GOP, Caving in to Anti-Gay Groups, Tells GOProud to Go Home
It鈥檚 official: The 鈥渂ig tent鈥� of conservatism is big enough to include gay men and lesbians 鈥� just as long as they don鈥檛 support same-sex marriage, gays in the military or other gay rights.
鈥淚t鈥檚 got nothing to do with the orientation, it鈥檚 got to do with the principles that you advocate,鈥� American Conservative Union (ACU) Chairman , spinning madly on C-SPAN鈥檚 American Journal. 鈥淭here are a number of gays in America who don鈥檛 advocate the gays in the military issue or gay marriage, and so they鈥檒l fit within the tent of what we stand for.鈥�
That pretty much assures the gay conservative group GOProud, which supports letting gays serve openly in the military, will no longer be welcome at the ACU鈥檚 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
GOProud鈥檚 presence at last weekend鈥檚 CPAC convention did not sit well with many conservative groups. The right-wing website WorldNetDaily (WND) listed the Heritage Foundation, the Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America, Liberty Counsel, and the National Organization for Marriage among the many groups that backed out of this year鈥檚 CPAC to protest GOProud鈥檚 inclusion.
鈥淭his group is pushing a radical leftist agenda that is an affront to the GOP platform, conservatism, and, most importantly, the Word of God,鈥� said Matt Barber, director of cultural affairs, one of the right鈥檚 more loquacious homophobes.
On Feb. 9, the Washington Times disclosed the contents of a private memo signed by more than 20 right-wing leaders. Calling itself 鈥淐onservatives for Unity,鈥� the group wrote, 鈥淚t is not necessary for each group within a political movement to embrace the full agenda of others. But it is necessary for each group within any coherent movement not to stand in diametrical opposition to one or more of its core principles. It is our conviction that the institution of marriage and the family qualify as such principles.鈥�
The next day, Cardenas told the conservative FrumForum that while the 鈥渂ig tent鈥� concept is important, 鈥渋t鈥檚 going to be difficult to continue the relationship鈥� with GOProud.
鈥淭here are not enough African-Americans, Hispanics and other minorities here. That diversity is critical 鈥� you don鈥檛 need to change your value system to attract more diversity into the movement 鈥� [but] I鈥檓 not going to 鈥� for the sake of being inclusive 鈥� change the principles that have made the movement what it is,鈥� he said.
GOProud鈥檚 2011 legislative agenda includes 鈥淥pposing any anti-gay federal marriage amendment. Marriage should be a question for the states.鈥� The group is for failing to support any gay rights measure except the repeal of Don鈥檛 Ask, Don鈥檛 Tell.
A smattering of dissent among conservatives to the apparent dismissal of GOProud has surfaced. Former ACU Director Chuck Muth, who joined GOProud鈥檚 advisory council on Monday, said in a press release, 鈥淎 person doesn鈥檛 have to be straight to think right. And I would remind those who wish to exclude gays from the conservative movement that we win majorities through addition, not subtraction. I鈥檓 honored to have been invited to join the national advisory council of this important and bona fide conservative organization.鈥�
CPAC wasn鈥檛 the only right-wing powwow to draw a line over GOProud recently.
Last September, right-wing polemicist Ann Coulter, who once called presidential candidate John Edwards a 鈥渇-----鈥� and separately labeled former Vice President Al Gore a 鈥渢otal f--,鈥� spoke at in New York City. In retaliation, outraged WND founder Joseph Farah kicked Coulter out of his organization鈥檚 , declaring that GOProud 鈥渋s about infiltration of the conservative movement and dividing it from within with twisted and dangerous ideas way out of the mainstream of American opinion.鈥�
Farah may need to check his definition of 鈥渕ainstream.鈥� Among others, his conference featured birther , who that the Democratic Party is 鈥渋ndistinguishable from socialists or communists in the way they think,鈥� and Floyd Brown, creator of the notorious Willie Horton ad that hobbled Michael Dukakis鈥� 1988 presidential campaign and whose sole purpose in life lately is getting President Obama impeached.
There is also plenty of room under CPAC鈥檚 鈥渂ig tent鈥� for the paranoid fringe. The John Birch Society, which once accused President Dwight D. Eisenhower of being a secret Communist; Accuracy In Media, whose rabidly anti-gay leader for the white nationalist journal after Fox News erroneously connected it to Tucson shooter ; and the American Center for Law and Justice, which helps write measures to , were all welcomed without controversy.
In a , arch-conservative Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) wrote, 鈥淭o win back the trust of the American people, we must be a 鈥渂ig tent party. 鈥� Republicans can welcome a vigorous debate about legalized abortion or same-sex marriage.鈥� It seems that DeMint, who in 2009 that would allow prosecution of crimes motivated by bias against LGBT people, and last October that openly gay teachers should be banned in public schools, was simply too optimistic 鈥� or insincere.
