Posted on 08/19/2010 11:12:03 AM PDT by Ol' Sparky
News that conservative columnist Ann Coulter would speak at "HomoCon 2010," an event organized by the conservative gay group GOProud, prompted conservative outlet WorldNetDaily to drop her from speaking at one of its upcoming events.
Coulter defended her decision to accept the invitation, saying, "They hired me to give a speech, so I'm giving a speech. . . . I speak to a lot of groups and do not endorse them. I speak at Harvard and I certainly don't endorse their views."
But while she may have lost a WND speaking gig over it, most young conservatives I spoke to defended Coulter's decision. "I think it is terrific that Ann Coulter is speaking at HomoCon," RedState's Erick Erickson told me.
Other conservatives even went so far as to argue that supporting gay rights is inherently conservative.
"Conservatism and gay rights are actually natural allies," said S.E. Cupp, conservative columnist and author of "Losing Our Religion: The Liberal Media's Attack on Christianity." "Conservatism rightly seeks to keep the government out of our private lives, and when you strip away the politics of pop culture, it's this assertion of privacy and freedom that the gay rights movement is essentially making."This is how institutions evolve and emerge within a conservative culture," says Jon Henke, a libertarian-leaning blogger. "In time, gay people will be married, extending the valuable social institution of marriage to more people. In time, conservatives will argue that the positive impact that marriage has on the gay community is further evidence of the importance of the institution of marriage."
National Review's Dan Foster believes the changing attitudes are largely generational, but added that "a central thread of conservatism, going back to Edmund Burke, is . . . gradualism."
Change has come gradually, and it's worth noting that Coulter's decision to speak at HomoCon is merely the latest example of prominent conservatives (of all ages) lending, at least, tacit support to the cause of gay rights.
Conservative anti-tax activist Grover Norquist serves on the board of directors for GOProud, and RightWingNews, the blog site run by conservative blogger John Hawkins, has agreed to co-sponsor HomoCon.
Meanwhile, Ted Olson, the lawyer who represented George W. Bush in Bush v. Gore, the case that resolved the 2000 presidential election, recently worked to overturn Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriages in California. Fox News host Glenn Beck recently said he thinks government should stay out of the gay marriage debate. And The Daily Caller's Tucker Carlson is speaking at an event hosted by the Log Cabin Republicans.
Note: Despite reaching out to social conservative activists and groups, few were interested in commenting on this story -- a point which is, in itself, telling. Several young conservatives I spoke with also drew a sharp distinction between opposition to gay marriage and being "anti-gay." And many who oppose gay marriage said they would be fine with domestic partnerships or civil unions.
Crap.
This column pimps for that idea, nothing more.
The quote from the "libertarian" guy is nauseating. Again it's a matter of taking parts of libertarian arguments out of context.
Do libertarians support the idea of homosexual "marriage" ? You bet. BUT...
The government would not be involved in ANY way.
NO ONE would be forced to recognize homosexual "marriage".
ANYONE could refuse to hire, associate with, rent to, sell to or do business with ANY homosexual. Freedom of association would be entirely legal.
NO homosexual would have ANY special rights whatsoever.
The out-of-context libertarian arguments don't make sense without "libertopia", where there's no welfare, no public housing, virtually no taxes, etc.
The fact that Ann is speaking to a homosexual group DOES NOT imply approval. If she says something that implies approval, I'll change my mind.
Meanwhile, am I required to diss my homosexual next door neighbors ?
The organization of which you speak is so far underground they are closer to hell (figuratively and literally) then they are to any parades. Show me a photo, a news report, a sighting of any kind since the 1970s and I'll be the first to admit I am wrong.
I don't have to prove anything. You are the one making this claim.
You haven’t heard a single word yet, yet you’re casting summary judgement on the whole event . . . WTF?
Barron, GOProud Chairman of the Board: "We are a gay organization, we only work on gay issues, we have never claimed otherwise. My God people."
http://twitter.com/ChrisRBarron (Aug 4, 2010; 4:04p
I’d kind of like to hear (or read) what Ann says to the group before concluding that she’s sold out. For all we know she may blast their lifestyle. On the other hand, she may use the opportunity to announce her engagement to Rachel Maddow. We’ll find out soon enough. But I don’t see any reason to jump to conclusions.
Hey Ann, “plug the damn hole!!!”
Wait a minute, on the second though you mighto not...
The fact that Ann is speaking to a homosexual group DOES NOT imply approval.From dailycaller.com:If she says something that implies approval, I'll change my mind.
This email was sent to The Daily Caller from conservative pundit and author Ann Coulter in response to the announcement that WorldNetDaily editor Joseph Farah had dropped her as a speaker for an upcoming event.
The email, which Coulter prefaced was written in a rush reads as follows:1) farah is doing this for PUBLICITY and publicity alone;2) this was an email exchange btwn friends and even though I didnt expressly say OFF THE RECORD and I believe everything I said,
hes a swine for using my private emails politely answering him.
why would he do such a despicable thing? for PUBLICITY.
3) but now that he has, I will say that he could give less than two sh-ts about the conservative movement as demonstrated by his promotion of the birther nonsense (long ago disproved by my newspaper, human events, also sweetness & light, american spectator and national review etc, etc etc).
Hes the only allegedly serious conservative pushing the birther thing. for ONE reason: to get hits on his website.
4) his group hadnt come up for the money to book me for a speech, anyway, so hes not canceling me from anything.
also, FYI; my fellow evangelicals and I know lots and lots of em all think its great that Im doing this.
(of course, they know Im not changing my mind on gay marriage even though I like gays.)
this is total b.s. for PUBLICITY by a publicity whore. Attack ann coulter, get publicity. liberals figured that out a long time ago, so hes a little late to the party.
If, and only if, Coulter speaks out against gay marriage, the repeal of DADT and the threat to religious freedom and parental rights caused by the homosexual agenda during this speech will have respect for her. If she does, I will apologize here to her.
GOProud is using Coulter to gain respectability within the conservative movement and that is why pro-homosexual "conservatives' are praising her. Wake up. Or are you pro-homo yourself?
“He (homosexual friend) makes me look like a lib”
Could you give some examples? I don’t see how this could be possible. If you remember, there used to be a homosexual front group which called itself “Log Cabin” (pun intended?). All they did was support RINOs and the usual militant homo special rights agenda.
After they disappeared, this supposedly new group pops up called “GOProud”. Yet, if you look at their website, their platform included the exact same special rights agenda as the other front group. They want open homosexuality in our military, special sodomite marriage, etc. In my opinion, none of these are Conservative positions.
They are being brainwashed in public schools. This is the result of decades of godless eduction.
It does us no good to win politically unless we can get control of the judiciary and end the public school monopoly.
I cannot support her on this at all.I understand.
For now, though, I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt -- until we know more.It COULD just be Ann "Being Ann" -- and stiring up controversy for her own reasons:
I think you are wrong, NAMBLA attends amny gay marches and are viewed amoung gays as “chicken hawks”.
“The fact that Ann is speaking to a homosexual group DOES NOT imply approval. If she says something that implies approval.”
So if Ann agreed to speak at a NAMBLA convention and never mentioned the elephant in the room, never verbally eviscerated them, that would not be tacit approval?
She’s wrong unless she goes and tells them something that they don’t want to hear which Ann has been known to do occasionally.
I had to read some comments before I decided to make my own, but you beat me to it. Being invited and speaking has nothing to do with what she says. If she says you guys are wrong, then what better forum to discuss the subject. If she says "right on queers" then I may have to re evaluate my opinion of her. As a straight down the line Catholic, I would be surprised if she was pro gay marriage. If she is in a "Can't we all just get along" frame of mind, then she is just pandering to her audience and cashing her checks. If she doesn't want to be confrontational, then why accept the gig? She is very talented and might be able to explain our position without making the homosexuals vote Dem. Just because you are a perv doesn't mean you don't need a job and your tax money.
I will not listen to what Coulter says this day forward.
She might have a job at the Huffington Post very soon. Don’t be surprised.
Matt Lewis is a homosexual.
no surprise there.
Coulter just ended her credibility.
No more buying her books, no more wasting time posting her articles. a virtual shunning, perhaps.
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