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It’s January and the freeze is on. It also means a chilly opening of the 114th Congress. Despite our improved economy and LGBT advances, last November’s election handed the Senate to the Republicans. Locally, among other electoral ironies, Wisconsinites reelected Scott Walker as governor. They also expanded the GOP hold on power in the state Legislature. Although Walker’s efforts to defeat LGBT marriage equality were foiled, he still persists in his pandering to the Tea Party’s “family” values platform. He still insists that marriage is between a man and a woman. Needless to say, he never acknowledged the LGBT community’s victory. He didn’t even send a card. Meanwhile, Julaine Appling, president of Wisconsin Family Action, vowed to continue the fight against marriage equality.
On an up note, the election did score two for the team. We now have an additional out gay Democrat, Mark Spreitzer representing the 45th district, as well as a gay Republican, Todd Novak, from the 51st. Although, with Republicans in control of State government, LGBT representation may make little difference in the grander scheme of things, it’s reassuring to know that there are additional gay voices to be heard. Spreitzer is outspoken regarding his support of LGBT rights. Novak, however, defers. While advocating a states’ rights approach rather than federal intervention, Novak probably didn’t like the way Wisconsin’s marriage equality was achieved. To paraphrase a popular conservative acronym, he appears to be a GINO—Gay in Nature Only. The unfortunate reality of many GINOs, out or not, is their tendency to be right-wingers who happen to be gay rather than gay Republicans. The difference lies in their loyalty. For GINOs, motives are dictated by their wallets rather than by their constitutional duty and the cause of LGBT equality. Still, FAIR Wisconsin, the state’s LGBT political advocacy group, endorsed Novak. We'll see.
And then there’s our new congressman, Glenn Grothman. He’s the West Bend Republican whose sound bites on Kwanzaa, women’s rights and gays, among other topics, have already earned him a place on “craziest” Republican watch lists. For example, he supports Uganda’s draconian anti-gay laws. His obsession with thwarting the “gay agenda” and other buffoonish crusades may give him Tea Party cred but he’s just really embarrassing.
More embarrassing than Grothman’s election was the lackluster LGBT participation in the democratic process. Admittedly, Wisconsin Democrats, lavender hued or otherwise, didn’t exactly mob the polls. But, one would have thought our marriage equality victory would have motivated LGBT voters. Yet, it seems to have had the opposite effect. After all, “our” issue had been won. In fact, the day after the election, one Milwaukee gay bar owner confessed on social media he hadn’t voted. His tone wasn’t a humble act of contrition, but rather a blithe mockery of those who might hold it against him. Ironically, he was soon exhorting his clientele to vote for his bar in some radio station’s “best of” contest. Gay priorities, I suppose. Drink up!
