Jane Lynch to Republicans: 'Money To be Made in Gay Marriage'

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Jane Lynch has a message for Republicans and it's all about dollars and cents.

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On "The Rachel Maddow Show" Wednesday night, the "Glee" star said that the GOP should embrace gay marriage, as President Barack Obama did last week, not just because she believes it's the right thing to do, but because it offers an economic opportunity.

"Now, I, Jane Lynch am not normally one to give career advice to Republicans, but guys and gals, there's money to be made on promoting gay rights within the Republican party," Lynch said during Maddow's "Best New Thing in the World" segment.

How, you might ask? Lynch argued that Republican political strategists can hike their fees to GOP candidates by offering coaching tips on outreach to the gay community.

"Someone is going to have to teach Republicans to talk about gay rights, without seeming like they've caved to the Democrats," Lynch said. "Some strategists are going to have to make it their specialty to teach Republicans how to be pro-gay while still sounding angry."

The Republican party and the presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney have publicly opposed legalizing marriage for gay and lesbian couples, but Lynch said that they are on the wrong side of history.

As evidence, the actress cited a memo from one of the party's own - former President George W. Bush's pollster Jan van Lohuizen.

In a message to fellow Republicans obtained by Politico, van Lohuizen said the party must change its tune on the issue, because support for gay marriage is intensifying.

"As more people have become aware of friends and family members who are gay, attitudes have begun to shift at an accelerated pace," van Lohuizen wrote. "This is not about a generational shift in attitudes, this is about people changing their thinking as they recognize their friends and family members who are gay or lesbian."

Lynch did an ace job filling Maddow's wonky and acerbic shoes, but she told the MSNBC host that she's sticking with her day job.

"I would love to play," Lynch said. "I don't know that I would want to do it day in and day out. I know how much you work and how you have to have your finger on the pulse."