He is a threat as a free thinker.
Via Newsweek:
When Army veteran Rob Smith came out as gay, it was a personal moment reserved for his family and close friends. When he came out as conservative, it was a public declaration that prompted an onslaught of racial slurs and rejection from the communities he’s championed.
Smith traced his journey to joining the Republican Party back to June 12, 2016, when 49 people were fatally shot at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. As an openly gay man who was prominent in the LGBTQ rights movement, he wanted his fear to be met with a strong message against terrorism from his nation’s leaders. In the wake of the targeted attack, it was the Republican message that resonated with him.
The shooting may have been a “turning point” for Smith, but his decision to make a public declaration about his newfound political beliefs took a little more time. As a gay, African-American man he knew he’d be going against the grain and worried about the repercussions of speaking out against the political left.
Eventually, Smith’s desire to live an honest life, open about his beliefs, overpowered his fear of what people would say or the consequences he would face.
“Honestly, coming out as conservative has been more of an earth-shattering, life-altering move for me, personally, than coming out as gay was,” Smith said. “I came out [as gay] to my family and friends but coming out as conservative has been a very public thing … For me, this process has been more difficult to navigate than the process of coming out as gay.”
Being outspoken about his conservative beliefs was unchartered water but, putting it all on the line to affect change was familiar territory for Smith.
After leaving the military, the Iraq War veteran began to speak out against the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy instituted by former President Bill Clinton. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” made it legal for people who are homosexual to serve in the military under the condition that they kept their sexual orientation private. In 2010, Smith, who identified as a Democrat at the time, was arrested while protesting the policy at the White House.
“When I came out as a gay veteran and I was fighting for ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repeal, I was doing it because I knew there was a future that would include lesbian, gay, bisexual soldiers in the military being open and honest about who they are and they wouldn’t care,” Smith explained.
When former President Barack Obama signed the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Smith attended a ceremony as the president’s guest. Now, years after the repeal was signed, he scrolls through Instagram and sees openly gay soldiers serving their country proudly. It’s a moment he believes he’ll have again, but this time, it’ll be because of his openness with his conservative beliefs.
“I know that five, 10, 20, 25 years from now, me being out as an openly gay conservative, an openly gay and black conservative will open doors for this to not be as shocking and surprising to people,” Smith explained. “It will open doors to people being unafraid to be open about their political beliefs in their own lives regardless of their skin color or their sexual orientation.”
Smith estimated that there were possibly millions of people who haven’t expressed what they really think out of fear. A fear of facing a backlash similar to what Smith experienced, which he alleges included text messages telling him he has a mental illness, having his platform taken away and being iced out of social circles.