Aug 27, 2004  |  By: CYD ZEIGLER JR.  | COMMENTS     

NEW YORK — There will be approximately 50 openly gay delegates and alternates among the 4,853 attending the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City, according to Chris Barron, political director of the Log Cabin Republicans gay partisan group.

But the GOP convention committee has been quiet about the gay contingent, estimated by some to be the largest ever, and more vocal about the racial and ethnic diversity of its other delegates. The committee released a diversity report that claims, “We will welcome the most diverse group of delegates in party history.” However, not once does that report mention gay people or issues.

The Democrats, conversely, loudly trumpeted their 250 gay delegates in Boston — the largest reported contingent of gay delegates to a national convention in history.

“I’m pleased to see the increase in diversity because it’s important,” said Washington, D.C., delegate Carl Schmid. “But there is additional diversity that should be recognized and I’m disappointed they haven’t done that.”

Schmid, who describes himself as a lifelong Republican, has been active with the Log Cabin Republicans for about 15 years. He was an organizer of the much-heralded meeting during the 2000 campaign in Austin between George W. Bush and gay Republicans — since called “the Austin 12.”

Schmid was an alternate delegate before D.C. Councilmember David Catania was stripped of his seat at the convention by the D.C. Republican Party when he vocally criticized Bush’s support of the Federal Marriage Amendment earlier this year. While Catania won’t be a delegate, he will be in New York City during some of the festivities.

Mark Sibley, a gay D.C. resident, was also selected as a Bush delegate, but resigned in protest after Catania was dropped from the convention.

Like many of the gay delegates, Schmid said he has faced personal attacks from other gays who question his allegiance with the more socially conservative Republican Party and a president who has actively supported the Federal Marriage Amendment. Schmid said he is looking forward to more moderate voices being heard from the podium in Madison Square Garden.

“The right wing of the party gets a lot of attention, but there are all kinds of Republicans,” Schmid said, highlighting primetime speakers Arnold Schwarzenegger and New York Governor George Pataki.

At least one elected delegate won’t be making the trip to New York City. Jesse Walters, of Philadelphia, resigned Wednesday, Aug. 18, as a delegate, saying he could no longer cast a vote for Bush.

“It has been weighing on me for months,” Walters said. “I can’t support him.”

While many gay Republicans are rejecting Bush due to his support of the Federal Marriage Amendment, the reason for Walters’ resignation had more to do with the president’s record of high spending, he said.

“I think he’s a train wreck,” Walters said. “Apart from the tax cut and cleaning up the mess in Afghanistan, I can’t think of anything I agree with him on.