Posted on 02/20/2010 1:07:12 PM PST by onyx
Several prominent social conservatives have bailed out of this year's CPAC convention because of the presence of a group of gay Republicans.
The three-day convention got started Thursday at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC and will feature such anti-gay figures as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, media personality Ann Coulter, South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. Conservative media personality Glenn Beck is the event's keynote speaker.
Liberty University Law School, the Christian-based university founded by the late Jerry Falwell, backed out of the event after it was announced that the recently formed gay Republican group GOProud was a co-sponsor.
The group's leader, Jimmy LaSalvia, will participate in a panel discussion Saturday morning on using technology to mobilize conservatives.
A quick read of topics covered at the conference would lead one to believe the gay Republicans have walked into a den of lions. Anti-gay groups such as the Christian-based Focus on the Family Action, Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum and the Catholic Advocate will speak on a range of social issues, including one panel titled Saving Freedom from the Enemies of our Values.
On the exhibition floor, the gay Republicans have set up shop just two booths down from the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), the nation's most vociferous opponent of gay marriage.
“It's the ultimate Washington power grab to say let's have a federal constitutional amendment that will federalize the question of marriage,” Christopher Barron, chairman of GOProud, told CNN.
NOM offered a terse message via POLITICO's Ben Smith to the gay Republicans. “We have a message for GOProud on marriage: If you try to elect pro-gay marriage Republicans, we will Dede Scozzafava them. The majority of Americans, and the vast majority of Republicans, support marriage as the union of husband and wife, and NOM is here to make sure these voters and their voices are heard loud and clear,” the group said referring to a Republican lawmaker who supports gay marriage and was squeezed out by social conservatives last November from pursuing a New York Congressional seat.
“Who's the pansy at #CPAC10 ? - NOM can't even walk a few feet to deliver 'message',” GOProud sparred back on Twitter.
Among the criticisms lobbed at gay Republicans from gay Democrats, however, is their apparent contradiction on gay marriage. The group says it supports the right of gay and lesbians to marry. But gay Republican groups have previously endorsed anti-gay marriage candidates, including Senators John McCain of Arizona and Scott Brown of Massachusetts.
CPAC ends Saturday.
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GOProud's Conservative Agenda
The so-called "gay agenda" is defined by the left through a narrow prism of legislative goals. While hate crimes and employment protections may be worthy goals, there are many other important priorities that receive little attention from the gay community. GOProud's agenda emphasizes conservative and libertarian principles that will improve the daily lives of all Americans, but especially gay and lesbian Americans. 1 - TAX REFORM - Death tax repeal; domestic partner tax equity, and other changes to the tax code that will provide equity for gays and lesbians; cut in the capital gains and corporate tax rates to jump start our economy and create jobs; a fairer, flatter and substantially simpler tax code. 2 - HEALTHCARE REFORM - Free market healthcare reform. Legislation that will allow for the purchase of insurance across state lines - expanding access to domestic partner benefits; emphasizing individual ownership of healthcare insurance - such a shift would prevent discriminatory practices by an employer or the government. 3 - SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM - Bringing basic fairness to the Social Security system through the creation of inheritable personal savings accounts. 4 - DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL REPEAL - Repeal of the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. 5 - HOLDING THE LINE ON SPENDING - Standing up for all tax payers against wasteful and unneccessary spending to protect future generations from the mounting federal debt. 6 - FIGHTING GLOBAL EXTREMISTS - Standing strong against radical regimes who seek to criminalize gays and lesbians. 7 - DEFENDING OUR CONSTITUTION - Opposing any anti-gay federal marriage amendment. 8 - ENCOURAGING COMMUNITY ENTREPRENEURSHIP - Package of free market reforms to encourage and support small businesses and entrepreneurship in the gay community. 9 - REVITALIZING OUR COMMUNITIES - A package of urban related reforms; expanding historic tax preservation credits; support for school choice. 10 - DEFENDING OUR COMMUNITY - Protecting 2nd amendment rights. |
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Romneycare is not anti-gay.
He forced fisting and gay marriage down the throats of all
Massachusetts citizens for Margaret Marshall and his
friends at the Boston Globe and the New York Times.
Conservative Turd-Burglar Ping, lol!
why are you linking to a homo magazine on FR?
That’s so gay.
Bump.
this is a homo magazine that the Poster has posted. that’s why all those people are called “anti-gay” because they’re republicans & so the homos “feel bad” about them.
Yeah, right.
>"One issue I want to clarify concerns President Clinton’s “don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t pursue” military policy. I believe that the Clinton compromise was a step in the right direction. I am also convinced that it is the first of a number of steps that will ultimately lead to gays and lesbians being able to serve openly and honestly in our nation’s military. That goal will only be reached when preventing discrimination against gays and lesbians is a mainstream concern, which is a goal we share."
Sincerely, W. Mitt Romney
Yeah, it’s not as though we didn’t know what their spin would be.
Ya gotta understand that “On Top Magazine” is written for gay consumption...lol.
Looks like Liberty Council and others got blindsided by these folks’ inclusion in the program.
With more warning, I think they could have chosen to stay and prepared a presentation to point out why they don’t agree with GOPride’s agenda. And if GOPride got offended with that and walked out, too bad so sad.
Kick the fags out.
They have a party - the other one.
CPAC erred big time. Maybe fatally. I posted GOProud’s “legislative conservative agenda” (their words) for all to see.
Gays don’t bother me. People who need to remind everyone that they’re gay do bother me because they want it to define them so people know who to pander to.
The fags punked them.
good job, stay strong and proud
Advocating a liberal agenda is hardly “conservative,” I don’t care what they cry.
The GOP lost big in 2006 and 2008 over m,oving to the left. If it continues, all the efforts to bring the base back will fail and we will see Democrats in power for a very long time as conservatives find or build a uninfested political home.
Between the assault of the anti-libereration Paulies and now gay avocates, all the advances made by TEA Party’s will be for naught.
Wake up GOP and see that the wolf is in the doorway.
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