Grand Prairie Republican Club president rejects invitation from LGBT group, calls them ‘unfruitful works of darkness’
Gays are "unfruitful works of darkness" whose immorality could hasten the death of American government, according to a February e-mail written by the president of the Grand Prairie Republican Club and sent to representatives from GOP groups throughout Dallas County.
The e-mail, obtained by Dallas Voice last week, was written in response to an invitation from Log Cabin Republicans of Dallas to attend the group’s monthly meeting. The invitation reportedly was distributed as part of new communication initiative within the party.
Rob Schlein, president of Log Cabin, said despite the offensive remarks, he feels the episode illustrates the progress the LGBT group is making locally.
The e-mail from Cylynda Caviness, president of the Grand Prairie Republican Club, was the only negative response Log Cabin received to its invitation, Schlein said. Meanwhile, representatives from other groups have criticized Caviness’ e-mail and commended Log Cabin for its response, sent out a few days later to the same recipients.
"It emboldens us," Schlein said of Caviness’ e-mail this week. "It reminds us of the work we have to do to change people’s attitudes. We’re going to have these incidents come up from time to time, because we’re reaching out, we’re taking risks."
Caviness didn’t return a phone call seeking comment.
In the e-mail, Caviness indicated that the Grand Prairie Republican Club voted a few months ago to adhere to the core principles of the Republican Party and the founding fathers, including following the laws of nature and God.
Convention center hotel debate
Log Cabin Republicans of Dallas will host a debate March 23 on the city of Dallas’ proposed convention center hotel. The debate between City Councilman Ron Natinsky and Anne Raymond of Crow Holdings is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at Mattitos Restaurant, 3011 Routh St. For more,
e-mail robschlein@aol.com.
"Among some of the issues that were brought up was the inclusion of the Log Cabins into our Republican Party," Caviness wrote. "We believe to have ‘fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness’ for the sake of political expediency, or any other reason for that matter, is to offend a holy God, from whom the blessings bestowed upon this country flow."
Caviness wrote that while "everyone should be treated with the same human decency that one would expect to be treated themselves," the Texas Republican Party Platform strongly condemns homosexuality. She called the U.S. an "inherently Christian" nation whose government depends on "piety, religion and morality."
"For that reason, sir, the Grand Prairie Republican Club holds strong to our Christian heritage and will take no part in knowingly excepting [sic] or promoting any immorality (by attending or promoting your organization) that may hasten the death of the American Government …," Caviness wrote.
In his response to Caviness’ e-mail, Schlien wrote that her statements were "disappointing but valuable in so much as we need to understand the scope of the challenge we face in changing hearts and minds."
"Frankly, the astounding assumptions you would have to make about us in order to say the things you said boggle the mind," Schlein wrote. "Log Cabin is a collection of respected business owners, accomplished doctors, diligent farmers, young professionals, devout Christians, dedicated parents, loving heterosexual married couples, strident gun rights advocates, pro-life sympathizers, immigration reform activists, etc., etc. … Cylynda, thankfully, the facts reveal that fewer agree with your absolutist views of exclusion each day. Many smart people are working to broaden our party without sacrificing our core principles."
Jonathan Neerman, chairman of the Dallas County Republican Party, said the e-mail exchange between Caviness and Schlein illustrates the challenge he’s facing in trying to make the GOP more inclusive.
"How do you grow without shrinking?" Neerman said.
Neerman, whose support for groups like Log Cabin has drawn the ire of social conservatives, said he considered potential ways to sanction Caviness for the e-mail but ultimately opted against it.
"I have full confidence that Rob and his board can defend themselves, and that’s exactly what they did," Neerman said.
Neerman said feedback from others who received the e-mails has all been in favor of Schlein.
"I think what Cylynda’s e-mail has shown is that there is a lot more support to include Republicans who are gay than what most people think," Neerman said.
Erin Moore, president of Stonewall Democrats of Dallas, declined to comment directly on the e-mails, calling it an internal matter for the GOP. But Moore said despite Neerman’s widely publicized recent statements about Log Cabin, she’s not convinced the local Republican Party has changed.
"I think they’re panicking because they’ve gotten beaten two election cycles in a row," Moore said. "I’m not saying it’s not possible, but I don’t think that has happened miraculously over the last two months."
To read the full text of Caviness’ e-mail and Schlein’s response click here.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition March 13, 2009.
How can the Log Cabin members expect to make any inroads with Republicans (especially the far right wing which is firmly in control) when the GOP condemns the very existence of gays and lesbians as stated in the e-mail. Where is the point at which you can even begin a conversation?
Even moderate Republicans have abandoned the GOP as evidenced in the last election.
Thankfully, this sort of e-mail from the GP GOP further marginalizes the Republican party and the Log Cabin.
The Log Cabin Republicans have made no inroads into the republican party. They will take thier votes but none of our issues.
The Log Cabin Republicans have made no inroads into the republican party. They will take thier votes but none of our issues.
What this says to me is that Log Cabin feels more akin to Republican practices of looking after business instead of people and bigotry than it is interested in self respect. Why else would they support and beg to be included in a group whose values state in black & white that it excludes you. Being a gay Republican is worse than being a Black Republican. Have some pride.
And of course, no Jews need apply to the Grand Prairie Republican Club either. As America is “inherently Christian”, neither Buddhists, nor Hindus, nor Muslims, nor Jews, nor Atheists are “Real Americans” to them.
And conservatives like myself wonder how come our message isn’t going out. It’s because of UnAmerican groups like the Grand Prairie Republican Club being seen as representative. We need to rid ourselves of these traitors to the American Dream.
According to public records Cylynda Ketner Caviness, 38, first was married to Lyle Helms in Sept. 1991, two months after she gave birth to a son. By 2002 she was divorced and married Bobby Caviness, who is 32 years her senior. Let’s see— divorced, child out of wedlock, much older second husband…I am seeing lots of good Christian “family values” going on here…
Smells like hypocrite to me.
What a strange thing to say. I would have thought that anybody with a working knowledge of antiquated hate speech knows that any group of homosexuals is, by definition, quite “fruitful”!!!
It saddens me to know there are STILL people this ignorant as Cagviness obviously is. She needs to “clean up her own values before she starts judging others. Jaime Powell says it all.If spreading hate and being a hipocrite is “being fruitful” then I guess alot of gays are not “fruitful”
Please, please do not think that this raving homophobe is representative of Grand Prairie, Texas. She isn’t. She is representative of the same lunatic fringe with which all of us must contend to one degree or another. Ignorant of history, civics and reality, she spouts theological nonsense as a political viewpoint with no sense of irony or shame. She is a member of that same Republican “base” that has doomed the party to going the way of the Whigs and the Know Nothing parties if they don’t get her and people like her out of the way. She is a representative of the reason why, when folks hear someone say they are a Christian, they run as fast as they can in the other direction–even if they themselves are Christians. The Loud and Obnoxious Few, they have turned millions off Christianity and Republicanism.
Grand Prairie really is mostly a working-class town, if you ignore the bits below I-20, known as Westchester. Lord knows I do. Grand Prairie voted for Barack Obama for President in 2008. We voted for Noriega instead of Cornyn. We are blue. Maybe bluish-purpleish.
As a born-again Christian and a Republican, I am saddened and embarrassed by Ms. Caviness’ response. Please know that not all Republicans share her ignorance and mean-spiritedness. We’re all sinners in some respect, but thankfully, God loves us (and her) in spite of our (and her) sin.