Why do gay conservatives hate themselves so much?

I was just reading about the latest conservative representative to be caught in a gay[1] scandal—it seems to happen every six months or so—and it made me wonder why.

But it’s not; 'why do these people find themselves in this position?'—because being in the closet is likely to force them into these situations. And it’s not; 'why are there gay conservatives'?—that’s a topic for another day. The question I wonder is; 'why did these gay conservative legislators vote or promote anti-gay legislation?'

Because, inevitably, these people turn out to have voted against the interests of LGBTQ+ people.

Do they lack empathy, and think they have a get-out-of-jail-free card for themselves? Are they so full of self loathing that they do it to punish themselves? Do they think that if they pass one more piece of legislation, it might frighten themselves straight? Or are they using it as a beard? To hide the fact that they are gay? “You know, that guy Jim, he seems a bit gay, but he’s all for outlawing them gays, so he must be straight.”

I really don’t get it.

I also wonder what LGBTQ+ conservative voters must be thinking when they vote for a conservative running for office. Because there’s no way to pretend that the current conservative agenda is good for those who are LGBTQ+. It’s not even LGBTQ+ indifferent. It’s clearly hostile.

In the current climate of conservatism, which is moving so quickly to put judges on the bench that will roll back social advances (once they get rid of Roe, they’ll move on to gay marriage, and then sodomy laws, don’t you worry!) I wonder what I would do if I was a LGBTQ+ conservative. Probably roll up in a ball and cry.

But I guess that when voting, the fear of higher taxes on millionaires can be more of a driver than personal freedoms, or who you can love.

1. I’ve used the term gay in much of this article because nearly all of the offenders are males who had sex with other males.

Dailykos: Anti-LGBTQ Tennessee politician resigns after reports of sexually explicit messages on Grindr

Tennessee state Rep. Bill Sanderson in a 2013 Grindr profile wrote: “I’ve seen a lot and done a lot, but I really haven’t had a connection with a guy and I have a burning desire to have that relationship.”

Sanderson supported several pieces of legislation including:

HB 600, banned municipalities from adopting ordinances prohibiting anti-LGBT discrimination.

HB 1840, allowed therapists to decline to see patients if they are gay.

Newnonext: 20 Republican Politicians Brought Down By Big Gay Sex Scandals