This one might be a tad controversial. 

Last Saturday, the Texas Republican Party banned the Texas Log Cabin Republicans, a branch of the larger gay and transgender GOP group, from being officially recognized as a party affiliate in the Lone Star state. The purpose of the vote was to decide whether or not the group would be allowed to have a booth at this year’s GOP State Convention which will be held in Houston in the summer. 

According to the Austin American Statesman, committee members “spoke almost evenly in support and opposition of the booth, though more were against.” Some of those opposed to allowing the group a seat at the table cited religious reasons. State Sen. Rob Hall castigated the group for promoting “unnatural sex.” Activist Steven Hotze argued against the organization’s admission, citing the “immoral and perverted sexual proclivities,” of gay individuals.

Others asserted that alienating a group that supports most of the party’s platform is not a smart move. Terry Holcomb, a pastor and state representative, implored other members to focus more on the organization’s support for the overall party platform instead of obsessing over the one issue on which they differ. “They’re working hard on conservative issues,” he said. “for us to tell them that we don’t want them is unwise and unprincipled.” 

State Senator Morgan Graham expressed a similar sentiment. He pointed out the irony of the notion that Democrats would be more willing to accept particular conservatives than the party which claims to be conservative. “These are the hounds of destruction snapping at our heels, and they’re lean, and they’re hungry,” Graham said of the Democratic Party. “And they’re hungrier and in this case more aggressive than the sword some of us are willing to fall on over a booth fee. At the rate that we’re going, we’re going to run out of people to kick out of this party.”

So who’s right? When considering this issue, several questions arise, but in my estimation, there are two that are most important. For starters, we should ask ourselves whether or not alienating members of the LGBTQ community benefits the conservative movement and the overall fight against the Marxism that continues to creep into America’s political zeitgeist. 

To put it simply, pushing away potential allies because of disagreements on sexuality does not seem to be a wise move. This might be a hard pill to swallow considering the fact that most conservatives are Christians who seek to promote the Judeo-Christian values in American society. 

However, there is also the reality that most of us do not favor using the government to force Americans to adhere to all of our values. In the end, limited government, liberty, and free markets are the focus of the conservative movement when it comes to the state’s role in running the country. 

Plenty of members of the LGBTQ community support these same values. 

Several prominent conservatives happen to be members of the LGBTQ community. People like TPUSA’s Rob Smith, #WalkAway Founder Brandon Straka, and activist Scott Presler come to mind. YouTuber and podcaster Dave Rubin — who classifies himself as a classical liberal — also finds himself more in line with the right than with an increasingly Marxist left. 

When it comes to the LGBTQ crowd in politics, there are distinct differences between those on the left and those on the right. Members of this community who are genuinely conservative do not wish to push their sexuality on the rest of America — they just want to be left alone. They are not attempting to force everyone to celebrate something with which they disagree. For example, these individuals would not support forcing Christian bakers to cater gay weddings. 

Rubin and conservative pundit Ben Shapiro have discussed the religious freedom issue. During their discussion, Shapiro — an orthodox Jew — explained that his religious beliefs would prevent him from celebrating Rubin’s marriage to his partner. In turn, Rubin affirmed that the government should not be allowed to compel Shapiro to do so. Not only that, despite their differences, they remain good friends. 

The bottom line is that those who are working to prevent the United States from moving closer to socialism do not have to agree with one another on every single issue. It does not make sense to push potential allies away because of these differences. State Sen. Morgan Graham is right: The Democratic Party, which is increasingly embracing socialism, is “snapping at our heels.” 

If we truly understand how socialism threatens freedom and the devastating impact of progressive policies, it seems foolish to turn away those who are inclined to push back because of who they sleep with. From where I sit, conservatives gain no real advantage by deliberately repelling fellow Americans who would stand side by side with them to oppose those who threaten free speech, the right to bear arms, religious liberty, and all of the other freedoms the progressive left abhors. 

In the end, it only makes the movement weaker and strengthens a progressive political machine that is actively pushing for more socialism. What do we have to gain by giving them an edge?

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Follow me on Twitter: @JeffOnTheRight