It was simply assumed that general conservative antipathy toward any mainstreaming of anything homosexual would be too high an entry barrier. One obvious explanation, one that runs counter to the assumptions of both left and right, is that many of us place higher importance on issues like the benefits of constitutional government over statism, or America's safety in the world, or restoring honor and dignity to our highest institutions, than our particular parochial issues. This should not be surprising in light of all the polls showing a sizable portion of Americans to be fiscally conservative and socially liberal. Yet this still fails to explain why so many of us would vote along with people not particularly fond of us, and against the expectations of those claiming to have our best interests in mind. Yes there are.
Understanding why takes looking beyond group politics and other stereotypes.
Voting for George Bush was in lesbians' and gay men's self-interest. That may appear counterintuitive, but look at things like privatizing Social Security. Lesbians in particular have been under three decades' worth of pressure to organize our lives around sociopolitical ideologies. Were that not enough to put us off political correctness, the extent to which the victim-entitlement culture pervades the liberal lesbian community can affect our social lives, and possibly even our relationships. As a result, many of us have simply exhausted our patience for so-called progressives.