Crossdressing and politics link?

[susan2010]

I'm fairly liberal and usually vote for Democrats
The Republican Party seems to be made up of three fairly distinct groups:
1. Libertarian, fiscal conservative: least government, less spending, less taxes. In general, this group should at least tolerate crossdressers and LGBT people.
2. The pro-business: this group is mostly out for preserving privelege and increasing wealth. Usually claim to want to reduce regulation, but mostly want regulation and policies to favor their particular interests. Will switch to the Dems when in their interests. Only interested in moral issues when they can make alliances; otherwise only interests are financial.
3. (mostly) religious right: interest is in imposing their view of morality on everyone else thru the force of law. Want to give more power to the government if the government agrees with them. Typically believe that crossdressing and gay behavior is sinful and should be illegal.

I know these are generalizations (Max Weber might call them "ideal types"), and that most people would really have a mix of these beliefs (even if self-contradicting), but this is how I see the Republicans now, and these contradictions are tearing them apart.

[JiveTurkeyOnRye]

As someone who considers himself a progressive (or a liberal, which has been spun into a dirty word) both in economics and social issues, I do think that people's acceptance of this has less to do with one's politics and more with why one has their political positions.

For example, many people who are registered, die-hard democrats are so not because of their open mindedness to social change, but because of their steadfast loyalty to labor issues and working class economics. This group represents a significant portion of the Democratic party, and they are frankly just as likely to be socially conservative as a large number of people who consider Rush Limbaugh to be a savant.

Where as on the other side, there are plenty of people who vote republican based on feelings of fiscal conservatism, but whom are totally open to liberal social issues and could be totally accepting of crossdressers.

[Cindi Johnson]

As a girl who doesn't believe ancient, incoherent books should dictate my life (whether Bible, Koran, or Mayan Calendar), I definitely won't get into bed with the GOP. Currently I'm 95% Democrat; I'll be 100% Democrat the day Obama pulls our troops out of these damn wars Bush started.

Look, when you're out and about town, shopping or sipping coffee at Starbucks, nicely dressed in a cute top and jean skirt , enjoying that wonderful sense of exhilaration and freedom which only one of us can comprehend, then you're either a Democrat or you're schizophrenic.

Cindi Johnson

[sherri52]

I stay in the center but lean toward the side that's to my benefit at the time

[sheidelmeidel]

Reading a thread like this makes me proud to be on this site. I venture that there are very few "places" where a discussion like this would not quickly descend into name calling and personal attacks.

CD'ers by their very nature have to learn to see things from multiple perspectives (or maybe the ability to see from multiple perspectives is part of what makes us CD'ers?) and on a thread like this we see the benefit.

[Dana Lane]

Progressives are the one that fought 'for' the new hate crimes bill and are fighting 'for' ENDA. They are fighting for the rights for every single person on this forum (that live in the US) to be able to express themselves and to not be discriminated against. Republicans are fighting these efforts.

[JulieK1980]

And it begins......

I was really enjoying this thread until the last two posts.....

[Astrid Star]

Does anyone else have any experiences like this? Just curious if anyone has seen anything completely opposite or similar to my experience?

I do not want anyone to get the wrong idea but I will not discuss my views so as to not offend anyone and get banned. I will just say simply that some of my views are;

* I am a Nationalist ("far-right" views in regard to cultural integration).

* My economic views are centre-wing (corporatism), closer to the right.

* But my views on sexual-liberation are very liberterian.

I do often have trouble when I am involved in local politics and I agree on everything with some of my more social-conservative peers, until they oppose abortion rights and gay marriage.

Astrid

[Hope]

When I was in high school, I was a member of the "young republicans" (Which now is described as anyone under about 35 I understand). I was an anomaly in California.

And then I grew up, started paying taxes, started paying for doctors, for tuition, and paying closer attention to the world. Several of my friends went to Iraq (the first time). And I decided that what I really wanted my tax dollars to go towards was protecting my civil liberties, to providing health care and housing to the indigent (if for no other reason, I may one day be among their number), to funding scientific research, to providing quality education. What I decided I didn't want to pay for was more prisons, more police, an even more embarrassingly large military, and to have my civil liberties eroded in the process. I decided I wanted to fund a war on cancer, and on poverty, and on ignorance, not on drugs, or terror, or Iraq. So I had to take a good long, hard look at my relationship with the republican party.

And then the W. happened. And the Neo-cons took over the republican party. And the same person who was once a proud member of the "young republicans" was described by one of his friends as a "bleeding heart liberal," among other things. And so I joined my brothers and sisters in the democratic party. I felt like a traitor at first, but soon realized that freedom isn't about waving a flag or economic policies, or serving in the military, but rather it is about saying what you want, loving who you want, wearing what you want, and insisting on your neighbor's right to say, love, and wear the exact opposite, especially when it makes your skin crawl and your blood pressure go up. I realized that while my new friends might be disorganized and seemingly incapable of working together, they were at least, for the most part, working for each other.

I can't imagine ever going back to the republican party in the state it is in now.

[sheidelmeidel]

I can't imagine ever going back to the republican party in the state it is in now.

So why don't you start a thread about that? It has nothing to do with this thread at all. Previously I said I was enjoying this thread. Since then it has gone into a death spiral and diverted from the question of the OP. I guess it was too good to be true - to imagine a thread about politics where people would just speak objectively about something instead of standing on a soapbox and announcing their personal political views and bashing those who disagree. The web is filled with countless sites where people do that 24/7 - is there no sanctuary left at all?

[Joanie_Shakti]

I am a registered Republican but philosophically, I am a libertarian. I think that you are going to find those intolerant to other's lifestyles in all political parties.

[Holly]

Forum rules prohibit the discussion of political ideology on this board. Your cooperation is appreciated.

[sherri]

I am a Republican in recovery.

[sarahcross]

I would for the most part agree with you. The one person i tell everything too is liberal and she is very understanding. I am as conservative as can be. I am also extremely religious. But i am also bi. That is the only part of religion i dont understand.
Sarah <3

[Briana Blonde]

[janis murray]

I think anyone who's a CDr would have to have some liberal views surely?

[Alice Torn]

I hope she doesn't become a crossdresser! We'd miss the skirt suits, outfits, and legs!