Number 18

[PanzerJaeger]

The problem, at least in Sweden and Austria... The only two countries I know on a deeper level... Is that the gay ISSUE has been tied with a LOAD of other things... Lots of them not really appealing.

This is largely a function of the rejection of homosexuality on the right - not simply the nuanced stances against gay marriage or adoption most commonly put forward today, but the years of vicious attacks against their fundamental right to exist in society as they are. This has created a particularly virulent strain of identity politics, where gays are expected to accept a larger left wing platform of positions that have little if anything to do with sexuality.

I have found that there are plenty of gay people who lean moderate-to-right on many issues, but they keep it to themselves as they would be rejected by other gay people who (rightly) feel an allegiance to the left and they would be rejected by the right who still want nothing to do with them. Thus you have a political atmosphere where thought leaders in the gay community are only allowed to manifest on one side of the political spectrum.