatives] are the gayest party there is! And I think we have the most gay MPs as well.\u201d (Read article here<\/a>.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When Gil Steinlauf, a ‘nationally prominent conservative Rabbi,’ came out as gay, he was stunned by the response<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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\u201cThere\u2019s been so much positive energy from the congregation, and I\u2019m getting a constant flood of emails, calls, texts and Facebook expressing every positive sentiment you could imagine,\u201d Steinlauf told JTA.<\/p>\n

In fact, Steinlauf and some of his congregants said the response within the congregation has been exclusively positive, including a supportive letter from the synagogue\u2019s president, Arnie Podgorsky.<\/p>\n

Posts on Steinlauf\u2019s Facebook page have come from as far as Israel and South Africa, and have included posts from Conservative movement officials.<\/p>\n

\u201c[O]vernight you have also become a role model to LGBT Jews everywhere, in particular within the Conservative Movement,\u201d wrote Aimee Close, the transformation specialist for the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the movement\u2019s congregational arm. \u201cOn behalf of all of us, thank you for your courage and your leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: http:\/\/forward.com\/news\/207309\/rabbi-gil-steinlauf-wins-wide-support-from-conserv\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Dave Rubin, a gay man who identifies as a classical liberal, explains to<\/a> Tucker Carlson why he’s no longer a progressive. He says:<\/p>\n

Live and let live is a liberal principle, and what I’ve found over the last couple years, especially, is that defending my liberal principles has become a conservative position. So I find it easy suddenly to build bridges with people that you know, like Glenn Beck and Dennis Prager and Ben Shapiro that are looking to go, wait a minute — maybe we can find some common ground with liberals. . . . (Watch video here<\/a>.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

How do LGBT liberals respond to gay conservatives ‘coming out’? Often, not kindly. Here’s one example<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A bisexual gal and her friend — Milo fans — confirm; coming out as a conservative is way more frightening than coming out as gay. Asked, “Have you experienced liberal bias at college?”<\/p>\n

Oh, God. Oh, gosh, yes (. . .)<\/p>\n

People find out I’m [bisexual and] conservative, and they don’t understand how those things agree, because they have such a warped image of what it is to be conservative. (Watch video here<\/a>.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So, if you’d bought into the lie that Trump and his conservative supporters are somehow hateful, intolerant bigots because they exercise a healthy skepticism regarding Islam (as gays\/LGBT people in particular should) I hope the brave guys and gals above have given you plenty of food for thought.<\/p>\n

If you’re puzzled as to why this is such an important subject for me, it’s because — although I’m heterosexual — I find myself in a similar predicament. Nearly all my old friends, and all my family (Vin’s too) lean so far left that it’s hard even to hold a decent conversation aside from pleasantries. Several of my extended family members are active in the LGBT community, and probably marched in Pride Day parades . . . where I rather doubt Trump supporters would have been welcome, unless they remained ‘in the closet’ and silent.<\/p>\n

No doubt they’d consider me politically confused for no longer calling myself liberal. In the sense ‘liberalism’ exists for them, I can’t. And they’re not the least bit curious as to why. At least several of the guys featured above expressed in the linked articles and videos that they’ve noticed a dire lack of curiosity on the part of their leftist friends and relatives. It’s sad, but I understand all too well how they must have felt, coming out as conservatives. How delightful that they found the courage. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Brunette again.) With recent LGBT Pride Day celebrations fading from the headlines, especially since posting my last piece, I’ve found myself thinking about various stories I’ve read over the past year or two, particularly accounts of gay men coming out as conservative: They say — and I have no trouble believing them — that it’s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[63,69,21,78,77,84,87,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2016-election","category-brunettes-rants","category-free-speech","category-individual-liberty","category-islam","category-politics","category-regressive-left","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pWqFl-1qu","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vinsuprynowicz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5486","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vinsuprynowicz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vinsuprynowicz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vinsuprynowicz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vinsuprynowicz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5486"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/vinsuprynowicz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5486\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5504,"href":"https:\/\/vinsuprynowicz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5486\/revisions\/5504"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vinsuprynowicz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5486"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vinsuprynowicz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5486"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vinsuprynowicz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5486"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}