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The Log Cabin Republicans is an organization founded in 1977, which represents members of the LGBTQ+ community who support the Republican Party and their policies. According to the LCR’s official website, “Log Cabin Republicans is an inclusive community that supports LGBT issues and conservative values through advocacy, engagement, and thought leadership.”
“We are loyal Republicans. We believe in limited government, strong national defense, free markets, low taxes, personal responsibility, and individual liberty,” reads the website’s “About” section. “Log Cabin Republicans represent an important part of the American family—taxpaying, hard-working people who proudly believe in this nation’s greatness. We also believe all Americans have the right to liberty and equality. We believe equality for LGBT Americans is in the finest tradition of the Republican Party. We educate our Party about why inclusion wins. Opposing LGBT equality is inconsistent with the GOP’s core principles of smaller government and personal freedom.”
Just a matter of days into the new Trump administration, LGBTQ+ issues have already been brought to the forefront, with executive orders gutting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and banning transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. armed forces.
Additionally, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson recently upheld a measure championed by U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-SC, that bars transgender people from using the single-sex bathrooms near the House floor that align with their gender identities. And, earlier this month, the House passed a ban on trans athletes’ participation in sports — a bill introduced in the Senate by Alabama’s own Tommy Tuberville.
Given the organization’s unique place in the Republican coalition, APR reached out to the Huntsville chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans to better understand why they continue to align themselves with a political party that appears to be opposed to the equity and inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals.
“Log Cabin Republicans are fully embraced by President Trump, the Republican Party (including the platform), and by nearly all Americans. The reason I cannot say ‘all’, is because openly gay Republicans are one of the biggest segments of the population that are targeted by DEI manufactured hate groups – including the use of physical violence,” Andy Blalock, President of the Huntsville LCR, told APR.
Blalock went on to defend the organization’s support of President Trump’s anti-DEI order and SB129, the law signed by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey last year which shuttered DEI programs and offices at university campuses across the state.
“SB129 was overwhelmingly supported by the Alabama legislature because of its purpose of eradicating discrimination in our great state. By signing this bill into law, Governor Ivey continued to fulfill her commitment to making Alabama the most inclusive and equitable state in the nation,” Blalock said. “Laws like this encourage economic growth and investment, prioritize education, and make Alabama a place everyone can be proud to call home. The University of Alabama has a website that details the positive impact SB129 has on laboratories of invention and innovation, like our colleges and universities, as it enshrines the value of actual diversity, actual equity, and actual inclusion rather than taxpayer subsidies of divisive activities.”
Currently, Alabama students and professors are challenging SB129 in federal court, claiming that the law actually violates the First Amendment by imposing viewpoint-based restrictions on educators’ speech, the information students seek to learn, and universities’ allocation of state funding and on-campus spaces to student organizations.
“SB129 is among the most egregious infringements on the rights of students to receive the quality of education they deserve,” Alabama professor Cassandra Simon, a plaintiff in the case, told APR earlier this month. “While the law’s vague and opaque language promote uncertainty and fear on campus, it also prevents the full elimination of white supremacy and its lingering impact in present-day Alabama. Inclusive curriculum and campus spaces are undeniably a strength in higher education, and, as a professor, I’ve witnessed how teaching and engaging with some of these so-called ‘divisive concepts’ can be transformative for both professors and students.
“The state legislative body has no right to censor and vilify these important and legitimate topics in our classrooms. If this discriminatory legislation is allowed to continue, elected officials—with no expertise in matters of higher education—will become emboldened to further impose their viewpoints on the university communities. As a professor who has spent the past 37 years educating students and supporting the wellbeing of our campus communities, I have a moral and ethical responsibility to my students, colleagues, and society at large to speak out against SB129,” Simon continued.
APR has also reported that Black professors and students, LGBTQIA students, and other students of color have claimed to experience numerous discriminatory harms since the passage of SB129.
As for the congressional bathroom restriction enforced by Speaker Johnson, Blalock stated that “Sexual assault victims like U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-SC, have been fearless advocates for providing safety and privacy in bathrooms. Speaker Johnson continues to ensure there are restrooms easily accessible to all in the U.S. Capitol. The narrative that one individual does not have fair and convenient access to a bathroom is false, especially given that Floor activity and votes are often scheduled days in advance.”
For context, Rep. Mace has repeatedly called transgender individuals “mentally ill” and has continuously deadnamed her colleague, U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride, D-DE, who was recently elected the first transgender member of Congress. Mace has also made baseless claims that McBride is guilty of “grooming” children, seemingly due to her advocacy for trans rights.
Additionally, contrary to the notion that barring transgender individuals from using the bathroom of their choice is a matter of safety, multiple studies have found that transgender individuals are actually far more likely to be the victims of sexual violence, rather than the perpetrators.
Blalock also stood in support of the Republican Party’s efforts to bar transgender individuals from participating in sports.
“Without question, Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt give Alabama the distinction of having the greatest state delegation in the U.S. Senate. While every federal lawmaker has an opinion, none have the credentials of Coach Tuberville when it comes to sports,” Blalock stated. “He knows what a fair game is and what it means to every student who works hard for an honest victory. Log Cabin Republicans of Huntsville would like to thank Coach Tuberville for advocating for opportunities for all athletes.”
Blalock also advocated for the creation of separate sports leagues for transgender individuals, a notion supported by Tuberville. “[Tuberville] has always supported fairness and equality in sports, including ensuring that members of the trans community can create and join leagues and teams, just as there are league and team sports designated for biological men and women,” he stated.
Blalock finished his remarks by making it clear that he and the Huntsville LCR fully support the policies of the Republican Party and the Trump administration, and that they are wholly opposed to DEI initiatives.
“Having read through every executive action that President Trump and his Administration has authored, it is indisputable that no president in United States history has shown such fierce determination to support equality for all Americans, especially those who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community,” Blalock said. “Under the Biden-Harris regime, our members were subject to government policies that told us that we were inferior to our neighbors. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris took away the value of our merits, which we achieved through hard work, educational excellence, and integrity. Solely because of President Trump’s executive actions, we now live in a country whose government sees us just as God does.”
“We at Log Cabin Republicans believe in and support equality, but we do not agree with equity. Under the idea of equity, tax payers dollars are misused and appropriated to people who ride the system and refuse to do better for themselves. At Log Cabin Republicans we echo other Republicans in saying ‘equal rights to all, but special rights to no one!'” Blalock concluded.
