There is a great deal of discussion in American politics regarding the LGBT crowd and their rights in society. For some time, it was the marriage debate. Do homosexual couples have a right to get married in the eyes of the law, or should they settle for lesser unions and not the same legal protections? The discussion has not been resolved, but it has taken a backseat to another debate regarding bathroom usage for transgender people. Should those who identify as an alternate gender be allowed to use a different bathroom?
While the debates are complex and emotional, they seem to generally fall along the same partisan lines. Republicans typically oppose the LGBT crowd, wanting homosexual marriage banned under the Constitution, and believing that bathroom usage should be restricted to your biological structure. Democrats are more favorable to the LGBT crowd, favoring homosexual marriage and allowing those to use the bathroom that matches their identification.
It is for this reason that Democrats feel entitled to the LGBT vote. But should they be?
Caitlyn Jenner highlights the topic quite well. Dating back to her days as Bruce, a former Olympic athlete turned reality television star, she has been a strong conservative Republican. Becoming a transwoman didn’t change this, as she even openly supported Senator Ted Cruz for the Republican nomination and criticized Hillary Clinton.
The reaction of the left-wing was almost as if Jenner had betrayed them – they criticized her and tore her freedom of speech to shreds. Why would they feel betrayed? Jenner has identified as a conservative Republican for some time and has criticized liberal Democrats.
It’s the issue of entitlement. Because the social conservative voice tends to be louder in the Republican Party while the Democrats take political advantage of it, the left feels entitled to their vote. Even if a gay man, lesbian woman, or transgender human being disagrees with big government, high spending, or nominating a crook, they’re still supposed to be Democrats favoring the left.
This is quite intolerant, but it is a characteristic of liberals who only support freedom of speech so long as it corresponds with their own.
Those members of the LGBT community members who don’t subscribe to the left obviously aren’t one trick ponies. They aren’t single issue voters who can settle for a terrible political establishment so long as it panders to their community. There is actually a strong community of LGBT conservatives and libertarians who are concerned about greater things; they are concerned about endless wars, the growing size of government, and endless spending. While individuals like Hillary Clinton secure the Democratic nomination via theft through a rigged primary, these people have a greater conscience and are focused on a core set of principles instead of a single issue.
This is not to say that Democratic LGBT community members are not principled in their own way, but criticizing those in the LGBT crowd as if they are traitors for being conservative or libertarian is not supportive of the LGBT cause. Freedom means freedom for all, including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Freedom means more than marriage and bathrooms, it means celebrating diversity of thought, as all people have a right to their views – even if they are conservative or libertarian members of the LGBT.
