Will the Voters of Colorado Reject Hate?
Like many in Colorado, across the country, and around the world, I cherish friends and family members who happen to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ). I want for them to receive the respect and dignity that each of us deserves by default. I want any judgment of them to be based on the content of their character and not by an aspect of their individual makeup that, for whatever reason, prompts some others to feel negatively toward them.
Pride Month is an opportunity for all of us – whether or not we are LGBTQ – to celebrate the freedom to engage in the world as our authentic selves. Sadly, Pride Month for some is a time not for celebration but for persecution.
On Monday June 3, in a mass email with the subject line “God Hates Pride,” the Colorado Republican Party attacked all who stand for basic human dignity with the slur that people who are LGBTQ are “godless groomers…[who] want to attack what is decent, holy, and righteous.” Later that day, one of the Colorado Republican Party’s social media accounts put out a call to “Burn all the pride flags this June.”
In a statement he issued on Tuesday June 4, a Republican candidate for Colorado’s first Congressional District, Valdamar Archuleta, announced his rejection of the endorsement that he had received from the Colorado Republican Party on June 2. Here is some of what he said:
Yesterday the Colorado State GOP sent out an email with the subject line “God Hates Pride”. I have been an avid critic of where the celebration of Pride has gone in recent years and firm supporter of protecting children from environments and entertainments that are of an adult nature. However, this email went too far and was just hateful.
I personally found it very troubling. I spoke with many LGBT and non LGBT Republicans yesterday who also found the message in the email disgusting and offensive. This email does NOT Represent the Republican voters of Colorado.
[...]
On Sunday, June 2nd, the State GOP released its full list of endorsements for this month's State Primary. After giving it a lot of thought, reflecting on the email released yesterday, I can not accept the endorsement from the Colorado State GOP.
Not incidentally, Archuleta is the president of the Colorado chapter of Log Cabin Republicans, which is an advocacy organization whose stated mission is “to work on the state and local level, both within & alongside, the Colorado Republican Committee/PARTY to advocate for the equal rights of all Americans, LGBT community included.” While Archuleta’s statement is welcome, it is unsurprising.
More interesting is the position of Michael DiManna, who is a Republican running for House District 2 in the Colorado General Assembly. He also has rejected the state Republican Party’s endorsement and reportedly said the following:
"This condemnation of the entire Gay Community is not representative of my view," DiManna said in a written statement.
He added that he is calling on other endorsed candidates to also reject the state Republican Party's endorsement on the same grounds.
DiManna, a practicing attorney since 1972 and founder of Denver's first minority-owned law firm, noted that while he isn't on board with many of the policies promoted by "progressive gay rights activists," he disagreed strongly with the party's message.
"I cannot endorse the condemnation of an entire community of Colorado citizens over who they love, and choose to be with," DiManna said.
I salute DiManna for his forthright statements and especially for having called upon other Republican candidates to likewise reject the state party’s endorsement. I believe that on the whole the people of Douglas County and of House District 39 agree with DiManna and me about this.
Unfortunately, as I noted last July, the current representative of House District 39 – a recipient of the Colorado Republican Party’s endorsement – also has slurred “an entire community of Colorado citizens” as “groomers.” Perhaps she has undergone a change of heart. It would be nice to know if she has.