Look, it's a free country, and you can vote for anybody you damn well please for any damn reason.  But why oh why is this happening?

Exit polling reveals that gay and lesbian voters played a critical role in the Republican Party’s historic gains in the U.S. House on Tuesday night. According to CNN, 31% of self-identified gay voters supported Republican candidates for the U.S. House. This number is a dramatic increase from the 19% GOP House candidates won among gay voters in 2008. “Exit polling makes it clear gay voters played an important role in bringing conservative leadership to Congress,” said Jimmy LaSalvia, Executive Director of GOProud, the only national organization representing gay conservatives and their allies.

Now, I think Mr. Jimmy LaSalvia is overstating things a bit when he says that gay voters played an important role in bringing about the GOP sweep.  He has to say that; he's the Executive Director of GOProud.

But still — the fact that nearly one-third of all gay voters went Republican is disturbing.  Again, I understand that it is possible to be gay and be in favor of, say, the Republican's plan to…. well, the Republican's policies (whatever they are).  But I still don't know how one can pull the lever for a party which increasingly works hard to deny you civil rights.  What's going on?