From DallasVoice.com
Log Cabin, Stonewall spar over anti-gay lawmaker
By John Wright - News Editor
Jun 26, 2008 - 9:20:05 PM
LCR leader says outreach to Republican officials vital; Democrats outraged by invitation to Branch
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| Rep. Dan Branch |
The Log Cabin Republicans have invited anti-gay state Rep. Dan Branch to speak at their regular monthly meeting in July, prompting outrage from the leader of Stonewall Democrats of Dallas.
Dallas Log Cabin President Rob Schlein, who heads the local chapter of the national gay Republican group, said Branch has agreed to speak at the chapter’s meeting on July 28.
Stonewall Democrats, North Texas’ largest LGBT political group, has targeted Branch for his anti-gay voting record in the Legislature. Branch also publicly campaigned in support of a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in 2005.
Branch’s District 108 includes roughly half of Dallas’ traditional gay neighborhood in Oak Lawn, and Stonewall Democrats has endorsed Branch’s opponent in the November election, Democrat Emil Reichstadt.
“I’m just livid,” said Jesse Garcia, president of Stonewall Democrats of Dallas. “They’re [Log Cabin is] embracing someone who works so hard to defeat our community. I’m very disappointed that they’re ready to embrace him. I don’t know what their motivation is. I think the reason why he’s speaking to them is, he knows this is going to be a tough race.”
Schlein said he invited Branch to speak to Log Cabin when they met at a Republican happy hour event several weeks ago. Schlein said it was shortly after Dallas Voice had published an article about Stonewall Democrats’ support for Reichstadt. Schlein said he later ran into Branch again at the Texas Republican Convention in Houston.
“First of all, he’s a Republican,” Schlein said. “Second, he’s a representative of that district. Thirdly, you’re not going to change anybody’s attitude toward gays and lesbians if you’re not going to outreach,” Schelin said. “I found him to be very warm and welcoming, and didn’t feel any sense of homophobia at all.”
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| Rob Schlein |
Schlein dismissed Garcia’s suggestion that Branch is pandering to gay Republicans.
“The reality is, when races get closer, people reach out more and more, so here’s an opportunity for us to make our cases known,” Schlein said. “If anybody uses the gay community for votes, it’s the Democrats, in my view. They have control of Congress and haven’t passed anything.”
Through his legislative staff, Branch has repeatedly declined requests for an interview with Dallas Voice. His legislative chief of staff, Candice Shapiro, forwarded a statement to Dallas Voice this week on the Log Cabin engagement.
“I am grateful for the continued support I have received from many Log Cabin Republicans since my first Texas House race in 2002,” Branch said in the statement. “I look forward to addressing the group, and discussing the range of issues that are important to them.”
According to Equality Texas, Branch has sided against the LGBT community on five of the seven gay-related House votes since he took office. Branch was absent for the other two votes.
Branch voted in favor of a state statute banning same-sex marriage in 2003. He was a sponsor of the bill that put the constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage on the ballot in 2005, and he voted in favor of a ban on gay and lesbian foster parents in 2005.
Schlein said he’s unsure whether Log Cabin will make an endorsement in the race between Branch and Reichstadt. But he added that his focus is not “gay-centric” and said he believes the only way to change the Republican Party is from within.
“Dan’s a good conservative on economic issues and tax issues and other things that are important in the state,” Schlein said. “Those things matter as much or more to me than gay issues.”
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