No Matter Who Wins, the Next Chair of the Republican Party Will be Anti-LGBT

Republicans are getting ready to pick their poison elect the next chair of their party, with six candidates vying to head the Republican National Committee. And for a party that's recently been talking about increasing their reputation when it comes to inclusion, their next leader is set to continue a platform of anti-LGBT rights. Six candidates, six people who'd rather see LGBT citizens denied equal rights. Blech. Here's the skinny.

Saul Anuzis: Anuzis is currently chair of the Michigan Republican Party. Did he support efforts in Michigan to ban same-sex couples from getting married? Yes. Does he support a federal constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage? Yes. Did Anuzis manage the campaign of former anti-LGBT Gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos? Yes. Did Anuzis once call John McCain the rock star of the Republican Party? Yes. Did Anuzis defend the reputation of a Michigan State University student, Kyle Bristow, who brought a Canadian Nazi to speak on campus, and frequently ridiculed members of Michigan State's LGBT community online, calling them "freaks" "scum" and "savages"? Yes. Wow, with rhetoric like that, Anuzis is bound to lead the Republican party into the 1940s.

Ken Blackwell: There's anti-LGBT, and then there's Ken Blackwell. Blackwell believes that homosexuality is a compulsion that can be controlled, and believes that banning gay marriage is necessary to redeem society's culture. Blackwell is also a senior fellow with the Family Research Council, one of the most anti-LGBT organizations in the country. Blackwell also helped lead the campaign in Ohio to successfully pass a statewide measure banning same-sex marriage AND civil unions. And he famously compared gays and lesbians to arsonists and kleptomaniacs. Wow. If he were any more anti-LGBT, he'd be Fred Phelps.

Katon Dawson: When he's not busy belonging to a country club that doesn't admit African American members, Dawson is busy being named one of the 25 most scariest conservatives in the country. Dawson has been endorsed by the American Family Association, which might just be the leading anti-LGBT organization in the country (they're the ones leading the boycott against Pepsi and Campbells soup because the two companies advertise in LGBT publications and/or support LGBT organizations). Dawson also believes that the Republican Party can make inroads in African American communities simply by being against gay marriage. Not only does that show a narrow understanding of the politics of African Americans, it's also pandering in its worst form.

Mike Duncan: Duncan is the incumbent chair of the RNC, and he's running for re-election. As chair during the 2008 election, Duncan was instrumental in passing the Republican Party's 2008 platform, which proudly stated the "incompatibility of homosexuality with military service" and championed a federal amendment banning same-sex marriage (a position that Prez candidate John McCain wouldn't even support). The platform also criticized the State Supreme Courts in Massachusetts and California for issuing rulings granting marriage rights to same-gender couples.

Chip Saltsman: For those that don't know the name Chip Saltsman, he's the one who thought it would be funny to release a song called "Barack the Magic Negro." Saltsman is a Tennessee political consultant who has worked closely with former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and former GOP Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee - both of whom have endorsed his bid for RNC chair. As campaign manager for Mike Huckabee, Saltsman helped frame Huckabee's political message as a candidate that was against marriage equality, gay adoption, expanded hate crimes laws, and expanded discrimination protections.

Michael Steele: The former Lt. Gov of Maryland and former Senate candidate from Maryland may in fact be the most open-minded when it comes to some LGBT issues. It's just too damn bad he's willing to tow an anti-LGBT agenda for political sake. Steele told the Christian Broadcasting Network that while he's personally opposed to a federal marriage amendment, he'll support it if a member of Congress introduces such a measure. Wow, talk about having no convictions. Of course, Steele may personally oppose a federal amendment banning gay marriage, but that doesn't mean he's down with same-sex marriage. Quite the contrary, if you look at his 2006 campaign for Senate. Then, Steele appealed to conservative voters throughout Maryland by railing against same-sex marriage, and a decision by a Judge in Baltimore that challenged Maryland's ban on gay marriage. That year, Steele also attended a Defend Marriage Rally held by anti-LGBT activists.

The winning candidate is due to be announced the last week of January, but whoever emerges as victorious in the race for RNC chair, one thing remains clear: none of these six are going to change the tide of the Republican party, which has consistently stood against LGBT rights on a federal level (and largely on a statewide level, too) for decades.