The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community has a potential GOP cheerleader and his name is Jeb Bush.
Per BuzzFeed News, Jeb Bush is not only for gay equality he is also hiring openly gay staff members and supporters to run his campaign.BuzzFeed News said:
to an extent that would have been unthinkable in past elections, one of the leading candidates for the Republican presidential nomination has stocked his inner circle with advisers who are vocal proponents of gay rights.
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Bush’s official stance is that a marriage should be between and man and a woman but his dealings in the background seem to suggest he really doesn’t feel that way.
When Bush’s team was asked how he would approach LGBT issues during his campaign, spokeswoman Kristy Campbell said he has been mainly focused on “picking the most talented staff available” also:
Gov. Bush’s position on gay marriage is clear. If he pursues a run, it will be premised on his agenda and views, not anyone else’s.
Even though that is what they say, many of the moderate Republicans, secular politicians, gay equality groups and donors are taking notice of his early hires who are supportive of the LGBT agenda. They feel it is a sign Bush will position himself as the gay-friendly Republican in 2016.
David Aufhauser, former senior Treasury official who co-hosted a fundraiser for Bush early March in Virginia said he believes Bush’s thinking has changed when it comes to gay marriage. He believes it has a lot to do with the Supreme Court’s decision to extend marriage rights to all same-sex couples nationwide.
Aufhauser said he was not trying to speak for Bush but he did have some suggestions for how he should run his campaign. He said Bush should deliver a high-profile “statement of principles” and pledge to “remove all barriers of state discrimination.” He thinks Bush should also discuss how he “abhors hate based on orientation” whereas on the other hand he should state he would protect churches.
This would also not be the first time Bush has changed his position on LGBT issues. Back in 1994 when he was running for the Governor of Florida he wrote an op-ed in the Miami Herald that argued the LGBT community should not receive certain legal protections. He said:
We have enough special categories, enough victims, without creating even more . . . [Should] sodomy be elevated to the same constitutional status as race and religion? My answer is No.
When BuzzFeed News wrote about the article in January, Bush’s spokeswoman said the op-ed:
does not reflect Gov. Bush’s views now.
Bush also released a statement when Florida starting allowing same sex marriage. He urged:
Jeb Bush could face substantial political risks if he chooses to run a pro-LGBT message during the primary since he is already disliked by many conservatives for his positions on Common Core and immigration reform. But then again he has said he is prepared to lose the primary to win the general.respect for the good people on all sides of the gay and lesbian marriage issue – including couples making lifetime commitments to each other . . . and those of us who believe marriage is a sacrament and want to safeguard religious liberty.