To appease conservatives, CPAC organizer promises that gay group won’t speak at the conference

[Thickasabrick]

And a big WTF??? This group is co-sponsoring these bigots???

Earlier this month, conservative gay rights group GOProud announced that it would be a co-sponsor of this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). But the group’s inclusion as a co-sponsor has led to a backlash from the anti-gay right, some of whom are threatening to boycott CPAC if GOProud’s sponsorship isn’t removed. CPAC director Lisa De Pasquale told Hot Air last week that she was “satisfied” that GOProud “do not represent a ‘radical leftist agenda’ and thus “should not be rejected as a CPAC cosponsor.” But David Keene, the head of CPAC’s main organizing group, tried to calm the potential boycott by using a different tactic. In an e-mail to a right-wing radio host, Keene promised that GOProud would not have a speaking spot and that gay rights issues would not be “open to debate”:

In his e-mail response, Keene admitted GOProud “has signed on as a CPAC co-sponsor, but will have no speakers and we told them that, in fact, since opposition to gay marriage, etc are consensus positions (if not unanimous) among conservatives, these topics are not open to debate.” <...>

“I know that there are those who are as opposed to the sinner as the sin, but our view is that CPAC is inclusive and welcomes all of those who agree with us on most issues. I don’t know the GOProud people personally, but we find it difficult to exclude groups because of disagreements on one or two issues no matter how important many of us believe those issues to be … other examples: we have pro-life and pro-abortion co-sponsors, advocates of restrictive and more open immigration, supporters and opponents of the war in Afghanistan and supporters and opponents of some of the restrictions adopted in the war on terror since 9/11,” he continued.

“Some of these issues draw significant support on both sides of the question from the broad movement and these we often debate at CPAC … trade policy, immigration are example … while others like abortion are consensus positions and while we accept those who differ from the consensus, we see no reason for further debate. Gay issues fall within this category,” he said.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/12/23/cpac-goproud-keene/

[MineralMan]

1. Why on Earth would a gay organization want anything to do

with CPAC. A bigger bunch of homophobic haters does not exist.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. The only surprise is that any gay group would want to be involved with the CPAC in any way at all.

CPAC's response was perfectly predictable.

[Thickasabrick]

3. I think someone needs to go talk to these people. See if they will

cross over - we could trade them for that Parker Griffith guy from Alabama.

[BrklynLiberal]

6. That seems like a workable plan :D

[ck4829]

4. Pay for something, but you don't get to speak. Feel scammed, gay cons?

You've been robbed.

[Chulanowa]

5. Some masochists whip themselves. Others cut, while still others pay others to hurt them

GOProud does this.

I mean hey, I'm not going to be one of those people who say that the Democratic party is the golden gate of opportunity for the GLBT community. But I will say that the GOP sure as fuck isn't.