When I settled down to watch the first GOP Presidential Debate almost a week ago, I was a staunch supporter of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. I liked his no-nonsense attitude towards issues such as government overreach, invasion of privacy, and the corruption in Washington today. What I didn't like about Paul was his stance on marriage equality.
What could be done though? No major Republican candidate came out in support of marriage equality, and I didn't feel comfortable throwing my support behind Hillary Clinton or the tax-raising socialist Bernie Sanders, so Rand Paul it was.
But then the debate started. Then I began to watch the candidates interact with each other. Then I heard the voices and opinions of candidates that I had ruled out from the beginning. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and current Ohio Governor John Kasich came out swinging in the debate. They seemed calm, composed, and level-headed, and they both had the experience in government that other Republicans, such as Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, and even Rand Paul lacked, so I kept my eye on them.
As the debate moved toward social issues, I became tense. I was scared of what kind of bigotry and hate would come to light on the stage if a question about LGBTQ+ rights or marriage equality was asked. I didn't want to generalize the GOP as being full of anti-gay bigots, but stereotypes and past experiences had left me feeling otherwise.
That's when it happened. Megyn Kelley - who had been on fire all night with tough, legitimate questions, mind you - brought up the top of marriage equality. "Governor Kasich," she asked, "if you had a son or daughter who was gay or lesbian, how would you explain to them your opposition to same-sex marriage?"
And in that half-a-second pause between her question and Kasich's answer, I froze. This entire debate (for me at least) rested on this answer. This would be the moment that either validated every anti-gay conservative stereotype I had, or showed me that the right is changing its image in light of evolving social circumstances.
And then Kasich answered: "I happen to believe in tradition marriage, but I've also said the court has ruled...and I said we'll accept it.... If one of my daughters happened to be [lesbian], of course I would love them and would accept them, because you know what? That's what we're taught when we have strong faith."
And I almost cried.
John Kasich demonstrated what I have believed for so long: just because someone thinks differently than you, or believes something differently than you, or even practices something that you personally think is wrong, does not mean you cannot give them equal rights and respect under the law or love and support them.
The other day I was having a conversation with my neighbor, a war veteran and pretty conservative fellow. He had asked me how my recent extended-stay in Canada was, and I told him it was good, but it was also good to be back home in the States. What he said next not only reflected Kasich's sentiment from the debate, but showed me that the right is changing: "Yup. There's no place like this country. Trust me. I've been all over the world, and I haven't found a place as great as this country yet. No, it's not a perfect country. And we can't always please everyone. It's impossible. But, you know, we don't need to force our beliefs on everyone. Just let people live."
I really appreciated hearing that.
Attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community are changing in this country. It is a slow, gradual change, but it is happening. A recent study by the Pew Research Center shows that more conservatives and Republicans and Evangelical Christians favor marriage equality now than did in 2001. Caitlyn Jenner, a prominent member of the transgender community, openly identifies as a Christian and a Republican.
Total acceptance and openness won't just happen over night. The United States as a whole still has a long way to go in providing full equality to the gay community, and has an even longer road ahead with regards to providing full equality to the transgender community, but the progress being made right now is no small thing to ignore. John Kasich took a step in the right direction for the Republican Party last Thursday with his openness and love, and I am proud to call him my governor and would be even prouder to call him my president.
