Inside and Out
The Odyssey of a Gay Conservative
Millions of young men and women all over the country dream of one day walking the corridors of power in the nation's capital. Bob Kabel was one who got to live the dream when he worked on the staff of two U.S. senators and President Ronald Reagan. Some of the obstacles he faced were typical: gaining knowledge and maturity, thriving in hyper competitive arenas, and earning the favor of key mentors. But some obstacles were less common. These days, being gay or lesbian is not widely considered a hindrance to a successful career, but in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, being gay was at the very least awkward and could at times be quite dangerous. That includes Bob's experience of being kidnapped, robbed, and shot by a young hustler in Nashville, Tennessee.
Aside from the physical danger, being gay could be the equivalent of the scarlet letter for a young man with designs on making his mark in Republican politics. Somehow, Bob persevered. "Inside and Out" is his story.
Bob Kabel rose from humble Midwestern roots to serve in the highest corridors of power in Washington, D.C. He built a distinguished career as policy expert, lobbyist, political strategist, GOP leader, and advocate for LGBT equality. His first political job was on the staff of Tennessee Governor Winfield Dunn. From there, he moved to Washington, D.C. to work for Senator Paul Fannin (R-AZ), helping to draft key tax legislation. Later, he worked for GOP Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana. Bob's star continued rising, and he was soon tapped to work in President Ronald Reagan's White House. He served as a special assistant to the president for legislative affairs for three years before joining the private sector after Reagan's 1984 re-election. For more than 30 years, Bob had a successful law and consulting practice at two large firms in D.C., where he had an active practice representing a wide range of clients. Aside from his law and consulting career, he took on significant outside responsibilities. In the early 1990s, he served as the first national board chair of Log Cabin Republicans. In that capacity, Bob helped build the nation's only LGBT Republican political organization.
He also served more than 20 years in leadership positions for the District of Columbia Republican Party, including election as the first openly gay chairman of a state GOP. He was re-elected three time and served a total of eight years as chairman. In 2012, Kabel was elected citywide on the Republican primary ballot to serve a four-year term as the Republican national committeeman for D.C. He was re-elected in 2016. Only 168 people serve on the RNC, charting the party's course for the present and future. In his leadership roles with the Republican Party, Kabel has been at the forefront of the issues, policies, and elections that have shaped the nation over the last 20 years.
Kabel recently retired from his law and consulting practice. Throughout his career, he built a reputation for reliability and professionalism, combined with a sense of duty and selflessness that are all too rare on today's political landscape.
