Log Cabin Republicans president comes to Enid Pride

by Sara Ritsch
Staff Writer

“Come celebrate the hero in all of us,” the Enid LGBT Coalition says about Enid Pride. And this year, they will feature a heroic special guest: Gregory T. Angelo, president of the Log Cabin Republicans.

According to their website, “Log Cabin Republicans are LGBT Republicans and allies who support equality under the law for all, free markets, individual liberty, limited government, and a strong national defense.”

Angelo is gay and conservative. In July, his open statement on the GOP platform went viral, wherein he began, “I’m mad as hell – and I know you are, too.”

The 2016 GOP platform is said to be the most anti-LGBT in the Republican Party’s entire history, all 162 years of existence.

“Opposition to marriage equality, nonsense about bathrooms, an endorsement of the debunked psychological practice of ‘pray the gay away’ – it’s all in there,” Angelo wrote in his letter to outcry their opposition to LGBT rights.

So, an appearance at the Enid Pride festival this year by Angelo is a pretty big deal. But why Enid?

“I have the distinction of being the first president of the national Log Cabin Republicans organization who started as a volunteer. I know what challenging differences and grueling work it can be to be on the front lines representing gay conservatives at Pride events in Oklahoma or elsewhere. The fact that Oklahoma is a red state makes it a state Log Cabin Republicans has tremendous value in right now. So I’m excited to fire up the group down there,” Angelo told The Gayly.

Robert Hayes, another gay conservative involved in Enid Pride, asked Angelo to attend, and he was happy to oblige. “I’ve always been a Republican,” Hayes began. “Well, I started out as a Democrat and got fed up. My family has always believed that you should be involved in your government and make your voices known.”

Hayes currently encourages other LGBT conservatives to get involved, saying, “If you don’t like what we’re doing, do something about it.”

Every voice in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community deserves its say – including the Republican members. One might ask, how can you be gay and conservative? But Angelo’s response was clear and to the point:

“I identify as LGBT, and I identify as a conservative. I believe in less government intervention in our lives, I believe in maintaining strong national security that fights the existential threat of Islamic terror groups, I believe in liberty and the power of the individual. I also value the history the Republican Party has in equality. I feel the Republican Party should reconnect with its roots in that regard. All those things form who I am and why I am a proud Log Cabin Republican.”

Enid Pride calls itself different from the others, according to chairperson Cindy Stevison. They reach out to the ‘festival underdogs’, such as teens, children and this year, gay Republicans. There is no parade nor alcohol (except at the after party). They would rather be G-rated than sport G-strings – this could be rather fitting for a conservative crowd!

Enid Pride 2016 will be held September 10 at Government Springs North from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., featuring live entertainment, vendor booths and food trucks. Every year, it is hosted by the Enid LGBT Coalition, and the event itself is geared to be welcoming for all in attendance. The festival attracts over a thousand visitors, following a C, C, C plan: Contributing to, Communicating with, and Connecting with all – and they mean all – members of the Enid LGBT community.

The Gayly – September 1, 2016 @ 12:20 p.m.