Why are republicans talking about a velvet mafia. What is it?

I should let dgg answer because he'll explain it better.

It's essentialy being called the "Velvet Mafia" or the "Pink Mafia" in the context of the Foleygate .. as a term for the very powerful or powerful and rich gay members of Congress or House who cover for one another. Kind of like a group (the Mafia) that stick together behind the scenes.

Someone will correct me with a better answer soon, I'm sure

No thats good. I think I understand. Only other question are they refering to just Republicans or Democrates too.

Why do they have to come up with stupid names for everything and everyone.

It can refer to anyone. Actually you don't have to be Gay either - just support their cause. There is a fairly long history on the velvet mafia.

It also isn't just for politics. I've heard it used in Hollywood circles. Hollywood is very much about who you know, so when a gay person hires all his friends, that's called the velvet mafia.

Here's the definition from Wikipedia. Honestly, I don't recall hearing the term used before the current scandal, but apparently it's been out there for awhile:


The Gay Mafia or Velvet Mafia is a term for a supposed group of powerful gay people, usually men, who use their influence to further their own goals and those of other gays, while excluding or actively working against non-gay people.[1] It has been described as a conspiracy theory similar to that which supposed that Jews were a "a diabolical group that was consolidating power everywhere from the banking industry to Hollywood."[2] The "Gay Mafia" and "Velvet Mafia" are typically associated with the upper eschelons of the fashion and entertainment industries, and the terms are also used humorously by gay people themselves. The term was widely used in the 1980s and 1990s, and could often be seen in the pages of the New York Post.