# First major party gay candidate for president **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 28, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249 "2011-03-28T13:12:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/1 "2011-03-28T13:12:06Z")
I guess he won’t get very far, he is Republican [http://fredkarger.com/posts/fred-karger-first-to-file-for-president-at-fec-in-washington-dc](http://fredkarger.com/posts/fred-karger-first-to-file-for-president-at-fec-in-washington-dc) ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/2 "2011-03-28T14:02:19Z")
Optimism, thy name is Fred Karger ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/3 "2011-03-28T14:30:12Z")
Seems like a nice enough fellow. I wouldn’t mind seeing him do well enough to be included in some of the debates and canidiate forums that are likely to be held during primary season. That could be very interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/4 "2011-03-28T20:18:02Z")
I have a hard time believing that he’s the first gay guy to ever file to run with a major party. Surely there have been gay activists who’ve run pie-in-the-sky campaigns before this? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/5 "2011-03-28T20:34:15Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I have a hard time believing that he’s the first gay guy to ever file to run with a major party. Surely there have been gay activists who’ve run pie-in-the-sky campaigns before this? Maybe, but I can’t recall one. New Hampshire primary normally gets a ton of guys/gals on the ballot so it’s possible in the past a gay person ran in NH. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/6 "2011-03-28T20:37:30Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > Seems like a nice enough fellow. I wouldn’t mind seeing him do well enough to be included in some of the debates and canidiate forums that are likely to be held during primary season. That could be very interesting. Whats the bar to being let into the primary debates? Given the past participants, it can’t be that high. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/7 "2011-03-28T22:35:02Z")
Is it 2084 already? ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/8 "2011-03-28T23:43:47Z")
There is certainly an argument out there that not only have we had a gay major candidate but a gay President. It’s been a point for decades that fifteenth President James Buchanan was gay and that many members of official Washington knew it. It was certainly the opinion of one of my graduate professors (My degree is in history. This would have been about 1988 or so) that he was quietly gay during his time as an elected official. [Our Queer President](http://lindholm.jp/chinf_buc.html) [James Buchanan: A Lesson in Name Calling](http://www.american-presidents.org/2006/09/james-buchanan-lesson-in-name-calling_17.html) ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/9 "2011-03-28T23:53:45Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Whats the bar to being let into the primary debates? Given the past participants, it can’t be that high. First, find a party who’s debates aren’t [hosted by homophobic bigots](http://instinctmagazine.com/blog/fred-karger-banned-from-iowa-debate-by-christian-group). ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/10 "2011-03-28T23:58:56Z")
> [@waterj2](#): > > First, find a party who’s debates aren’t [hosted by homophobic bigots](http://instinctmagazine.com/blog/fred-karger-banned-from-iowa-debate-by-christian-group). Well, going by that article, I guess the bar to getting in the primary debates is just to get the group thats hosting them invite you. Which may be kinda dicey for a gay GOP candidate. Optimism!! ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/11 "2011-03-29T00:09:40Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Well, going by that article, I guess the bar to getting in the primary debates is just to get the group thats hosting them invite you. Which may be kinda dicey for a gay GOP candidate. > > Optimism!! Well, at the same time, the people hosting the debate have to get candidates to show up. Can you imagine getting all the major Democratic candidates to show up to a debate that blatantly discriminated against gays? Also, I think the RNC’s top guy for the debates is a lawyer that represents anti-SSM groups that are trying to keep the names of their donors and petition signers secret. And Fred Karger is one of the main people on the other side of that legislation. I can’t find the story at the moment though. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/12 "2011-03-30T09:39:05Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I guess he won’t get very far, he is Republican > > [http://fredkarger.com/posts/fred-karger-first-to-file-for-president-at-fec-in-washington-dc](http://fredkarger.com/posts/fred-karger-first-to-file-for-president-at-fec-in-washington-dc) Being gay didn’t stop Condi Rice from being right up there, did it? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/13 "2011-03-30T11:56:50Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Being gay didn’t stop Condi Rice from being right up there, did it? She didn’t run for President (or anything else). But in anycase ,there’s a pretty big difference between running for office while being rumored to be gay like Buchanan and running while being openly gay like Fred Karger. I imagine if Lindsey Graham or Charlie Crist wanted to go to the Iowa debates, they wouldn’t have a problem getting in, despite long running rumors about their sexuality. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/14 "2011-03-30T17:31:43Z")
Condi Rice is openly gay? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/15 "2011-03-30T17:35:14Z")
No, she’s not. People have spread about the rumor that she is. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/16 "2011-03-31T01:05:55Z")
> [@waterj2](#): > > First, find a party who’s debates aren’t [hosted by homophobic bigots](http://instinctmagazine.com/blog/fred-karger-banned-from-iowa-debate-by-christian-group). From the linked article: > [@](#): > > …I will work overtime to help ensure that your political aspirations are aborted right here in Iowa… Hypocrite! He’s officially anti-abortion. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2011, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/17 "2011-04-01T01:07:55Z")
There are gay members of Congress but never an openly gay senator (that I recall.) Of course NJ had a gay governor for a few years but he was in the closet until he quit. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/18 "2011-04-01T02:58:20Z")
Wow. Good for him. I’m curious where he stands on other traditional social-conservative issues. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/19 "2011-04-01T03:08:17Z")
I wouldn’t mind if he didn’t use the word “queer.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2011, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249/20 "2011-04-01T07:12:19Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Condi Rice is openly gay? Baby steps. Conservatives are still getting used to her being openly black. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-major-party-gay-candidate-for-president/576249.md?page=2)