Gay GOP Minnesota Lawmaker Koering Says No to Gay Rights Bill
Minnesota gay Republican lawmaker Paul Koering says he will not vote for a marriage equality bill which was reportedly "gaining traction" and attracting sponsors in the state senate last week.
The Minnesota Independent reports: "State Sen. Paul Koering, R-Fort Ripley, told KLKS on Friday that he will not vote for the Marriage and Family Protection Act, a bill that would make Minnesota’s marriage laws gender-neutral, allowing same-sex couples many of the rights currently denied by Minnesota statute. Koering, who is gay and a Republican, said he would vote against it because the state faces bigger problems."
The paper adds: "Koering came out in 2005 after voting against a constitutional amendment to ban civil unions and same-sex marriage pushed by then-State Sen. Michele Bachmann. He is one of very few openly gay elected Republicans in the United States and was re-elected by his conservative Brainerd-area constituents in 2006, despite a hard push by religious right activists to defeat him for his votes on gay rights."
Last week the bill had 5 sponsors, and 23 co-sponsors.
As part of Freedom to Marry week, hundreds of activists rallied at the state capitol in Minnesota last week in support of the Marriage and Family Protection Act. Openly gay Minnesota state senator Scott Dibble spoke at the rally. Watch his speech at the rally, AFTER THE JUMP...
We don't need people like you, Kapo!
Posted by: Bob | Feb 18, 2009 11:17:03 AM
Hmmmm, the more I learn about the LGBT community's difficulties the more I come to realize most of our problems are brought on either by closeted homosexuals or self loathing homosexuals. Case in point, many of the recent hate crimes and gay bashings seem to involve men who are seemingly closeted themselves. Sadly, it does seem we are our own worst enemy,
Posted by: Cj | Feb 18, 2009 11:20:50 AM
What a total douche. Just goes to show you that even gay politicians will vote against the best interest of their own people when it's politically expedient. God forbid someone takes a stand for doing the right thing.
Posted by: The Milkman | Feb 18, 2009 11:23:25 AM
WTF
Log cabinites
Aye yae yae
More likely scared to death his own loving repub party will oust him with a future primary challenge unless he shows that he can be just as anti-gay as they
Posted by: Jimmyboyo | Feb 18, 2009 11:25:03 AM
Figures... Gay Repug = oxymoron
Posted by: Bading | Feb 18, 2009 11:25:32 AM
Koering: You can take the gay out of the Republican, but you can't take the Republican out of the gay.
Posted by: JohnInManhattan | Feb 18, 2009 11:26:33 AM
** Koering, who is gay and a Republican, said he would vote against it because the state faces bigger problems."**
That doesn't even make sense.
Posted by: MAJeff | Feb 18, 2009 11:28:05 AM
Well, in bad economic times shouldn't all civil rights laws be suspended? Shouldn't women be forced to quit their jobs and stay home with the kids? And shouldn't slavery be legalized again to cut labor costs?
There is no "good" time for equal rights.
Posted by: Homer | Feb 18, 2009 11:28:47 AM
the next question is - how badly do they need his vote to pass it?
Posted by: lis | Feb 18, 2009 11:32:44 AM
Granting GLTB citizens equality under the law is a big waste of Minnesota's time because "the state faces bigger problems" so sit down, shut up and stop the incessant whining will you?
Someone's just begging for a custard pie, aren't they?
Posted by: FASTLAD | Feb 18, 2009 11:33:25 AM
Sure, I can see where the state could face bigger problems than denying its citizens their fundamental civil rights. The phrase self-loathing douche keeps coming to mind, I can't think why.
Posted by: Sean | Feb 18, 2009 11:37:50 AM
"...the state faces bigger problems."
When will people like Koering figure out that LGBT rights are actually GOOD for a state in that they will help attract and retain workers and residents; help the state's tax base; and help the state remain competitive in the US and global marketplace?
Oh, that's right. Never.
Posted by: Rick in Ohio | Feb 18, 2009 11:38:17 AM
CAPITOL OFFICE:
Senator Paul Koering (R)
131 State Office Building
St. Paul, MN 55155
Phone: 651-296-4875 / 888-241-2036
Fax: 651-296-5241
email: sen.paul.koering@senate.mn
HOME:
4625 County Road 121
Fort Ripley, MN 56449
Phone: 218-829-0544
BUSINESS:
Koering Delivery Service
4625 County Road 121
Fort Ripley, MN 56449
Phone: 218-829-0587
LogCabin.com: "Recognizing Republican HEROES"
http://online.logcabin.org/talking_points/gop-heroes/koering.html
Posted by: JohnInManhattan | Feb 18, 2009 11:39:02 AM
JESUS' GENERAL writes the Senator:
http://patriotboy.blogspot.com/2009/02/mary-j-brenny-more-important-than-gay.html
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Mary J. Brenny: More Important Than The Gay
Sen. Paul Koering
Minnesota State Senate
Dear Sen. Koering,
I never thought I'd be writing the gay, even a Republican the gay like yourself, but you did something this week that deserves my heartfelt thanks. You announced you would uphold one of our nation's most cherished segregationist traditions and vote to deny yourself the right to marry the one you love. Certainly, it's that kind of self-hating toadyism that earned you a Republican Hero Award from the Log Cabin Republicans (what a fine, "real American" name--they must be true patriots of the Heartland, perhaps even lumberjacks.)
I was particularly impressed by the explanation you gave KLKS radio:
"Koering, who is gay and a Republican, said he would vote against it because the state faces bigger problems."
And it is true. The state does face bigger problems than providing equal protection to all of its citizens, and you are sponsoring bills to address those problems.
Take SR15 for instance. Nothing is more important to the well-being of the citizens of Minnesota than passing your resolution honoring Mary J. Brenny. She owned both her town's ambulance service and mortuary, thus providing one stop service to the good citizens of Morrison County. You have to honor that kind of service.
The same holds true for SF3557. If you don't make English the official language, the brown people win. The whole state would be speaking Mexican and eating spicy foods by 2015.
These are both important bills. Thank God you had the courage to vote against marriage equality so you could devote more energy to their passage.
But I still have to wonder why someone who is the gay would do that? It's about as self-hating an act as I can imagine. Are you absolutely sure you're the gay and not just another heterosexual conservative who enjoys putting another man's little soldier in your mouth from time to time? You might consider giving that a little thought. Maybe you could talk to Ted Haggard, Larry Craig, and Bob Allen about it. They might be able to help you out with your sexual confusion.
Heterosexually yours,
Gen. JC Christian, patriot
Posted by: JohnInManhattan | Feb 18, 2009 11:42:08 AM
I honestly don't understand this often repeated meme that issues of social justice and civil rights can't be addressed without stopping work on other important issues and bringing the whole legislative process to a standstill. It’s funny that these asshats always find time to pass silly declarations and resolutions saluting this person or that or declaring America to be a "Christian nation" or a primarily English speaking nation or some other such time wasting, distracting and unnecessary bullshit that accomplishes absolutely NOTHING yet far be it for them to take a moment to address an injustice that has for far too long discriminated against and disadvantaged a segment of their constituency.
I would love to hear this dickhead explain how voting for this bill would keep the legislature from addressing the state's "bigger problems". If the bill makes it to the floor for a vote would it take more time away from the bigger problems for him to vote "aye" than it would for him to vote "nay"? Too often politicians get away with repeating these nonsensical talking points without being challenged on the glaring duplicity of their statements. We need and deserve some clarification from MN State Rep. Koering.
Posted by: Zeke | Feb 18, 2009 11:49:55 AM
Way to sell out.
What an idiot. Does he really think that excuse flies with people? He won't vote for it because the state faces bigger problems? How will not voting for it help the state with these apparently bigger problems?
I mean, if there's so many bigger fish to fry, if the bill passes, it shouldn't really be much of a problem, should there?
Posted by: Philp Wester | Feb 18, 2009 11:55:22 AM
Which only goes to prove that being a Republican is indeed a form of insanity.
Posted by: Webster | Feb 18, 2009 11:56:49 AM
I was chatting with someone in MN LGBT political movement a couple years ago, after Koering came out and helped to kill an anti-marriage amendment. Let's just say that this isn't a surprising statement. He's an anti-gay politician who would probably approve an anti-gay amendment were it up for a vote this year. Larry Craig and Ted Haggard got nothing on this guy.
Posted by: MAJeff | Feb 18, 2009 12:01:03 PM
You know, I keep trying to say to my fellow liberals that we need to keep an open mind about conservatives. Then someone does something stupid like this and my argument is back to square one.
How are the ideas of fixing MN's problems and acheiving marriage equality mutually exclusive? The more honest answer would have been: I need to keep those social conservative votes prove I'm one of "the good ones."
Posted by: Jay | Feb 18, 2009 12:12:43 PM
Koering is a coward, plain and simple. He's so afraid of losing his next election that he'll vote against himself, against freedom, against the future...all so he can stay in the Senate and hold on to a little bit of power. This is pathetic. Who does he think he's impressing? I bet even his most socially conservative constituents are scratching their heads over this one.
Posted by: DCPoster | Feb 18, 2009 12:12:48 PM
"If you don't make English the official language, the brown people win. The whole state would be speaking Mexican and eating spicy foods by 2015."
OMG that was pure fucking gold.
Posted by: The Milkman | Feb 18, 2009 12:15:21 PM
Hope that douceh owns the FLESHLIGHT DELUXE because hes NEVER getting laid again.
Posted by: Jeff | Feb 18, 2009 12:32:56 PM
I hope he never gets laid again for the rest of his miserable life.
Posted by: peterparker | Feb 18, 2009 12:34:41 PM
Just more evidence that Gay Republican = Jewish Nazi.
Posted by: Dr. Christopher Blackwell | Feb 18, 2009 12:37:45 PM
Ladies, Ladies, Ladies. Pull your claws back in and get off his back. Clearly we could never hate him as much as he obviously hates himself.
Posted by: (F)reddy | Feb 18, 2009 12:40:35 PM