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I find it incredibly ironic that Democrats are against stereotyping, considering that they stereotype Republicans all the time. The left is always accusing the right of being “racist, sexist, bigots.” But I want to set the record straight once and for all, because not all conservatives are prejudiced, homophobic, and chauvinistic. One needn’t look further than these right-wing politicians to find evidence of that.
1. Ken Mehlman
That whole stereotype about Republicans being against gay rights? Tell that to Ken Mehlman, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, who also served as campaign manager for President Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign. Mehlman came out as gay in 2010, and, according to CNN, he is “one of the most vocal Republican supporters of gay marriage.”
2. Kellyanne Conway
Democrats are always touting women’s rights, but when Kellyanne Conway became the first woman to run a successful presidential campaign, not a single one of them celebrated her historic win. In an interview with The Washington Times, Conway identified herself as a “postfeminist,” meaning that she doesn’t believe in the anti-male, pro-abortion platform that has become central to the feminist movement. “I consider myself a postfeminist,” she said. “I consider myself one of those women who is a product of her choices, not a victim of her circumstances.”
3. John McCain and Lindsey Graham
Remember Trump’s “racist” immigration ban? It turns out, not all Republicans were on board with that. Take John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), for example. These two U.S. senators released the following joint statement about the immigration ban:
“We should not stop green card holders from returning to the country they call home. We should not stop those who have served as interpreters for our military and diplomats from seeking refuge in the country they risked their lives to help. And we should not turn our backs on those refugees who have been shown through extensive vetting to pose no demonstrable threat to our nation and who have suffered unspeakable horrors, most of them women and children.”
Clearly, the Republican Party has a diverse range of opinions and perspectives. That’s why Democrats ought to practice what they preach by not perpetuating stereotypes.
