Gay and Republican. These two words seem an oxymoron to many, especially members of the GLBTI Community who are accustomed to Democratic politics. Ken Weddle would like to change this perception. “People don’t take the time to get to know what we are all about. We support Marriage Equality and many of the same issues you will find on the other side of the political spectrum”, he notes. Weddle is the immediate past president of the Sacramento chapter and current Secretary of the California chapter of Log Cabin Republicans (LCR), and he has a message. “If you take away the hot-button issues like marriage, you would find on others like fiscal policy and defense that GLBT are split pretty evenly, just as the country is.”

Weddle, 29 and single, was born and raised in Hollywood. Relocating to Sacramento 9 years ago, he is presently employed as a supervisor for a large wireless communications company. “I was always attracted to politics, even as a small child”, he says. “In 2001 I came out and heard about Log Cabin. There I found a group of gay men with ideas just like my own.” Ideas such as fiscal conservatism, personal responsibility, less government, lower taxes and a strong national defense. “These ideas are common to many gay people. They are not in conflict with a belief in shared, equal rights for all. Log Cabin stands for all these things”, he notes.

The Log Cabin Republicans were formed in 1978 as a reaction to the Briggs Initiative, a CA proposition which would have forbad homosexuals from becoming teachers. “We were forced to fight this, and eventually even had the support of Ronald Reagan in stopping the initiative”. Success on the front propelled Log Cabin to a national level, with over 50 chapters nationwide in 2005. “Where we differ is on our approach to the party. Our main focus is to educate republicans about GLBT issues. Our goal is to see a world where there are no gay republicans—just republicans. We want not to be needed—to put ourselves out of business.”

Weddle acknowledges the difficulty faced in a community that seems grounded in the Democratic Party. “There is room in the community for both the Democratic and Republican parties”, he says. Many of the attacks faced are often pointed and personal. “I take great offense to hateful, personal attacks from my friends on the left. You cannot achieve your goals by making politics personal.” Visibility within the community is often an issue. “People often don’t want to find us.” According to Weddle, you can find LCR at the same events you see Stonewall Democratic Club members. “We had two full tables at the CARES Luau in June—Stonewall in fact had only one.”

So what issues and candidates does LCR support? “We were in favor of Governor Schwarzenegger during the recall, and I will support his re-election and push for Log Cabin to do the same”, he says. On the current special election Nov. 8, Log Cabin endorses propositions 73-78 and opposes 79 and 80 (almost the exact opposite of Stonewall Democratic Club’s endorsements). On a local level, “Candidates find our organization, not vice-versa”, he says. “Many if not most openly Gay candidates are Democrats. While we will only endorse Republicans, we take each candidate on a case-by-case basis”.

Weddle also notes that on a national level, while George Bush has been “roughed up … he is not mortally wounded. In 2006, Katrina will be a distant memory. One year is forever in politics”. Asked about current political trends, he foresees little change over the next year. “Republicans will hold the congress. We will hold the governorship in California. Most of the areas affected by the hurricane are Republican strongholds—they simply will not vote for Democrats”.

On the issue of Marriage Equality, Weddle does not equivocate. “This issue was thrust upon us by members of the Democratic Party to throw at Bush”, he says. “They didn’t throw it at Bill Clinton. I guess now that we have Bush, it is fair game”. Surprisingly, Weddle finds himself in agreement with another political figure interviewed in this issue of MGW. “I agree with Jerry Sloan”, he quips. “The timing on this issue is terrible, but now that the battle is on, we must win. Most people don’t realize that Log Cabin supports marriage equality. In fact, we do.”

Looking forward, Weddle sees growth on both a local and statewide level for Log Cabin. “We presently have 45 members in Sacramento and 2600 statewide”, he says. “We will achieve our goals in the long run. Sacramento County is a Republican County outside of the downtown corridor. We will continue to reach out to the outlying areas.” Asked why people should put aside their notions and learn more about the group, Weddle notes, “If 100% of the community were registered Democrats—which they are not—the Republicans would still be there. The party cannot be changed from outside. They need to be educated about us, and that happens from within. It will not happen from Gay Democrats”.

Ken Weddle Can Be Reached at Log Cabin Republicans: www.logcabinsacramento.org