This column tri-weekly column, “From Richard’s Oft Cluttered Desk” appears every third Wednesday.
In just two shorts years, Jimmy LaSalvia and his buddy Chris Barron have taken an idea and turned it into quite a powerful political force in GOProud. In their press releases they continue to call themselves the only national conservative organization working for LGBT inclusion and rights. They like to say that because both men have a pretty high-level of hate for the first national conservative gay organization in the Log Cabin Republicans. But, that is not what this column is about.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, it is about GOProud, but not about their egotistical belief that they are the end-all be-all to gay conservatives (of which I am one, contrary to what Barron tells me).
This is about their board leader, Barron, and their belief that anyone who does not think exactly the way they do, is not a conservative and should not call themselves that. Great guy, way to be inclusive to someone who has slightly different views than you. You can cue the Saturday Night Live “Really?!” graphic now …
A few weeks ago I saw a tweet about Meghan McCain. I jumped in and caught up on the news. Apparently, McCain had done an ad for skin cancer which Glenn Beck made fun of and McCain came back fighting. I usually like to listen to Beck, but he was way off base and definitely crossed the line with his comments.
Well, apparently, Ann Coulter is a better support of the mission of GOProud than McCain.
What is their mission you ask? Funny … according to their website: “GOProud represents gay conservatives and their allies. GOProud is committed to a traditional conservative agenda that emphasizes limited government, individual liberty, free markets and a confident foreign policy. GOProud promotes our traditional conservative agenda by influencing politics and policy at the federal level.”
Coulter may support a radical conservative agenda and McCain may support what could be called an inclusive conservative agenda, but one that I think is more in line with “traditional” conservative values.
But even there is not where the problem rests.
It comes from Barron’s own mouth.
Okay, whatever Chris. I think you’re wrong, but, yeah. Moving on …
But then he continues. He wouldn’t even let McCain in, but he invites someone (Coulter) who thinks gays have no right to marriage? I am all for opening and keep dialogue alive, but saying you would keep someone out who more than supports your cause, is asinine and against everything I believe about politics and the conservative cause.
At this point, I wanted to jump into the conversation and see why Chris (and on a larger scale, GOProud) felt this way. That was how he responded. By telling me, a lifelong conservative and former candidate for office that I an neither a homocon (gay conservative) or a conservative at all for that matter. Finally, he goes on to tell me that I have no respect for myself for choosing an open-minded McCain to a closed-minded, far-right-wing Coulter.
And Barron could not stop there. Who am I insulting Chris? GOProud? The entire Republican establishment … most of whom don’t want GOPreroud to be a part of the cause? Seriously man. You are way off base and you just lost a supporter. But then again, since I am neither conservative and have no respect for myself, I wouldn’t expect you to want me anyway. Bill O’Reilly, Coulter, Beck and Mike Huckabee will be there to support you.
Attitudes like this is what is destroying a once great party. I’m sorry to say, GOProud, a group I once had high hopes for has become just another group I have lost respect for.
