Arizona Senate Candidate Blake Masters’ Views on Gay Marriage May Surprise His Polil Master Peter Thiel

Contents:

• PETER THIEL MAK HISTORY AT RNC: 'I'M PROUD TO BE GAY'
• PETER THIEL BE FIRST OPENLY GAY R.N.C. SPEAKER 16 YEARSTHE NTROVERSIAL BILLNAIRE VENTURE PALIST SAID HE IS “PROUD TO BE GAY.”BY MAYA KOSOFFJULY 21, 2016BY ALEX WONG/GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEON THURSDAY EVENG, BILLNAIRE PAYPAL -FOUNR PETER THIEL LIVERED A SPEECH SUPPORT OF TMP AT THE REPUBLIN NATNAL CONVENTN CLEVELAND. TO THE SHOCK OF THE REPUBLIN CROWD, HE AFFIRMED THAT HE WAS “PROUD TO BE GAY.” THE ONLY PREV TIME AN OPENLY GAY SPEAKER SPOKE AT THE REPUBLIN NATNAL CONVENTN WAS THE YEAR 2000, AND THIEL IS THE FIRST GAY R.N.C. SPEAKER TO DISCS HIS SEXUAL ORIENTATN.“WHEN I WAS A KID, THE GREAT BATE WAS ABOUT HOW TO FEAT THE SOVIET UNN. AND WE WON. NOW WE ARE TOLD THAT THE GREAT BATE IS ABOUT WHO GETS TO E WHICH BATHROOM,” HE SAID. “THIS IS A DISTRACTN OM OUR REAL PROBLEMS. WHO R? OF URSE, EVERY AMERIN HAS A UNIQUE INTY. I AM PROUD TO BE GAY. I AM PROUD TO BE A REPUBLIN.” HIS CLARATN WAS MET WH CHEERS OF “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!”PREVLY THIEL HAS DONATED TO NSERVATIVE-LIBERTARIAN PRO-L.G.B.T. ANIZATNS. HE BEME THE FIRST SPEAKER THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIN PARTY TO EMBRACE L.G.B.T. ISSU SO PUBLICLY AT THE R.N.C. IN ADDN, THIEL TALKED ABOUT HIS ANTI-WAR STANCE, WHICH HE SAYS ALIGNS HIM WH TMP. “INSTEAD OF GOG TO MARS, WE HAVE VAD THE MIDDLE EAST,” HE SAID. HE FISHED HIS SPEECH WH A STANDG OVATN OM THE DIENCE. THOUGH THIEL’S TRAILBLAZG PRENCE AND MENTS BO WELL FOR THE CHANCE OF A MORE CLIVE REPUBLIN PARTY, TMP’S CHOICE OF NNG MATE DON’T EXACTLY SUPPORT THE SAME PICTURE OF THE FUTURE. INDIANA ERNOR MIKE PENCE HAS MA A REER PROTTG L.G.B.T. RIGHTS, AND EVEN ARGUED THAT FERAL FUNDS SHOULD GO TOWARD SO-LLED “GAY NVERSN THERAPY.”THIEL’S SUPPORT FOR TMP MAK PLETE SENSE; AN AVOWED LIBERTARIAN, THIEL HAS PREVLY EXPRSED HIS SPAIR THAT PALISM AND MOCRACY N’T REALLY EXIST. BOTH THIEL AND TMP ARE WEALTHY, WHE PALISTS WH AN THORARIAN BEND. BOTH MEN FD THEMSELV SOLVG SUATNS WH LIGATN; TMP HAS THREATENED TO SUE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, CLUDG HIS GHOSTWRER, WHILE THIEL HAS CID TO WAGE A PROXY WAR ON GAWKER BY FUNDG FORMER PROFSNAL WRTLER HULK HOGAN’S LAWSU AGAST THE MEDIA PANY.THIEL AND TMP ALSO SHARE A DISTASTE FOR “POLIL RRECTNS” AND MULTICULTURALISM. THROWG HIS SUPPORT BEHD TMP IS ALSO A MEANS FOR THIEL TO DISMANTLE THE REGULATORY AMEWORK THAT PREVENTS HIM OM THE KDS OF TECHNOLOGIL “DISPTIVE” CHANGE HE WISH TO ENACT.LIKE TMP, THIEL ALSO WH A HEALTHY SET OF NTRADICTNS. THE VENTURE-PALIST HAS EXTEND HIS FANCIAL SUPPORT TO THE COMMTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS, A NONPROF FOUNDATN THAT FENDS “THE RIGHT OF JOURNALISTS TO REPORT THE NEWS WHOUT FEAR OF REPRISAL.” AND WHILE HE’S A BIG BELIEVER PRIVACY OM THE ERNMENT, HE IS ALSO A -FOUNR OF PALANTIR, A MULTI-BILLN-DOLLAR START-UP THAT LLECTS DATA ABOUT S CLIENTS’ ERS AND MOIZ THEIR PERSONAL RMATN. THE C.I.A.’S VENTURE-PAL ARM HAS VTED PALANTIR.THE REAL FASHN WNERS OF THE R.N.C.1 / 13CHEVRONCHEVRONBY TASOS KATOPODIS/WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAG.IVANKA TMP'S EARRGSTHE SIMPLE OBLONG ACCSORI AMG IVANKA’S FACE ARE WORKG OVERTIME. SOMEHOW, THEY’RE HIGHLIGHTG THE ALMOND SHAPE OF HER EY AND BRGG OUT THEIR CHTNUT LOR. HER HAIR SEEMS EVEN MORE GROOMED NEXT TO THE EARRGS, HER SK EVEN MORE GLOWG. SOMEONE GIVE THE EARRGS A RAISE.MOST POPULARSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISRUTH HANDLER: SEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM AND THE ORIG OF BARBIEBY ANTHONY BREZNINMAYA KOSOFF
• WHO IS PETER THIEL? PAYPAL FOUNR TELLS RNC HE’S A PROUD, GAY REPUBLIN
• PETER THIEL IS TOTALLY GAY, PEOPLE
• PAYPAL CO-FOUNR PETER THIEL SAYS HE'S 'PROUD TO BE GAY' AT THE RNC
• GAY BILLNAIRE PETER THIEL BUYS HIMSELF A REPUBLIN SENATE NDIDATE
• 'I AM PROUD TO BE GAY,' TECH INVTOR PETER THIEL TELLS GOP CONVENTN
• GAY BILLNAIRE PETER THIEL IS GOG ALL ON TMP WANNAB THIS YEAR’S MIDTERM ELECTNS
• BLAKE MASTERS’ VIEWS ON GAY MARRIAGE MAY SURPRISE HIS POLIL MASTER PETER THIELMASTER AND COMMANDERTHE TECH BILLNAIRE HAS BEEN MAKG MAJOR NTRIBUTNS TO HIS FORMER EMPLOYEE FOR HIS U.S. SENATE BID. HE MIGHT BE SURPRISED BY MASTERS’ VIEW ON THIEL’S OWN WEDDG.ROGER SOLLENBERGERSENR POLIL REPORTERUPDATED JUN. 27, 2022 6:02AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THOMAS LEVSON/THE DAILY BEAST/GETTY/ALAMYREPUBLIN SENATORIAL NDIDATE BLAKE MASTERS ENJOYS THE FANCIAL AND POLIL SUPPORT OF HIS LONGTIME IEND, MENTOR, AND BILLNAIRE BS PARTNER PETER THIEL, WHO IS GAY. BUT MASTERS, WHO ATTEND THIEL’S WEDDG, ALSO APPARENTLY BELIEV THIEL’S MARRIAGE SHOULD BE ILLEGAL.“IT’S NOT JT DISNEY, YOU KNOW—‘FOLLOW YOUR HEART,’” MASTERS SAID AT A MPAIGN EVENT EARLIER THIS YEAR. “IT HAS A POT.”THAT “POT,” HE SAID, IS MAKG CHILDREN. AND SCE THERE’S NO PROCREATN WH SAME-SEX MARRIAG, MASTERS REASONED, THOSE UNNS DON’T HAVE A POT—AND THEREFORE SHOULD BE BANNED. MASTERS, 34, SHARED THIS PERSPECTIVE FEBARY WH AN DIENCE AT A REPUBLIN WOMEN’S CLUB EVENT SAN TAN VALLEY, ARIZONA, WHERE HE’S NNG FOR SENATE. THE 2015 SUPREME COURT CISN THAT LEGALIZED GAY MARRIAGE, HE TOLD THIS GROUP, AMOUNTED TO “SQUTG AND MAKG UP SO-LLED RIGHTS THE CONSTUTN.” “THE SUPREME COURT SHOULD NOT BE CIDG GAY MARRIAGE. IF THIS UNTRY WANTED TO LEGALIZE GAY MARRIAGE OR REGNIZE , WHAT YOU WOULD DO IS YOU WOULD HAVE A CONSTUTNAL AMENDMENT. IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE HARD. IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE HARD FOR A REASON,” HE SAID. “FRANKLY, THE SUPREME COURT JT SQUTG AND MAKG UP SO-LLED RIGHTS THE CONSTUTN—THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY THAT WAS FOR ABORTN, THE RIGHT TO GAY MARRIAGE—I DISAGREE WH THAT.”MASTERS THEN PIVOTED TO THIEL’S WEDDG FOR A REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE, SAYG “I WISH HIM WELL,” WHILE THE NEXT BREATH CLARG THAT THIEL’S MARRIAGE SHOULD BE AGAST THE LAW.“MY, YOU KNOW, FORMER BOSS AND MENTOR PETER THIEL IS GAY. I WENT TO HIS WEDDG LIKE, YOU KNOW, I’M— WAS GREAT, I WISH HIM WELL. I DON’T THK THE SUPREME COURT SHOULD HAVE CID THAT SE THAT WAY,” MASTERS SAID. HE ADD THAT WHILE HE DON’T THK GAY MARRIAGE IS “THE LIVE ISSUE RIGHT NOW,” HE BELIEV “MARRIAGE IS BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN.”ALTHOUGH SAME-SEX MARRIAGE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN A “LIVE ISSUE” AT THE TIME OF THAT EVENT, CERTALY GREW TO ONE THREE MONTHS LATER, WHEN THE PUBLIC GOT A PREVIEW OF WHAT LAST WEEK BEME THE MOMENTO SUPREME COURT CISN OVERTURNG ROE V. WA. THAT NTROVERSIAL LG HUNG ON A DUE PROCS ISSUE, AND THE URT ULTIMATELY KICKED THE CISN BACK TO THE DIVIDUAL STAT. BUT ROE ISN’T THE ONLY PRECENT TABLISHED ON THOSE GROUNDS; OTHER MAJOR CISNS SHARE A SIAR LEGAL STCTURE, CLUDG OBERGEFELL V. HODG, THE SE THAT SECURED THE RIGHT FOR GAY PEOPLE TO GET MARRIED.THE IMPLITNS WERE NOT LOST ON THE URT. THE URT’S THREE LIBERAL JTIC—ELENA KAGAN, STEPHEN BREYER, AND SONIA SOTOMAYOR—RAISED A WARNG THEIR DISSENT THAT OBERGEFELL ULD BE NEXT, ALONG WH PROTECTNS FOR NTRACEPTIV AND SEXUAL ACTIVY GENERALLY.WHILE THE MAJORY OF THE SCOTUS NSERVATIV PARRIED THOSE NCERNS, JTICE CLARENCE THOMAS STATED PLALY HIS OPN THAT THE COURT “SHOULD RENSIR” ALL SIAR DUE PROCS PRECENTS, LLG OBERGEFELL OUT BY NAME.MASTERS ALSO LLED THE SE OUT BY NAME, SAYG THAT WHILE HE HAD “A LOT OF PROBLEMS” WH CHIEF JTICE JOHN ROBERTS, HE ALIGNED WH ROBERTS’ “PRETTY GOOD DISSENT.”THAT’S BEE MARRIAGE, MASTERS SAID, “HAS A POT.”“MARRIAGE IS AN STUTN THAT GO BACK THOANDS OF YEARS, AND HAS A POT. THE POT IS PROCREATN AND CREATG CHILDREN,” MASTERS SAID.THIEL’S MARRIAGE, MASTERS’ VIEW, WOULD SEEM TO HAVE NO POT.IT’S UNCLEAR HOW THIS SQUAR WH THE “GREAT” WEDDG MASTERS ATTEND BETWEEN THIEL AND HIS NOW HBAND, MATT DANZEISEN. THIEL, PAYPAL -FOUNR AND AN EARLY FACEBOOK VTOR, GOT HCHED AFTER OBERGEFELL, THOUGH THE LONGTIME UPLE DIDN’T HOLD THE CEREMONY THE UNED STAT. THEY STEAD VED GUTS TO VIENNA, ATRIA, UNR THE AEGIS OF THE VENTURE PALIST’S 50TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATN, AND SURPRISED THEM WH THE WEDDG. (LOTN DID NOT MATTER; THERE WAS NO OVERSEAS LOOPHOLE WHEN ME TO THE FERAL RIGHTS EXTEND OBERGEFELL.)AT THE TIME, MASTERS WAS CFO OF THIEL CAPAL MANAGEMENT, MAKG HIM A LLEAGUE NOT JT OF THIEL, BUT ALSO OF DANZEISEN, WHO WORKED THERE AS A PORTFOL MANAGER. THIEL HAD TAKEN MASTERS UNR HIS WG A AGO, AND LAST YEAR POURED $10 LN TO BACKG THE NDIDACY OF HIS PROTEGE—WHO EQUENTLY PLUGGED HIS THEN BOSS’ TECHNOLOGY ON THE MPAIGN TRAIL.MASTERS EVENTUALLY RIGNED OM THIEL CAPAL THIS SPRG AMID ETHIL NCERNS. HE SRED FORMER PRINT DONALD TMP’S ENDORSEMENT EARLIER THIS MONTH.BUT EVEN WH TMP OUT OF OFFICE, LGBTQ RIGHTS ARE UNR ATTACK OM NSERVATIV ACROSS THE UNTRY. WH DEMOCRATS NTROLLG THE FERAL LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE BRANCH, THE ACTN HAS BEEN NFED AT THE STATE LEVEL—SOMETHG MASTERS WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE.SO FAR THIS YEAR, MORE THAN 250 ANTI-LGBTQ BILLS HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD 37 STAT, ACRDG TO THE LEGISLATN TRACKER KEPT BY FREEDOM FOR ALL AMERINS AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN.ANTI-TRANSGENR EXTREMISM HAS LATED TO THE POT WHERE PARENTS OF TRANSGENR CHILDREN FEAR FOR THEIR SAFETY, AND THE RURGENCE OF ARCHAIC HOMOPHOBIC RHETORIC AROUND “GROOMERS” AND PEDOPHIL—FUELED BY REPUBLIN LEARS AND NSERVATIVE MEDIA—HAS STIRRED ANXIETY THE LGBTQ MUNY ABOUT LOOMG POLILLY MOTIVATED VLENCE. DAYS BEFORE THE ROE CISN WAS RELEASED, THE TEXAS REPUBLIN PARTY ROLLED OUT A RADILLY NSERVATIVE POLIL PLATFORM, NOUNCG GAY MARRIAGE AS VLATG THE “NATURAL ORR” AND VOWG TO “PROTECT” MORS OM THE “PREDATORY” DRAG QUEEN STORY HOUR.IN NOVEMBER, GOP LEARS TORCHED REPUBLIN NATNAL COMMTEE CHAIR RONNA ROMNEY MCDANIEL FOR EXPRSG SUPPORT FOR GAY REPUBLINS AT A MAR-A-LAGO GALA—EVEN LLG FOR HER RIGNATN.CRICS SAY THAT THE VELOPMENTS, LIKE MASTERS’ MENTS, SHOW THAT THE REPUBLIN PARTY IS WDG BACK THE CLOCK. HOWEVER, WHEN TO GAY MARRIAGE, THE GOP’S CLOCK HAS BEEN STUCK 2016, WHEN THE OFFICIAL PARTY PLATFORM FED “NATURAL MARRIAGE” AS BETWEEN “A MAN AND A WOMAN.”BEE THE GOP CLED TO WRE A NEW PLATFORM 2020, THE CURRENT PLATFORM, WHICH WILL RRY THROUGH AT LEAST THE 2024 ELECTN, IS INTIL TO THE ONE OM 2016—THE YEAR AFTER OBERGEFELL.THE LIBERTARIAN THIEL ACTUALLY SPOKE AT THE 2016 NVENTN JT A FEW MUT BEFORE TMP TOOK THE STAGE, CLARG, “I AM PROUD TO BE GAY.”“WE ARE TOLD THAT THE GREAT BATE IS ABOUT WHO GETS TO E WHICH BATHROOM,” THIEL SAID, REFERENCG A NTROVERSY OVER NEW ANTI-TRANSGENR LAWS BREWG NSERVATIVE STAT.“THIS IS A DISTRACTN OM OUR REAL PROBLEMS,” HE SAID. “WHO R?” ROGER SOLLENBERGER

PETER THIEL MAK HISTORY AT RNC: 'I'M PROUD TO BE GAY'

In any other electn, the ia of an openly gay, avowed libertarian member of Silin Valley’s ele addrsg the Republin Natnal Conventn on the same night as the nomee would seem, well, unnventnal, to say the least. At this pot, however, ’s well unrstood that most thgs about this electn — and the speaker qutn, Peter Thiel — are jt, a -founr of PayPal, ma history Thursday night when he beme the first person to publicly announce to the GOP nventn that he is gay. "I am proud to be gay.

Thiel prumably had his own sre to settle; 2007 Gawker’s Valleywag blog published a piece tled, “Peter Thiel is totally gay, people” before he was publicly out. ”Gregory Angelo, print of the pro-LGBT Log Cab Republins, hoped Thiel would also acknowledge the historic nature of his prence as a gay man. Only two other openly gay people have addrsed the GOP nventn before, and the last time happened 16 years ago, legat om Texas silently protted by bowg their heads prayer.

PETER THIEL BE FIRST OPENLY GAY R.N.C. SPEAKER 16 YEARSTHE NTROVERSIAL BILLNAIRE VENTURE PALIST SAID HE IS “PROUD TO BE GAY.”BY MAYA KOSOFFJULY 21, 2016BY ALEX WONG/GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEON THURSDAY EVENG, BILLNAIRE PAYPAL -FOUNR PETER THIEL LIVERED A SPEECH SUPPORT OF TMP AT THE REPUBLIN NATNAL CONVENTN CLEVELAND. TO THE SHOCK OF THE REPUBLIN CROWD, HE AFFIRMED THAT HE WAS “PROUD TO BE GAY.” THE ONLY PREV TIME AN OPENLY GAY SPEAKER SPOKE AT THE REPUBLIN NATNAL CONVENTN WAS THE YEAR 2000, AND THIEL IS THE FIRST GAY R.N.C. SPEAKER TO DISCS HIS SEXUAL ORIENTATN.“WHEN I WAS A KID, THE GREAT BATE WAS ABOUT HOW TO FEAT THE SOVIET UNN. AND WE WON. NOW WE ARE TOLD THAT THE GREAT BATE IS ABOUT WHO GETS TO E WHICH BATHROOM,” HE SAID. “THIS IS A DISTRACTN OM OUR REAL PROBLEMS. WHO R? OF URSE, EVERY AMERIN HAS A UNIQUE INTY. I AM PROUD TO BE GAY. I AM PROUD TO BE A REPUBLIN.” HIS CLARATN WAS MET WH CHEERS OF “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!”PREVLY THIEL HAS DONATED TO NSERVATIVE-LIBERTARIAN PRO-L.G.B.T. ANIZATNS. HE BEME THE FIRST SPEAKER THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIN PARTY TO EMBRACE L.G.B.T. ISSU SO PUBLICLY AT THE R.N.C. IN ADDN, THIEL TALKED ABOUT HIS ANTI-WAR STANCE, WHICH HE SAYS ALIGNS HIM WH TMP. “INSTEAD OF GOG TO MARS, WE HAVE VAD THE MIDDLE EAST,” HE SAID. HE FISHED HIS SPEECH WH A STANDG OVATN OM THE DIENCE. THOUGH THIEL’S TRAILBLAZG PRENCE AND MENTS BO WELL FOR THE CHANCE OF A MORE CLIVE REPUBLIN PARTY, TMP’S CHOICE OF NNG MATE DON’T EXACTLY SUPPORT THE SAME PICTURE OF THE FUTURE. INDIANA ERNOR MIKE PENCE HAS MA A REER PROTTG L.G.B.T. RIGHTS, AND EVEN ARGUED THAT FERAL FUNDS SHOULD GO TOWARD SO-LLED “GAY NVERSN THERAPY.”THIEL’S SUPPORT FOR TMP MAK PLETE SENSE; AN AVOWED LIBERTARIAN, THIEL HAS PREVLY EXPRSED HIS SPAIR THAT PALISM AND MOCRACY N’T REALLY EXIST. BOTH THIEL AND TMP ARE WEALTHY, WHE PALISTS WH AN THORARIAN BEND. BOTH MEN FD THEMSELV SOLVG SUATNS WH LIGATN; TMP HAS THREATENED TO SUE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, CLUDG HIS GHOSTWRER, WHILE THIEL HAS CID TO WAGE A PROXY WAR ON GAWKER BY FUNDG FORMER PROFSNAL WRTLER HULK HOGAN’S LAWSU AGAST THE MEDIA PANY.THIEL AND TMP ALSO SHARE A DISTASTE FOR “POLIL RRECTNS” AND MULTICULTURALISM. THROWG HIS SUPPORT BEHD TMP IS ALSO A MEANS FOR THIEL TO DISMANTLE THE REGULATORY AMEWORK THAT PREVENTS HIM OM THE KDS OF TECHNOLOGIL “DISPTIVE” CHANGE HE WISH TO ENACT.LIKE TMP, THIEL ALSO WH A HEALTHY SET OF NTRADICTNS. THE VENTURE-PALIST HAS EXTEND HIS FANCIAL SUPPORT TO THE COMMTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS, A NONPROF FOUNDATN THAT FENDS “THE RIGHT OF JOURNALISTS TO REPORT THE NEWS WHOUT FEAR OF REPRISAL.” AND WHILE HE’S A BIG BELIEVER PRIVACY OM THE ERNMENT, HE IS ALSO A -FOUNR OF PALANTIR, A MULTI-BILLN-DOLLAR START-UP THAT LLECTS DATA ABOUT S CLIENTS’ ERS AND MOIZ THEIR PERSONAL RMATN. THE C.I.A.’S VENTURE-PAL ARM HAS VTED PALANTIR.THE REAL FASHN WNERS OF THE R.N.C.1 / 13CHEVRONCHEVRONBY TASOS KATOPODIS/WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAG.IVANKA TMP'S EARRGSTHE SIMPLE OBLONG ACCSORI AMG IVANKA’S FACE ARE WORKG OVERTIME. SOMEHOW, THEY’RE HIGHLIGHTG THE ALMOND SHAPE OF HER EY AND BRGG OUT THEIR CHTNUT LOR. HER HAIR SEEMS EVEN MORE GROOMED NEXT TO THE EARRGS, HER SK EVEN MORE GLOWG. SOMEONE GIVE THE EARRGS A RAISE.MOST POPULARSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISRUTH HANDLER: SEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM AND THE ORIG OF BARBIEBY ANTHONY BREZNINMAYA KOSOFF

’ I don’t thk ’s an accint that they’re havg an openly gay nservative addrsg the nventn on a night that is pog that theme, ” Angelo said Wednday. He served on Donald Tmp’s transn team and, an addrs before the Republin Natnal Conventn, clared, “I am proud to be gay.

As the AIDS crisis raged the Bay Area, the monthly prted treatis agast “unnatural forms of sex” and “homophobia-phobia. A 2007 post, tled “Peter Thiel Is Totally Gay, People, ” was particularly upsettg to Thiel: although many of his iends and lleagu had known that he was gay, he saw the post as an the drew to a close, Thiel beiend Patri Friedman, a puter programmer and grandson of Milton Friedman, who had wrten about so-lled seasteadg muni—hypothetil libertarian utopias floatg ternatnal waters.

WHO IS PETER THIEL? PAYPAL FOUNR TELLS RNC HE’S A PROUD, GAY REPUBLIN

But is he gay? But the notn that this ma someone "homosexual" or "gay" was a relatively recent phenomenon human history. Prr to that, sexual activi between people of the same genr were often nsired sful or crimal, but they rarely nstuted what some the medil muny began to fe at end of the 1800s as a "third sex" or "tersex" or even "homosexual.

" The creatn of the tegory of sexual orientatn not only classified homosexual sex but also led to the ventn of the Uned Stat and many parts of Europe, the velopment of the tegori led to the broar cultural unrstandg that the sexual acts created unrstandg that sex had the power to fe inty led to the martn of homosexual and heterosexual people -- as well as the subsequent stigma that those who were marked as homosexual were aberrant, crimally viant, and socially the people who began to be intified as homosexual started to disagree wh the assertns and found promise this alternative inty.

PETER THIEL IS TOTALLY GAY, PEOPLE

While the neighborhoods thrived, many people who were attracted to people of the same sex ntued to fear the repercsns of beg marked as homosexual.

Many LGBT people started refg to accept the fn of homosexualy as an inty that meant ferr, aberrant, crimal, and, most of all, unequal. When the people the rt stood up agast the police, they embraced a fn of homosexualy that regnized that people who had sex wh people of the same genr had a distct culture, inty, and history that nnected them to 1920s Berl and the 1970s to the prent, many people who me out of the closet as gay unrstood their inty as part of a subculture and a specific muny. They may not have known the exact history of how this sexual classifitn emerged or even unrstood s cultural vernacular, but they had a very clear regnn that beg gay meant more than jt havg sex wh someone of the same genr.

They embraced the unrstandg that their sexual proclivi have fed their the 1970s, when this velopment emerged, gay people began the exhstive, tirels task of creatg a culture to substantiate their inty. LGBT people lnched their own newspapers, anized polil ralli, and created neighborhoods which to socialize and Toronto, gay people began The Body Polic, which was a newspaper that reached rears across North Ameri and throughout the word, solidifyg a global gay inty. The Body Polic reported on lol, natnal, and ternatnal news that affected gay people, and also featured a huge cultural ponent: There were reviews of recently published books by gay thors, articl about gay films and documentari, and a special sectn tled "In Our Image" voted to historil exploratns of gay artists, micians, and thkers.

PAYPAL CO-FOUNR PETER THIEL SAYS HE'S 'PROUD TO BE GAY' AT THE RNC

The Body Polic and many other gay publitns found durg the 1970s illtrated how beg gay was not jt about sex but a cultural inty. LGBT people had created var forms -- newspapers, plays, bookstor, church, tellectual societi -- that articulated the meang of a distct gay the ia of beg gay as a distct cultural inty is now unr new brgs to Peter Thiel.

GAY BILLNAIRE PETER THIEL BUYS HIMSELF A REPUBLIN SENATE NDIDATE

At the nventn Cleveland July, Thiel was the first person the history of the party to clare his homosexualy on stage to an dience of people who have historilly opposed same-sex marriage, among other LGBT Republins and media portrayed Thiel's statement as progrs: The party had embraced an out gay man, and the nventn had reflected the diverse iologil inti of LGBT Amerins. But his statement also challenged that 1970s notn of a gay the logic of gay liberatn, Thiel is an example of a man who has sex wh other men, but not a gay man.

'I AM PROUD TO BE GAY,' TECH INVTOR PETER THIEL TELLS GOP CONVENTN

" Thiel also endorsed a polil platform and party that clus the vice-printial nomee who has voted aganst hate-crime laws, opposed HIV fundg, and supported a law allowg bs to ny servic to people who intify as this way, Thiel reaffirmed his own sexual choic -- while separatg himself om gay inty. Sce the end of the '70s, many gay people have not vted the creatn of a cultural inty to the extent that their forbears did.

Part of the succs of gay liberatn meant that they no longer need to do this kd of cultural there are real human nsequenc to this retreat. In the recent aftermath of the Orlando massacre, the media began to claim Omar Mateen, the terrorist who killed 49 people and wound 53 others at the Pulse nightclub that cy, was also gay.

GAY BILLNAIRE PETER THIEL IS GOG ALL ON TMP WANNAB THIS YEAR’S MIDTERM ELECTNS

"Gay" do not simply mean sex wh another man or even tert another man physilly, as Mateen's se, but rather "gay, " as fed by the liberatn movement, meant an open claratn of acceptance wh a muny of people who unrstood that their sexual orientatn ma them a part of distct culture. Further, intifyg Mateen as gay plays to an early-20th-century fn of homosexualy as crimally viant. The unspoken subtext this assertn is that gay people are aberrant and their sexual orientatn driv them to m such horrific power of the gay liberatn movement of the 1970s was to shatter prev negative nnotatns associated wh homosexualy and to imbue a new meang of the term "gay, " revealg how sexual inty translated to a specific muny of people who were part of a distct history of the 1970s was not jt about polil mpaigns for equaly but was also a subtle more profound movement to refashn the term gay.

BLAKE MASTERS’ VIEWS ON GAY MARRIAGE MAY SURPRISE HIS POLIL MASTER PETER THIELMASTER AND COMMANDERTHE TECH BILLNAIRE HAS BEEN MAKG MAJOR NTRIBUTNS TO HIS FORMER EMPLOYEE FOR HIS U.S. SENATE BID. HE MIGHT BE SURPRISED BY MASTERS’ VIEW ON THIEL’S OWN WEDDG.ROGER SOLLENBERGERSENR POLIL REPORTERUPDATED JUN. 27, 2022 6:02AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THOMAS LEVSON/THE DAILY BEAST/GETTY/ALAMYREPUBLIN SENATORIAL NDIDATE BLAKE MASTERS ENJOYS THE FANCIAL AND POLIL SUPPORT OF HIS LONGTIME IEND, MENTOR, AND BILLNAIRE BS PARTNER PETER THIEL, WHO IS GAY. BUT MASTERS, WHO ATTEND THIEL’S WEDDG, ALSO APPARENTLY BELIEV THIEL’S MARRIAGE SHOULD BE ILLEGAL.“IT’S NOT JT DISNEY, YOU KNOW—‘FOLLOW YOUR HEART,’” MASTERS SAID AT A MPAIGN EVENT EARLIER THIS YEAR. “IT HAS A POT.”THAT “POT,” HE SAID, IS MAKG CHILDREN. AND SCE THERE’S NO PROCREATN WH SAME-SEX MARRIAG, MASTERS REASONED, THOSE UNNS DON’T HAVE A POT—AND THEREFORE SHOULD BE BANNED. MASTERS, 34, SHARED THIS PERSPECTIVE FEBARY WH AN DIENCE AT A REPUBLIN WOMEN’S CLUB EVENT SAN TAN VALLEY, ARIZONA, WHERE HE’S NNG FOR SENATE. THE 2015 SUPREME COURT CISN THAT LEGALIZED GAY MARRIAGE, HE TOLD THIS GROUP, AMOUNTED TO “SQUTG AND MAKG UP SO-LLED RIGHTS THE CONSTUTN.” “THE SUPREME COURT SHOULD NOT BE CIDG GAY MARRIAGE. IF THIS UNTRY WANTED TO LEGALIZE GAY MARRIAGE OR REGNIZE , WHAT YOU WOULD DO IS YOU WOULD HAVE A CONSTUTNAL AMENDMENT. IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE HARD. IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE HARD FOR A REASON,” HE SAID. “FRANKLY, THE SUPREME COURT JT SQUTG AND MAKG UP SO-LLED RIGHTS THE CONSTUTN—THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY THAT WAS FOR ABORTN, THE RIGHT TO GAY MARRIAGE—I DISAGREE WH THAT.”MASTERS THEN PIVOTED TO THIEL’S WEDDG FOR A REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE, SAYG “I WISH HIM WELL,” WHILE THE NEXT BREATH CLARG THAT THIEL’S MARRIAGE SHOULD BE AGAST THE LAW.“MY, YOU KNOW, FORMER BOSS AND MENTOR PETER THIEL IS GAY. I WENT TO HIS WEDDG LIKE, YOU KNOW, I’M— WAS GREAT, I WISH HIM WELL. I DON’T THK THE SUPREME COURT SHOULD HAVE CID THAT SE THAT WAY,” MASTERS SAID. HE ADD THAT WHILE HE DON’T THK GAY MARRIAGE IS “THE LIVE ISSUE RIGHT NOW,” HE BELIEV “MARRIAGE IS BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN.”ALTHOUGH SAME-SEX MARRIAGE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN A “LIVE ISSUE” AT THE TIME OF THAT EVENT, CERTALY GREW TO ONE THREE MONTHS LATER, WHEN THE PUBLIC GOT A PREVIEW OF WHAT LAST WEEK BEME THE MOMENTO SUPREME COURT CISN OVERTURNG ROE V. WA. THAT NTROVERSIAL LG HUNG ON A DUE PROCS ISSUE, AND THE URT ULTIMATELY KICKED THE CISN BACK TO THE DIVIDUAL STAT. BUT ROE ISN’T THE ONLY PRECENT TABLISHED ON THOSE GROUNDS; OTHER MAJOR CISNS SHARE A SIAR LEGAL STCTURE, CLUDG OBERGEFELL V. HODG, THE SE THAT SECURED THE RIGHT FOR GAY PEOPLE TO GET MARRIED.THE IMPLITNS WERE NOT LOST ON THE URT. THE URT’S THREE LIBERAL JTIC—ELENA KAGAN, STEPHEN BREYER, AND SONIA SOTOMAYOR—RAISED A WARNG THEIR DISSENT THAT OBERGEFELL ULD BE NEXT, ALONG WH PROTECTNS FOR NTRACEPTIV AND SEXUAL ACTIVY GENERALLY.WHILE THE MAJORY OF THE SCOTUS NSERVATIV PARRIED THOSE NCERNS, JTICE CLARENCE THOMAS STATED PLALY HIS OPN THAT THE COURT “SHOULD RENSIR” ALL SIAR DUE PROCS PRECENTS, LLG OBERGEFELL OUT BY NAME.MASTERS ALSO LLED THE SE OUT BY NAME, SAYG THAT WHILE HE HAD “A LOT OF PROBLEMS” WH CHIEF JTICE JOHN ROBERTS, HE ALIGNED WH ROBERTS’ “PRETTY GOOD DISSENT.”THAT’S BEE MARRIAGE, MASTERS SAID, “HAS A POT.”“MARRIAGE IS AN STUTN THAT GO BACK THOANDS OF YEARS, AND HAS A POT. THE POT IS PROCREATN AND CREATG CHILDREN,” MASTERS SAID.THIEL’S MARRIAGE, MASTERS’ VIEW, WOULD SEEM TO HAVE NO POT.IT’S UNCLEAR HOW THIS SQUAR WH THE “GREAT” WEDDG MASTERS ATTEND BETWEEN THIEL AND HIS NOW HBAND, MATT DANZEISEN. THIEL, PAYPAL -FOUNR AND AN EARLY FACEBOOK VTOR, GOT HCHED AFTER OBERGEFELL, THOUGH THE LONGTIME UPLE DIDN’T HOLD THE CEREMONY THE UNED STAT. THEY STEAD VED GUTS TO VIENNA, ATRIA, UNR THE AEGIS OF THE VENTURE PALIST’S 50TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATN, AND SURPRISED THEM WH THE WEDDG. (LOTN DID NOT MATTER; THERE WAS NO OVERSEAS LOOPHOLE WHEN ME TO THE FERAL RIGHTS EXTEND OBERGEFELL.)AT THE TIME, MASTERS WAS CFO OF THIEL CAPAL MANAGEMENT, MAKG HIM A LLEAGUE NOT JT OF THIEL, BUT ALSO OF DANZEISEN, WHO WORKED THERE AS A PORTFOL MANAGER. THIEL HAD TAKEN MASTERS UNR HIS WG A AGO, AND LAST YEAR POURED $10 LN TO BACKG THE NDIDACY OF HIS PROTEGE—WHO EQUENTLY PLUGGED HIS THEN BOSS’ TECHNOLOGY ON THE MPAIGN TRAIL.MASTERS EVENTUALLY RIGNED OM THIEL CAPAL THIS SPRG AMID ETHIL NCERNS. HE SRED FORMER PRINT DONALD TMP’S ENDORSEMENT EARLIER THIS MONTH.BUT EVEN WH TMP OUT OF OFFICE, LGBTQ RIGHTS ARE UNR ATTACK OM NSERVATIV ACROSS THE UNTRY. WH DEMOCRATS NTROLLG THE FERAL LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE BRANCH, THE ACTN HAS BEEN NFED AT THE STATE LEVEL—SOMETHG MASTERS WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE.SO FAR THIS YEAR, MORE THAN 250 ANTI-LGBTQ BILLS HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD 37 STAT, ACRDG TO THE LEGISLATN TRACKER KEPT BY FREEDOM FOR ALL AMERINS AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN.ANTI-TRANSGENR EXTREMISM HAS LATED TO THE POT WHERE PARENTS OF TRANSGENR CHILDREN FEAR FOR THEIR SAFETY, AND THE RURGENCE OF ARCHAIC HOMOPHOBIC RHETORIC AROUND “GROOMERS” AND PEDOPHIL—FUELED BY REPUBLIN LEARS AND NSERVATIVE MEDIA—HAS STIRRED ANXIETY THE LGBTQ MUNY ABOUT LOOMG POLILLY MOTIVATED VLENCE. DAYS BEFORE THE ROE CISN WAS RELEASED, THE TEXAS REPUBLIN PARTY ROLLED OUT A RADILLY NSERVATIVE POLIL PLATFORM, NOUNCG GAY MARRIAGE AS VLATG THE “NATURAL ORR” AND VOWG TO “PROTECT” MORS OM THE “PREDATORY” DRAG QUEEN STORY HOUR.IN NOVEMBER, GOP LEARS TORCHED REPUBLIN NATNAL COMMTEE CHAIR RONNA ROMNEY MCDANIEL FOR EXPRSG SUPPORT FOR GAY REPUBLINS AT A MAR-A-LAGO GALA—EVEN LLG FOR HER RIGNATN.CRICS SAY THAT THE VELOPMENTS, LIKE MASTERS’ MENTS, SHOW THAT THE REPUBLIN PARTY IS WDG BACK THE CLOCK. HOWEVER, WHEN TO GAY MARRIAGE, THE GOP’S CLOCK HAS BEEN STUCK 2016, WHEN THE OFFICIAL PARTY PLATFORM FED “NATURAL MARRIAGE” AS BETWEEN “A MAN AND A WOMAN.”BEE THE GOP CLED TO WRE A NEW PLATFORM 2020, THE CURRENT PLATFORM, WHICH WILL RRY THROUGH AT LEAST THE 2024 ELECTN, IS INTIL TO THE ONE OM 2016—THE YEAR AFTER OBERGEFELL.THE LIBERTARIAN THIEL ACTUALLY SPOKE AT THE 2016 NVENTN JT A FEW MUT BEFORE TMP TOOK THE STAGE, CLARG, “I AM PROUD TO BE GAY.”“WE ARE TOLD THAT THE GREAT BATE IS ABOUT WHO GETS TO E WHICH BATHROOM,” THIEL SAID, REFERENCG A NTROVERSY OVER NEW ANTI-TRANSGENR LAWS BREWG NSERVATIVE STAT.“THIS IS A DISTRACTN OM OUR REAL PROBLEMS,” HE SAID. “WHO R?” ROGER SOLLENBERGER

This do not mean that LGBT culture is homogeno or that all LGBT people have the same iologil viewpots or valu, but do mean that they all unrstand, on some level, the notn of gay gay liberatn movement has left a powerful legacy, and protectg that legacy requir unrstandg the meang of the term "gay" and not g simply as a synonym for same-sex sire and DOWNS is the thor of Stand By Me: The Fotten History of Gay Liberatn (Basic, 2016). To the shock of the Republin crowd, he affirmed that he was “proud to be gay. ” The only prev time an openly gay speaker spoke at the Republin Natnal Conventn was the year 2000, and Thiel is the first gay R.