Richard Tafel, founder of the controversial political action committee, the Log Cabin Republicans, will speak today at Collis Commonground at 8 p.m.
The gay activist group has gained national media attention over the last 25 years as Republican presidential candidates have been questioned their positions on gay and lesbian rights in several elections around the country.
Despite the group's controversial stance in a party divided over gay issues, the College Republicans, Dartmouth Rainbow Alliance and the Gay Straight Alliance have united in bringing this issue to Dartmouth and co-sponsoring Tafel's visit along with other campus groups.
Dartmouth Rainbow Alliance member John Brett '00 agrees that "being [lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender] and a Republican is, at the very least, problematic," he said.
But Tafel's speech will be "a great opportunity for individuals in all these organizations to come together and foster productive dialogue," he noted.
The decision to sponsor the speech, however, was not without debate for at least one of the sponsoring organizations.
"My gut instinct was 'No, we're not doing it,'" said Gay Straight Alliance founder Amanda Gilliam '02.
The Log Cabin Republicans "claim to be working within the GOP to be furthering equality, but they're really about supporting equality for gay people -- not for people of color or working class people," she noted.
Yet Gilliam said she saw in Tafel's visit the opportunity not only for discussion, but for the community to gain "a really informed political savvy and political know how" that she believes is not currently heard within Dartmouth's LGBTQA community.
According to Pam Misener, Dartmouth's Coordinator of LGBTQA Advocacy and Programming, the idea that all LGBTQAs at Dartmouth are Democrats is but another stereotype.
"As a gay person I'm not going to tell somebody how to think. I'll tell them how I feel. If I'm going to honor democracy then I can't, based on their sexual orientation, impose a political view on them," Misener said.
Breaking down stereotypes and dispelling myths, however, is becoming a central theme in the Republican party, according to Kathleen Reeder '03 of the College Republicans. "We just want people to see the inclusion of the Republican Party," she added.
To that end, the College Republicans have sponsored four speeches -- one being Tafel's -- under the theme "The Big Tent: Minorities in the Republican Party," Reeder said.
Future speakers may include a feminist Republican, an African-American West Coast conservative radio talk show host and a Jewish Republican actor.
Following Tafel's 8 p.m. speech in Collis Commonground will be a 9:30 p.m. reception at Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
