Gay Republican group endorses Romney while still opposing his anti-gay beliefs

Log Cabin Republicans, a prominent gay Republican group, has thrown its support behind Mitt Romney, calling it the right decision despite the GOP nominee’s opposition to gay marriages.

The endorsement comes somewhat hesitantly, as the Log Cabin Republicans continue to slam Romney for opposing marriage equality for the gay and lesbian community. The group said that the nation faces many other issues that need to be addressed, and it believes Romney is a better candidate than Obama to tackle those issues, despite his anti-gay views.

"The decision to endorse is the right one for our members, our community, and for the nation as a whole," Log Cabin Republican’s executive director, R. Clarke Cooper, said. "Despite our disagreement with Governor Romney on the issue of marriage, on balance it is clear that in today’s economic climate, concern for the future of our country must be the highest priority. We are Republicans, and we agree with Governor Romney’s vision for America in which success is a virtue, equal opportunity is ensured, and leaders recognize that it is the American people, not government, that build our nation and fuel its prosperity."

Cooper said that the group hopes that Romney, unlike other Republican presidents, will ‘move the ball forward’ on issues that are of particular concern to the LGBT community and Log Cabin Republicans will continue to speak on behalf of the gay and lesbian Americans when Gov. Romney wins his bid to the White House.

Romney’s spokesperson, Andrea Saul says that the Republican presidential candidate welcomes the endorsement and appreciates the support the group has extended toward him despite the differences between both parties.

Stonewall Democrats, a national gay group that supports Obama since the very beginning, called the endorsement by Log Cabin Republicans shameful and insulting, according to a report by MSNBC. "This is politics at its worst — when a community sells out its own people for the gain of a few individuals," Jerame Davis, the group's executive director, said in a statement.

This is not the first endorsement Romney has received from a gay rights group. In June, GOProud, another gay Republican body, issued a statement saying that it will ‘enthusiastically support’ Gov. Romney to help him win the race for the White House, and pledged to commit ‘significant resources’ for his election campaign.

The last minute decision by Log Cabin Republicans is reflective of the ongoing tensions among gay conservatives about the role they should be playing being party members while also protecting the rights of the LGBT community.