4 ms·

Peter Thiel Becomes First RNC Speaker to Say He's Proud to Be Gay [video]

25 points by anotherarray 10y ago

fsaneq2 10y ago
Now, will the liberals cut the bullshit about the republicans being racist/homophobic/etc, and finally start to come up with real arguments?
- pinaceae 10y ago
  http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2016/07/mike-pences-top-seven-homophobic-moments-many/ http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2016/07/mike-pences-top-seven-hom... this is the current candidate for VP. but yeah, he looooves gay people, mhm.
- rbritton 10y ago
  Those kinds of arguments are easier to fabricate than to actually assemble well thought out, evidence-backed positions. They're probably more effective too. This applies to both sides.
- mikeyouse 10y ago
  The Republican platform literally calls for conversion therapy for gay children, the overturning of nationwide gay marriage, rolling back civil rights protections for lgbt people, forcing transgendered people to use different bathrooms, and discouraging gay parents from adopting -- one token gay guy on stage doesn't change any of that. It's not just liberals that think Republicans are homophobic, its gay people and Republicans too. Many in the party are proudly so. There's a reason their support from there lgbt population is ~0% (likewise with black, Hispanic, and Asian people as well).
  - fsaneq2 10y ago
    My comment is obviously a simplification and was meant to be somewhat provocative. I also haven't run a survey of all republican voters, so I don't know, perhaps you're right. The crowd's reaction certainly seems to contradict you though. And looking at say Trump's website -- https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions -- none of this is even mentioned. Sure, maybe in some outlier areas, mumbling something about overturning nationwide gay marriage will get you a few votes. But I think that the average republican couldn't care less, and it's a shame the relatively minor outliers keep on being brought up, ruining any interesting discussion in the process.
    - b0sk 10y ago
      Over 60% [1] of Republicans oppose gay marriage [1] - http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-gaymarriage-idUSKCN0PI2NE20150708 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-gaymarriage-i...
      - Sacho 10y ago
        The story doesn't link to the actual survey data and the actual questions they asked, and I don't understand why.
      - fsaneq2 10y ago
        I doubt it controls for age? (Also what's up with the tiny sample?) To expand a bit on the age thing (and I'm sure I'll get downvoted for this again): for the older generation the default position was to be against gay marriage. Today, the default position is to be for it. Does that mean today's generation is superior? Probably not, as I would guess most people haven't actually read the science/whatever on their own. They just parrot back the opinion of their social circle, unless it's an issue they actually care passionately about (then they might actually research it). Exactly like the older generation. So basically... there's a difference in the initial conditions. Does it really matter? Would you be any different if brought up under the old conditions? Does whether you were told gay marriage is good or bad influence your ability to come up with a good economic policy? I find it a little silly to have to wait for the older generations to die out so the percentage drops to a prettier level before we can have debates again.
- elgabogringo 10y ago
  Racist!
- PhasmaFelis 10y ago
  "Look, I have a black friend now! I can't be racist!" It's 2016 and they just had one guy say he's proud to be gay. This is progress. It's still a long way from good enough.
  - fsaneq2 10y ago
    It's more that the whole crowd is cheering than there being one guy.
    - PhasmaFelis 10y ago
      And that's progress, too. But you're asking us to ignore decades of history because of one crowd at one event. That's not reasonable. If the Republican Party wants us to believe that they're pro-LGBT now, let them prove it with legislation, not just cheers. I'll believe it once I see the majority of Republican lawmakers actively promoting full equality under the law for gay and trans people, not before.
      - Sacho 10y ago
        What does "equality under law" mean? Vast bodies of law supported by either democrats or republicans are discriminatory by design(for example, affirmative action, religious exemptions, etc) - you would have to define what issues need to actually be addressed, otherwise it's a fairly empty statement. For example, gay marriage is not "equality under law", as there are still plenty of prohibitions to marriage - for example, incestuous or polygamous relationships are prohibited from marriages in many a state, which means supporting gay marriage does not support "equality under law", but extending the privilege of marriage to a wider group.
      - fsaneq2 10y ago
        As I've said in another comment, I would guess that being pro or anti LGBT is strongly correlated to age. Old generations were told it's bad, young generations are told it's good, and they vote accordingly -- only a few care enough to research it. It's hardly a good predictor for how good of a human being you are. Therefore, this will naturally cease to be a problem as the old generations die out, and we're already seeing signs of it. One would hope that we can thus move on and start discussing more interesting things (college republican/democrat debates, where you are automatically a monster if republican, I'm looking at you).
malcolmgreaves 10y ago
Seek to where he says it: https://youtu.be/bywahovIbPg?t=201 https://youtu.be/bywahovIbPg?t=201
TheMagicHorsey 10y ago
Does Thiel really think Trump's proposed protectionism will benefit America in the long run? If he thinks that he isn't as smart as I thought he was.
- elgabogringo 10y ago
  Is trump for protectionism or for fair trade deals?
  - elgabogringo 10y ago
    Wow, someone downvotes a legitimate question? China blocks facebook. They harass Apple[1]. They force our companies to invest in there to get access. Does that sound like "free trade" to you? Is asking them to stop "protectionism"? [1]http://gizmodo.com/beijing-just-banned-the-iphone-6-1782156608 http://gizmodo.com/beijing-just-banned-the-iphone-6-17821566...
2501 10y ago
I think it's time that we stand up for our rights. That we go out on the streets and show that we are proud to be straight. No matter if we are an oppressed minority. No matter if they don't understand us. :D
_pferreir_ 10y ago
That's a pretty positive thing which is unfortunately overshadowed by his endorsement of Trump. Yes, Peter Thiel endorses an overtly xenophobic and visibly sexist candidate.
shiftoutbox 10y ago
Who is this guy again ? Right some rich guy .

25 points by anotherarray 10y ago

Now, will the liberals cut the bullshit about the republicans being racist/homophobic/etc, and finally start to come up with real arguments?

pinaceae 10y ago
http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2016/07/mike-pences-top-seven-homophobic-moments-many/ http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2016/07/mike-pences-top-seven-hom... this is the current candidate for VP. but yeah, he looooves gay people, mhm.
rbritton 10y ago
Those kinds of arguments are easier to fabricate than to actually assemble well thought out, evidence-backed positions. They're probably more effective too. This applies to both sides.
mikeyouse 10y ago
The Republican platform literally calls for conversion therapy for gay children, the overturning of nationwide gay marriage, rolling back civil rights protections for lgbt people, forcing transgendered people to use different bathrooms, and discouraging gay parents from adopting -- one token gay guy on stage doesn't change any of that. It's not just liberals that think Republicans are homophobic, its gay people and Republicans too. Many in the party are proudly so. There's a reason their support from there lgbt population is ~0% (likewise with black, Hispanic, and Asian people as well).
- fsaneq2 10y ago
  My comment is obviously a simplification and was meant to be somewhat provocative. I also haven't run a survey of all republican voters, so I don't know, perhaps you're right. The crowd's reaction certainly seems to contradict you though. And looking at say Trump's website -- https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions -- none of this is even mentioned. Sure, maybe in some outlier areas, mumbling something about overturning nationwide gay marriage will get you a few votes. But I think that the average republican couldn't care less, and it's a shame the relatively minor outliers keep on being brought up, ruining any interesting discussion in the process.
  - b0sk 10y ago
    Over 60% [1] of Republicans oppose gay marriage [1] - http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-gaymarriage-idUSKCN0PI2NE20150708 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-gaymarriage-i...
    - Sacho 10y ago
      The story doesn't link to the actual survey data and the actual questions they asked, and I don't understand why.
    - fsaneq2 10y ago
      I doubt it controls for age? (Also what's up with the tiny sample?) To expand a bit on the age thing (and I'm sure I'll get downvoted for this again): for the older generation the default position was to be against gay marriage. Today, the default position is to be for it. Does that mean today's generation is superior? Probably not, as I would guess most people haven't actually read the science/whatever on their own. They just parrot back the opinion of their social circle, unless it's an issue they actually care passionately about (then they might actually research it). Exactly like the older generation. So basically... there's a difference in the initial conditions. Does it really matter? Would you be any different if brought up under the old conditions? Does whether you were told gay marriage is good or bad influence your ability to come up with a good economic policy? I find it a little silly to have to wait for the older generations to die out so the percentage drops to a prettier level before we can have debates again.
elgabogringo 10y ago
Racist!
PhasmaFelis 10y ago
"Look, I have a black friend now! I can't be racist!" It's 2016 and they just had one guy say he's proud to be gay. This is progress. It's still a long way from good enough.
- fsaneq2 10y ago
  It's more that the whole crowd is cheering than there being one guy.
  - PhasmaFelis 10y ago
    And that's progress, too. But you're asking us to ignore decades of history because of one crowd at one event. That's not reasonable. If the Republican Party wants us to believe that they're pro-LGBT now, let them prove it with legislation, not just cheers. I'll believe it once I see the majority of Republican lawmakers actively promoting full equality under the law for gay and trans people, not before.
    - Sacho 10y ago
      What does "equality under law" mean? Vast bodies of law supported by either democrats or republicans are discriminatory by design(for example, affirmative action, religious exemptions, etc) - you would have to define what issues need to actually be addressed, otherwise it's a fairly empty statement. For example, gay marriage is not "equality under law", as there are still plenty of prohibitions to marriage - for example, incestuous or polygamous relationships are prohibited from marriages in many a state, which means supporting gay marriage does not support "equality under law", but extending the privilege of marriage to a wider group.
    - fsaneq2 10y ago
      As I've said in another comment, I would guess that being pro or anti LGBT is strongly correlated to age. Old generations were told it's bad, young generations are told it's good, and they vote accordingly -- only a few care enough to research it. It's hardly a good predictor for how good of a human being you are. Therefore, this will naturally cease to be a problem as the old generations die out, and we're already seeing signs of it. One would hope that we can thus move on and start discussing more interesting things (college republican/democrat debates, where you are automatically a monster if republican, I'm looking at you).

malcolmgreaves 10y ago

Seek to where he says it: https://youtu.be/bywahovIbPg?t=201 https://youtu.be/bywahovIbPg?t=201

TheMagicHorsey 10y ago

Does Thiel really think Trump's proposed protectionism will benefit America in the long run? If he thinks that he isn't as smart as I thought he was.

elgabogringo 10y ago
Is trump for protectionism or for fair trade deals?
- elgabogringo 10y ago
  Wow, someone downvotes a legitimate question? China blocks facebook. They harass Apple[1]. They force our companies to invest in there to get access. Does that sound like "free trade" to you? Is asking them to stop "protectionism"? [1]http://gizmodo.com/beijing-just-banned-the-iphone-6-1782156608 http://gizmodo.com/beijing-just-banned-the-iphone-6-17821566...

2501 10y ago

I think it's time that we stand up for our rights. That we go out on the streets and show that we are proud to be straight. No matter if we are an oppressed minority. No matter if they don't understand us. :D

_pferreir_ 10y ago

That's a pretty positive thing which is unfortunately overshadowed by his endorsement of Trump. Yes, Peter Thiel endorses an overtly xenophobic and visibly sexist candidate.

shiftoutbox 10y ago

Who is this guy again ? Right some rich guy .