From the Boston Tea Party to gay marriage, Old South Church’s 350-year history is steeped liberal dissent

Contents:

• TEA PARTIERS SILENT ON GAY MARRIAGE
• THE TEA PARTY: MORE ANTI-GAY THAN ALL SENRS
• TEA PARTY SILENT ABOUT GAY MARRIAGE
• GAY RIGHTS AND THE TEA PARTY
• IS THE TEA PARTY NATN ANTI-GAY?
• WHY THE TEA PARTY SHOULD ENDORSE GAY MARRIAGE
• I’M A CONSERVATIVE TEA PARTY CHRISTIAN REPUBLIN, AND I SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE
• TEA PARTY SEEKS NDIDAT WHO SAY NO TO GLOBAL WARMG AND GAY MARRIAGE
• VIO OF TEA PARTIERS THOUGHTFULLY DISCSG GAY MARRIAGE REVEALS MORE ABOUT MEDIA COVERAGE OF TEA PARTY
• KELSEY GRAMMER TALKS TEA PARTY, GAY MARRIAGE
• AHEAD FOR 2013: TEA PARTY, GAY MARRIAGE, GUNS
• WILL THE TEA PARTI RISE UP AGAST GAY RIGHTS?
• KELSEY GRAMMER REJECTS TEA PARTY DUE TO ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE STANCE
• FROM THE BOSTON TEA PARTY TO GAY MARRIAGE, OLD SOUTH CHURCH’S 350-YEAR HISTORY IS STEEPED LIBERAL DISSENT

TEA PARTIERS SILENT ON GAY MARRIAGE

Two proment urt s have put gay marriage the news lately, and The Washgton Post reports that Tea Party groups are standg on the sil as a feral judge Massachetts has led agast the Defense of Marriage Act, the feral preemptn of gay marriage:The silence is by sign, activists wh the loosely affiliated movement said, bee is held together by an exclive foc on fisl matters and s avoidance of divisive social issu such as abortn and gay marriage. The group do not take a posn on social issu, he said, but personally, "I believe that if the people Massachetts want gay people to get married, then they should allow , jt as people Utah do not support abortn.

"Everett Wilkson, state director for the Florida Tea Party Patrts, agreed: "On the issue [of gay marriage] self, we have no stance, but any time a state's rights or powers are enuraged over the feral ernment, is a good thg. So even if you see some voicg agreement wh liberals and libertarians on social issu like gay marriage, you won't see those issu bee part of the movement's general the full story at The Washgton Post.

My own view is that they are hard-le Christianists a different outf - powred wigs, mkets and red cheeks - and are outliers on issu of morny - racial tegratn, women's rights, gay equaly. 52 percent of TPers and 52 percent of GOPers want no rights whatever for gay upl, eher civil unns or civil marriage. Moreover, on civil marriage for gays, TP support is at 17 percent, pared wh 42 percent support for Partiers and Republins are more anti-gay than all the poll pots: mori e out strongly favor of legal gay relatnships wh 79 percent of Latos and 62 percent of Ain-Amerins favor of eher civil marriage or civil unns.

THE TEA PARTY: MORE ANTI-GAY THAN ALL SENRS

And y, TNC, a greater proportn of wh oppose regnn for gay relatnships than blacks.

Majory oppose gay marriage or civil unns.

TEA PARTY SILENT ABOUT GAY MARRIAGE

general to oppose legal regnn of gay marriage or civil unns.

across the untry have not ma a public statement about gay marriage. Whout makg a platform addrsg issu such as gay marriage, the Tea Party n build more momentum and reta higher membership Party groups may not put gay marriage issu on their platforms, but they are very clear about who should regulate the legalizg or banng of gay marriage. "I believe that if the people Massachetts want gay people to get married, then they should allow , jt as people Utah do not support abortn.

GAY RIGHTS AND THE TEA PARTY

Nservative talk-rad host who ran as an pennt ndidate 1994 agast Eunice Groark, a Republin and the first female litenant ernor of Connecticut back beme submerged hot water 2005 when, as Tampa mayoral ndidate, he opposed lol gay rights march, and urged elected officials to vote agast his exce at the time was that his opposn was not down to discrimatn, but the "issue was spendg public dollars to advote or advertise gay pri" went one further, too: "I oppose any kd of discrimatn any form" Stt is also a fellow-traveller of the tea party movement.

To the accatn that the tea party is a cell for racists and homophob, Stt -- a black person himself -- replied that "the real basic platform of the Tea Party" is a dissatisfactn of high tax and big probably don't s well.

Sanchez' lleague at the Cato Instute David Lampo has taken upon himself to do the seemgly impossible task of brgg gay rights to the nservative right. Though, further, he don't thk 'll be too his new book, A Fundamental Freedom: Why Republins, Conservativ, and Libertarians Should Support Gay Rights he c: A Montana Tea Party group recently kicked out one of s board members for remarks that seemgly ndoned anti-gay vlence.

IS THE TEA PARTY NATN ANTI-GAY?

On the Republins general and gay relatnship regnn, Lampo c some very tertg figur: When to relatnship regnn for gay upl, as far back as 2004, a CBS News poll showed that 46 percent of Republins backed eher civil unns or same-sex marriage, and that support has ntued to grow.

WHY THE TEA PARTY SHOULD ENDORSE GAY MARRIAGE

A May 2011 survey by Public Policy Pollg showed a majory of Republins, 51 percent, favor of eher same-sex marriage (12 percent) or civil unns (39 percent) his Washgton Post piece he not a sea change Mt Romney, sidg wh homophobic anisatns to rally up the troops. The nservative Right are g round to gay rights -- even on issu such as perhaps there is somethg this.

I’M A CONSERVATIVE TEA PARTY CHRISTIAN REPUBLIN, AND I SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE

Perhaps this shows somethg tertg wh nservatism that appeals to gay marriage, rather than the stock cricism that nservativ and gay marriage are as opposnal as Jeremy Hunt and a ngregatn of nservative rabbis Arizona recently put : "Same-sex marriag have the same sense of hols and joy as that exprsed heterosexual marriag. Edor's note: Below is a nnsed excerpt om the sixth chapter "Is the Tea Party Natn Anti-Gay?

" of David Lampo's new book "A Fundamental Freedom:Why Republins, Conservativ, and Libertarians Should Support Gay Rights.

TEA PARTY SEEKS NDIDAT WHO SAY NO TO GLOBAL WARMG AND GAY MARRIAGE

" Released by Rowan & Ltlefield Publishers this month, "A Fundamental Freedom" provis a ser and important analysis of gay rights and marriage equaly om a libertarian of the the most strikg polil velopments sce the electn of Print Barack Obama has been the birth of the Tea Party movement, perhaps the most momento polil velopment the past several years. Notably absent have been the social issu long associated wh nservative relig anizatns, particularly gay marriage.

There has been ltle evince of an overt anti-gay prejudice or agenda the ranks or the learship of the Tea Party movement, spe the var accatns om the Left that the movement is rife wh homophob and racists.

VIO OF TEA PARTIERS THOUGHTFULLY DISCSG GAY MARRIAGE REVEALS MORE ABOUT MEDIA COVERAGE OF TEA PARTY

In fact, many gay nservativ and gay Republins have participated the movement sce s ceptn. Bce Carroll, a blogger for the gay nservative GayPatrt webse, says that all the Tea Party events he’s attend, he’s never heard anti-gay statements. Mark Ciavola, the spokman for another gay nservative blog lled Right Pri, agre.

He also believ that engagg Tea Party activists about the enomic issu and ncerns they share is the bt way to talk to them about other issu like gay rights. This is not to say, of urse, that most of the lns of Tea Party members are necsarily pro–gay rights, let alone pro–gay marriage. The are nservativ who are nsistent their support of feralism, even if they may disagree wh how some stat will handle the issue of gay marriage, a far cry om many the Relig Right who put their anti-gay views above all else, stat’ rights be damned.

There is other evince as well of a general tolerance on gay issu on the part of many Tea Party activists. A Montana Tea Party group recently kicked out one of s board members for remarks that seemgly ndoned anti-gay vlence.

KELSEY GRAMMER TALKS TEA PARTY, GAY MARRIAGE

This more tolerant attu on gay issu partly reflects the other ma characteristic of the Tea Party movement: the strong and pervasive libertarian fluence. Ultimately, however, supporters of legal equaly for gays and lbians mt imprs upon all Republins that support for gay rights is an tegral part of the pro-eedom, limed ernment philosophy we all profs to believe .

A radil re-brandg of the Tea Party n pture them, which is why the movement should endorse gay marriage. Why gay marriage? ), gay marriage is the perfect pivot issue.

AHEAD FOR 2013: TEA PARTY, GAY MARRIAGE, GUNS

Comg out favor of grantg same-sex upl the same legal stat as heterosexual partners n shatter the negative stereotyp pned on the Tea Party while havg no impact whatsoever on anythg that really matters to anyone, unls you happen to be gay.

WILL THE TEA PARTI RISE UP AGAST GAY RIGHTS?

Endorsg gay marriage do nothg to dimish the no new tax, cut ernment spendg mandate. Jt grab the mic next time a malic reporter sniffg around one of your events tryg to goad someone to makg a racist remark and make a se for gay marriage.

More pennts who lean toward the Democratic Party (81%) favor gay marriage than Democrats (71%).

KELSEY GRAMMER REJECTS TEA PARTY DUE TO ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE STANCE

” If you’re a good Republin, a good Christian, and a good nservative, then you really n’t support gay marriage—at least, that’s what I’m nstantly beg told.

FROM THE BOSTON TEA PARTY TO GAY MARRIAGE, OLD SOUTH CHURCH’S 350-YEAR HISTORY IS STEEPED LIBERAL DISSENT

It’s om that perspective that I have always approached the issue of whether or not gay upl should be afford the liberty to be married, and I ntue to have a difficult time unrstandg why so few of those who share my valu virtually all other areas of life rema unwillg or unable to see the gay marriage bate for what is: a stggle agast ernment ntrol.

) suggt that real nservative valu mandate the opposn to same-sex marriage; when printial hopeful Ben Carson refers to homosexualy as a choice; and when Sen.