A Republican for Freedom

Agree or disagree, you've got to admire his moxie.

Jeff Angelo is a former state senator from Creston, once a top Republican in the Legislature and chair of the Appropriations Committee.

Angelo is an evangelical Christian and a conservative. He was lead sponsor * a key supporter of a 2004 constitutional amendment that would have banned same-sex marriage in Iowa. He's still an enthusiastic Republican activist, attending meetings, sizing up presidential hopefuls.

But he's no longer an opponent of same-sex marriage.

Angelo caused a stir at a Statehouse hearing in January when he spoke out against the latest amendment push. Today, he's in Cedar Rapids touting his new group, Iowa Republicans for Freedom, which supports keeping same-sex unions legal.

Angelo is determined to show that not all Republicans march in lock-step on marriage equity. And he wants fellow party members to know it's OK, even genuinely conservative, to break ranks on this issue. He's receiving encouragement from some party members, but only very quietly, for now. The moxie is not yet contagious.

“The bottom line is, Democrats can point fingers at Republicans all day long,” Angelo said. “But if you really want Republicans to change their view, Republicans have to talk to Republicans.”

Angelo once bought into the “love the sinner, hate the sin” line used by equity opponents trying to put a happy face on their hard line. He figured his gay and lesbian friends would understand. He realized he was wrong. “You finally say, ‘How long can I keep demeaning them?'” he said.

Angelo also wondered how long his party, anchored to principles of small government and limited bureaucratic intervention in our lives, could advocate for denying the pursuit of happiness to thousands.

He simply no longer believes it's conservative to meddle in the affairs of two committed adults who want a state marriage license. And he argues that pushing for an amendment to erase marriage equity is the sort of constitutional activism that conservatives should abhor.

Angelo understands that his party isn't ready to embrace his message, even as a string of polls show that a majority of Americans are OK with same-sex marriage. But the GOP ought to be willing to accept disagreement.

“If you truly believe in freedom, you have to allow things to happen that you don't agree with,” Angelo said. “You've got to start the work of making it OK for Republicans to say what they really believe.”

So Angelo's in. Who will be next?

* (Sen.Ken Veenstra was the lead sponsor of the resolution, which failed 24-25 on March 23, 2004)

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