Marginalizing Bigots

The Texas Republican Party's 2010 Party Platform comes out swinging on the topic of gay rights, claiming that homosexuality "tears at the fabric of society" and "leads to the spread of dangerous communicable diseases."  Not content merely to deny marriage (or domestic partnership) to gay people, the Republican Party would also make helping a gay couple get married felonious and reinstate sodomy laws in Texas.  Adding a little unintentional humor into the proceedings, the Republicans claim that efforts toward acceptance and normalization of homosexuality represent "intolerant efforts to marginalize as bigots" those who would deny equal rights.  I'm sure I'm not alone in appreciating the irony in our "small government" party attempting to place draconian laws governing consensual sexual behavior back on the books.

I see several possible explanations for the extreme tone I perceive here:

1. Emboldened by the Tea Party's success nationally, the Texas Republican Party seeks to push its radical   agenda on a wave of popular regressive politics.

2. Perhaps due to growing popular support for gay marriage rights nation-wide, the party is simply becoming more strident in its insecurity.

3. The Republican Party has always been reactionary and regressive, and it simply stands out as more ludicrous as the nation becomes more accepting of gay folks and social justice.

(It's also possible that, having been raised in the liberal bastion that is Austin, I'm simply out of touch with the extent to which the Texas Republican Party has adopted hate speech as a valid political tool.)

In fact, a combination of these factors, along with a healthy dose of frantic political posturing, probably accounts for this aggrieved and hysterical screed.  And I have to wonder what percentage of Texans identifying themselves as Republicans actually support this particular part of the platform, or have even read it.

Regardless of how shrill, reactionary, and, yes, bigoted, the G.O.P. of Texas decides to make its platform, equal rights for LGBT Americans are inevitable and I believe that not too many years will pass before the Republican Party will look back in shame at its intolerance and fear mongering.