It’s a question as old as time—sort of. Is it possible to be queer and aligned with conservative politics? I mean, technically yes. But it’s complicated, as one Redditor recently found out.
“Just visited gay conservatives on Reddit. WTF? Am I wrong or are they all bots or just delusional?” one poster wrote. “How do they think republicans or tr*mp will ever do anything to help the gay community?”
Honestly, all great questions. We know queer conservatives do in fact exist, but it’s confusing to remember that as Republicans lean further into their plan of disenfranchising queer people and “ending the transgender lunacy” (erasing trans rights and existence.)
So what’s the story? Are queer conservatives aware of this contradiction in terms?
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Well first off, ‘conservative’ could mean different things depending on where you are.
“I know gay guys from Eastern Europe who feel all the focus on pronouns and bathrooms and trans and pride stuff makes it harder for them in their own countries, which are already conservative,” one poster noted.
Yes, toxic homonormativity technically does exist everywhere, and the pervasive idea that trans or gender-nonconforming people are somehow giving the “normal gays” a bad name is definitely (sadly) alive and well in most countries.
“It’s the same principle in the US,” another commenter wrote. “People believe that if they assimilate better, blend in and look the same as others, and profess similar values (minus the homophobia) as those who hate them, they’ll convince them that they’re no different and win acceptance.”
Well…that never quite works out does it?
“During the last US election, Kamala never used the word “trans” in any of her campaign speeches, never invoked her pronouns, didn’t drop any LGBT alphabet soups,” another commenter explained. “But you know who couldn’t shut the f*ck up about that stuff? Tr*mp. Republicans spent over $200 MILLION on ads just complaining about trans people.”
That’s the problem—respectability politics only go so far. And it’s usually…you know…not far enough.
“I assume gay conservatives vote on inflation…and the border, just like straight conservatives,” someone else pointed out. And yes, that’s true: when it comes to the actual meaning of Republican (putting the constitution above all else, believing in small government) there are ways you can engage with those politics without hanging your own community (and interests) out to dry. But it’s…tricky.
As another commenter concisely put it: “I’m gay, not stupid.”
Another user chimed in with the comment to end all comments: “I’m just h*rny.”
There you have it. It takes all kinds to make a world, and sadly it also takes all kinds to make a gay community.
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