When Rick Perry came out with his recent anti-gay, pro-prayer-in-school ad, must of us thought it might unintentionally help bring down his campaign.No one imagined it would be responsible for the implosion of gay conservative group GOProud.
Chris Barron has announced he’s stepping down as GOPround’s chairman after the fallout from his and Jimmy LaSalvia’s outing Rick Perry’s pollster Tony Fabrizio—itself a reaction to the Perry ad.
Huffington Post founder Andrew Breitbart resigned from GOProud’s board over the outing, and Barron and LaSalvia actually released a joint statement condemning the practice.
“From the time this organization was founded we have been clear in our opposition to outing. We would never intentionally out anyone. However, in the case of Tony Fabrizio, top pollster and chief strategist for the Presidential campaign of Texas Governor Rick Perry, we did not believe there was any question about his sexual orientation…”
A group of gay Republicans are against revealing closeted fags? What a shocker.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Barron will continue as the organization’s Chief Strategist and I will remain on the Board as Chairman Emeritus. Lisa De Pasquale, the former director of Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), is filling in as an interim chair while a permanent replacement is found.
In a statement on the GOProud website, Barron claims his leaving has do to with the group’s expansion and restructuring, not any controversy. But when your organization is a house of cards, it’s only a matter of time before it collapses.
Michael
So a group of “let’s put money ahead of LGBT rights” is ashamed that someone outed another who put his personal gain ahead of LGBT rights? There was a moment when this happened when I garnered some respect for GOProud but the fall-out happening is the most pathetic thing ever to come from them. 1st off, the guy wasn’t in the closet, most people who knew aobut him already knew. 2ndly, ANYONE who promotes homophobia in any way needs to be outed.
Pathetic, just pathetic. GOProud has put the final nail in their coffin IMHO.
Mike in Asheville
@Michael: +1
Libertarian Larry
Funny how you guys see this as a victory for gays and/or gay rights. Despite what your mommies told you about the mean ol’ green ol’ Republicans that hide under your bed, there are many, many of us whose philosophy is simply smaller government and less entitlement, but your minds are so closed that you can’t even get past the first two syllables: Re-pub—EEEK!!! Trash him all you want (because nothing masks insecurity better than insulting others), but Chris Barron was and still is an ally to you and me, regardless of what your liberal gay gods may want you to think. At least he wouldn’t out someone who chooses not to be, which makes him far classier than most people in the political realm (not to mention on this website).
Nick
I couldn’t tell Chris Barron was my ally, considering how much he trashes gay liberals. Still, I’d hate fuck him. Or would have before he got those tragic tattoos.
christopher di spirito
Chris Barron is a douchebag but Andrew Sullivan is worse.
Sullivan just endorsed Ron Paul for president. Bareback Sully says his reasons include the need to role back and eliminate entitlements like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
These queens are out of their damned minds.
Robert in NYC
No. 3, can you explain why GOProud until recently opposed marriage equality and DADT repeal? Can you tell me if you were among the 44 million Americans or more without any health insurance through no fault of their own would be able to get access to ehalth care? What if you had lost your home, not necesarily through foreclosure, your job, your income and savings as well as your health insurance, how would a Civil Libertarian (radical republicans) get access to basic health care without resorting to emergency rooms which big government has to pick up the tab for? Oh I forgot, you just die as far as Ron Paul is concerned or seek out a charity for help as many republicans believe.
Another thing, your darling Ron Paul supports DOMA in states that have legislated for it while claiming he supports marriage equality but not having big government legislate for it. His policy would guarantee no full marriage equality in all 50 states. Government will NEVER be out of the marriage business. There isn’t one western society that has. Besides, how would you get access to the 1134 federal benefits if state govenments didn’t issue marriage licenses?
ewe
@Libertarian Larry: That isn’t class. That’s shame. And you should read your words. It is you that is insulting everyone.
ewe
@Libertarian Larry: So now it’s my turn to insult you. You are a complete idiot. You state “At least he wouldn’t out someone who chooses not to be, which makes him far classier than most people in the political realm (not to mention on this website).” Try your rediculous gibberish on the stupid and misinformed. I am going to prove to you right now what an absolute unknowing victim you are. Here goes: Picture a heterosexual person and then tell us ” At least he wouldn’t out someone who chooses not to be, which makes him far classier than most people in the political realm (not to mention on this website).” Makes no sense. You make no sense. End of conversation. You are a self hating gay person who thinks it is ok to hide who you are or allow others to live in silent shame because of how hateful bigots feel about gay people. BTW fuck you.
Kurt
@Libertarian Larry: “Despite what your mommies told you about the mean ol’ green ol’ Republicans that hide under your bed, there are many, many of us whose philosophy is simply smaller government and less entitlement, …Chris Barron was and still is an ally to you and me”
The LGBT Movement should stay focused on direct issues. But when we fight for employment non-discrimination, it implies an acceptance that the government has a legitimate role in telling bosses they cannot discriminate. When we advocate for health care for our community, it implies the government has a legitimate role in public health.
So our movement makes no apologies for not embracing the “smaller government” philosophy.
Now, Republican gays are free to go off and stsrt whatever political movement with whatever goals they want. It is just when they do so they are distinct and outside of the mainstream LGBT movement. Go and be well, but stop pretending that your allies are our allies. They are not.
the other Greg
Try to find a shred of logic in this passage:
“We would never intentionally out anyone. However, in the case of Tony Fabrizio… we did not believe there was any question about his sexual orientation…”
Apparently they unintentionally outed him although he couldn’t really be outed because everyone knew already? Something like that!
Cam
I posted a response to LArry that listed out all the ways the govt. increased in size under the GOP, and all of the entitlement payouts they have given to CEO’s etc… And Queerty Screened it out. What gives?
lucifer
Has any one seen his dick? He does look hot.
Libertarian Larry
@Kurt: I appreciate and agree with your stance 100% (except on the smaller gov’t issue): All gay men are NOT created equal. We’re not all the same. Some of us are pro-LGBT all things all the time—others are not. This is the U.S., it’s one of the only places on the planet to have diverse opinion and be respected for it. So why all the trashing of Chris Barron? Because of gay marriage? Because he didn’t vote for Obama? I just don’t get it. He doesn’t hate us, he simply represents but one faction of our very large and diverse community, and for that he should not be classified as an enemy.
Brian
Andrew Breitbart founded the Huffington Post? Quoi?
Nick
What kind of dumbass doesn’t get the difference between equality and difference?
Libertarian Larry
@Cam: Don’t know why Queerty would have screened out your post, because I agree with you that W. ran the country into the ground, and unfortunately then Obama came in and is making the hole deeper. I too wish the mega-rich to be brought down to our level. But you also need to be aware that 75% of 2008’s political donations from wealthy Wall Street CEOs went to . . . wait for it . . . here it comes . . . Obama! And when they were bailed out, Obama was suspiciously uncommunicative when asked why the deal didn’t negate the multi-million-dollar bonuses these clowns received as a condition of the bail-out. But, nonetheless, I respect your opinion. At least you have one, as opposed to the haute coutre of Lucifer (no. 12) who inquired about the size of Barron’s dick. Class act, that Lucifer.
Kurt
@Libertarian Larry: I agree with your call for civility. Mr. Barron is a part of our community. He is not part of our movement. That is a nuanced but important distinction.
JohnAGJ
@Robert in NYC: I’m not a fan of Barron or GOProud but you’re mistaken here. GOProud supported DADT repeal and never took a position on DOMA, although they did oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment. This was all on their webpage the last time I checked. Now I myself may be mistaken, but I believe they oppose ENDA and hate crimes laws. As for Barron, he’s been a very poor spokesman for his group especially with his obnoxious tweets. His partially stepping done may actually serve GOProud well depending upon how his replacement is.
JohnAGJ
@christopher di spirito: How does Sullivan’s support of Ron Paul supposedly make him worse? Because he doesn’t toe some liberal political line on entitlements that has nothing to do with gay rights? Give me a break. There is much I can and do criticize Sullivan for, but the fact that he has a difference of opinion on fiscal policy isn’t one of them – even though I don’t fully share his views on them.
Cam
@Libertarian Larry:
Hi Larry,
My problem is, that just because the GOP runs with the slogan smaller govt. and less entitlements, nothing they have done has shown any of that at all unfortunately.
I don’t think the Dems are near perfect by any means. But the hypocrisy seems to be less at this point.
Aunt Sharon
@christopher di spirito: Andrew Sullivan did NOT endorse Ron Paul for president, but only for the Republican nomination. He made it clear that he supports the re-election of Obama. “But all this is why a conservative like me is for Obama. What we are talking about here is who to support in a primary dominated by extremes, resentment, absence of ideas and Obama-hatred.”
Libertarian Larry
@Cam: You are so right. I’ve watched the GOP go from a mostly rational group of thinkers to a gaggle of God-fearers, and the result has been a culture clash within the party revolving around religion. Perhaps if somehow the Jesus People would understand that their beliefs have no place in our government, then maybe we’ll be able to have civil discussion between Left and Right. But as long as the far-right goons keep assuming the philosophies of the Republicans, the Right is always going to come off as a little loony. I mean this in no disrespect to people of religion, but they’ve got to get it out of the capitol building and keep it in the church.
Joe B.
My only contact with Chris Barron ever happened on Twitter. He was apparently dogging Joe Jervis for alleged fatness. I remarked that a guy with teeth like his shouldn’t be calling out anyone for anything. He shot something back. I then condensed his Twitter activity that day for me into a sentence, saying, “So, you’re dogging a guy you don’t really know for alleged fatness because you don’t agree with his politics? How old are you?”
He stopped responding there.
The guy is a child. I don’t know what the rest of his life is like but publicly he is a child, and a petulant one at that.
Jason
@Libertarian Larry: Well, Republicans like Susan Collins and Alan Simpson are just fine by me, but douchebag Republicans like Salvia and Barron are just that – douchebags, regardless of their political and sexual orientation.
And unless you’ve been asleep for all these years, the mantra of small government and lower taxes is now the norm even in the DNC. The only difference between the GOP and the DNC today is that they’re on different sides of the culture wars.
Jason
@christopher di spirito: Wrong. Sullivan endorsed Ron Paul for Republican Presidential nominee, although he’s still supporting Obama in the general. Get your facts straight. And, yeah, while Paul is a kook (lets get rid of the FAA being one of his proposals), he’s still a damned sight better than the rest of the GOP field.
Eric in Chicago
Chris Barron is the worst kind of gay person. Someone who gets all the benefits that other GLBT have fought hard for and then spits in their faces. He’s married to his partner – something his GOP buddies would never allow. He can go to gay events or bars etc because left wing gays fought hard for those rights. The fact he can even be part of a gay group is because of the left wing gay community. He supports and upholds the people who suppress our rights and criticizes the people who fight for our rights. He truly is like one of the jews who helped the Nazis. He is the lowest of the low.
Ian
@Libertarian Larry: Pardon me Larry, but how does “simpler smaller government” under the GOP translate into LGBT civil rights? I’m no defender of the Democratic Party for sure, but the GOP (in practical terms) is no friend of LGBT civil rights. Get a grip. (And by the way, fuck your “mommie” reference. I’m a progressive who spends time to be informed on the issues and politics of the day. I don’t take this lightly and I certainly don’t harken back to what “mommie” told me. So blow me.)
tjr101
Why are we even take an individual that makes childish tweets and posts pics of himself staring into a mirror online seriously? Chrissy Barron is the biggest asshole of a gay man you will ever see. And for someone to call him an ally of the LGBT community is quite laughable. Chrissy Barron is an ally only to his bank account.
ousslander
@Eric in Chicago: while he may be a douche but jew for nazi? Tell me who he helped round up and gas in a camp? what medical experiments did he perform on gays? Did he shave their heads and knock out their gold teeth?
Erik
@Libertarian Larry: If someone is working for a political candidate who seeks to inflict legal harm upon me, I will publicly humiliate them if given the chance. That is self-defense and is fair play.