Gay Republicans

The rift among members of the Log Cabin Republicans over the Bush administration's promotion of a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage is the subject of director Wash Westmoreland's hour-long documentary. Focusing on whether the organization of gay members, who associate themselves with the GOP, would endorse the President for re-election in 2004, the program alternates between those who believe that party affiliation should decide the matter and others who feel betrayed by the administration's position. Among the strictly party liners are Mark Harris, a voluble California activist, and Maurice Bonamigo, the head of the Palm Beach Log Cabin chapter, while on the more "liberal" side are Carol Newman, a Los Angeles lawyer who wants to marry her longtime partner, and former Arizona state legislator Steve May, perhaps best known for his struggle not to be dismissed from the Army reserve for violating the Pentagon's “don't ask, don't tell” policy. There's genuine poignancy in the film's depiction of the estrangement all of the Log Cabin Republicans feel from the majority of gays who automatically support Democratic causes, as well as in watching the struggle of those who are torn between loyalty to their party and their sexual orientation. One may be taken aback, however, at the absolute certainty of those who unconditionally embrace the President's policies, and even though the film aims for objectivity in presenting both sides, Gay Republicans nevertheless makes one seem more human than the other. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)