Statement on Booth Denial for 2018 State Convention

PRESS RELEASE
 
For Immediate Release
April 10, 2018

WHO: Log Cabin Republicans of Texas
CONTACT: Michael Baker, Chairman  chairman@logcabintexas.us, (202) 669-6945

We the members of the Log Cabin Republicans of Texas are obviously disappointed with the vote by the State Republican Executive Committee, taken Saturday, April 7, to not override a staff decision to deny our organization an exhibition booth at this year’s state convention. Nonetheless, we respect the work of the SREC. These individuals are all unpaid volunteers of the Texas Republican Party who devote many hours of their personal time and money to the cause of the party. Some of those who did not vote in our favor are people whom our own members know personally and have been on friendly terms for many years. In these questions that stir up so much passion, we understand the heavy pressure and responsibility of weighing their judgment along what they perceive are the views of their constituents. And, we do recognize that there was a visible effort this year, in contrast to previous years, to make the process transparent and open to debate.

Many of those who voted no told us we need to make our case at this convention, and convince more people of what we stand for, before they will change their vote in the future, regardless of how they personally feel. We intend to take their advice. It was evident from many of the claims and arguments presented that there are many serious misconceptions about who are the Log Cabin Republicans of Texas, and what we stand for. Clearly, we have more work to do. And again, we intend to do it.

Log Cabin Republicans is a nationwide organization with a forty-year record of supporting Republican candidates at the local, state, and national level. In Texas, we are taking the lead in helping resolve questions that cause divisions within our party, by finding ways to defend religious freedom and freedom of conscience under the 1st Amendment in a way that is fair to all Americans, even those that may have different views than ours; and this work is the basis of the Freedom First Republicans Coalition we have formed with the Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas and the Texas Young Republicans Federation so that we can advance this dialogue within our party, and not against it. In Texas, in swing counties like Dallas, Bexar, Harris, and Travis, our message of equality under the law and freedom of conscience can make the difference between winning and losing local offices. We remain committed to this work.

We are Republicans because we believe in limited government, personal responsibility, a strong national defense; the rights and liberties guaranteed to us all by the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the right to private property, and most of all, individual freedom. Our cause is not diminished, our path is not changed, and our determination remains strong and undaunted.

The Board of the Log Cabin Republicans of Texas