Log Cabin Republicans

According to Howard Kurtz, writing in the March 10, 2004, edition of the Washington Post, Log Cabin Republicans, described as a "Gay GOP Group," is to "challenge" President George W. Bush on the same-sex marriage issue in a televised ad to be aired in the Washington, D.C. area and seven other states. "The ad ... uses grainy footage of Vice President Dick Cheney saying during the 2000 campaign that the matter should be left to the states. ... The Log Cabin ad will run on cable and local stations in the District and in seven swing states: Florida, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio and Wisconsin." 

Patrick Guerriero, Executive Director of the "27-year-old group, which has never run a campaign ad, said ... [he] had warned the White House as Bush edged toward supporting an amendment that 'despite our historic loyalty to the party and the president, we would be forced to speak out if gay and lesbian families were going to be used as wedge issues in swing states.' ... The group's move, which shatters the fragile alliance between the president and his strongest backers in the gay community, could undermine efforts to renew the 'compassionate conservative' appeal he used four years ago." 

"The Log Cabin group, which claims more than 10,000 members, is the largest gay organization in the Republican Party. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) kicked off its convention last year, and top administration officials provided a briefing at this year's gathering. The group's chapters around the country often work with local elected officials.

"Asked whether the group could still support Bush, Guerriero said the president has 'jeopardized that endorsement' by 'the hypocrisy of using this in an election year.' He said that his organization has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations in the past two weeks and that the ad campaign could be expanded if fundraising continues to surge." 

"Witeck-Combs Communications is helping the Log Cabin Republicans, a band of GOP members who support gay rights, with a wide-reaching PR and ad campaign to fight their own party on a constitutional amendment which would ban gay marriage," O'Dwyer's PR Daily reports. "The Log Cabiners will kick off a $1 million ad campaign -- the first ad blitz in the group's 27-years -- March 11 across the Washington, D.C., area and several swing states like Ohio, Florida and Wisconsin. The overall campaign begins today with lobbying and PR efforts in D.C., along with grassroots work and the revamp of the group's website, logcabin.org. A print ad campaign is also planned. Colleen Dermody, VP at W-C, said her firm has specialized in gay and lesbian marketing and PR work, advising companies like IBM and Ford on issues related to that group. She noted that W-C has generally been associated with left-of-center groups in the past and the current work for the Log Cabiners is its first for that group." 

Contact information
Washington, D.C. Headquarters Log Cabin Republicans 1901 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. Suite 902 Washington, DC 20006 Phone: (202) 347-5306 Fax: (202) 347-5224 Email: press AT logcabin.org Web: http://online.logcabin.org

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 * Gay rights and the U.S. Congress
 * U.S. presidential election, 2004: Campaign Ads