GOProud, which goproudly bills itself as “the only national organization for gay conservatives and their allies,” is a big joke to most gay activists, liberal or conservative. So is GOProud’s originator, the Log Cabin Republicans, from which Jimmy LaSalvia & Co. split from. So it’s amusing-slash-pointless for anyone, let alone Queerty hero Jeremy Hooper, to get upset over GOPround’s sponsorship of the Conservative Political Action Conference, which is being co-sponsored by Focus on the Family and the National Organization for Marriage, among other hate groups. Because really, GOProud has, like, four members, and that includes LaSalvia (pictured). And everyone laughs at them. Besides, they’ve done this sort of thing before; GOProud joined FOTF and the American Family Association in June to support a Senate filibuster to block Sonia Sotomayor’s Supreme Court confirmation. The only reason to get upset with their CPAC sponsorship is because groups like NOM and FOTF can now say they “work side-by-side with gay rights groups” or something equally ridiculous, but that’d be a misnomer, because GOProud isn’t a gay rights group; it’s a 21st century punchline.
dial it down
Why It’s No Big Deal GOProud Joined Hate Groups to Sponsor CPAC
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Jeremy
Hmm. Guess I have to say something.
First off: I’m not like “mad, mad” about it. It was just one point that came to my attention, and I chose to weigh in. In weighing in, I spoke my feelings. And my feelings are that this sponsorship is indefensible.
As for it not mattering: True, GOProud has a tiny membership. But it’s more about the signal this sends. To not only attend, but to actually sign on as a sponsor? It tells these outright hostile cosponsors that it’s totally fine to keep up the work — it’s just a simple political towards which we can “agree to disagree.” But even worse than that: It sends dangerous signals to other, less politically attuned folks (esp. youth) who may catch wind of such a thing and get mixed/fallacious ideas about the GOP’s stance.
Now, that being said: The one positive is that this is bound to make some on the far-right go absolutely apeshit. And some of their comments about the sponsorship might give us some good pull quotes. So that’s something.
Okay, carry on. Thanks for the “hero” label, Queerty. 🙂
Sug Night
What’s next, GoProud’s sponsorship of an Exodus convention??? Perhaps Beenie Baby or whatever the hell that reggae homophobe’s name is, will perform???
Sug Night
…oh, forgot….door prize is one way trip for two to the Uganda Holiday Inn, although no self respecting ‘mo would stay at a Holiday Inn….OH YEAH, SELF RESPECTING….got it!
tedb
Well how’s that blind, un-questioning support of the Democrats working for you?
DADT ended?….nope, thrown under the bus.
ENDA passed?….Dems control both Houses and the WH, but not yet.
AIDS support increased?…budget cut to LESS than under Bush-43.
Gay Marriage?….lost in Ca., Maine and New York.
Mike in Brooklyn
Re: No 4 Ted B: Sorta right but you miss the point. Just checkout the post/responses about Dems and marriage equality, Gay Inc., Americablog’s boycott of the DNC; I guess there might 1 or 2 (out of 5-10% of 330,000,000 = 17,500,000 to 33,000,000 LGBTs) who are blindly supporting Democrats. And thats because the DNC/Congress/WH have continued to fuck us over by promising “Change you can believe in” “Hope” etc, and then fuck us at every step.
Nonetheless, GoProud, are you fucking kidding? Sadly not.
Re: GoProud itself: Jimmy LaSalvia looks like one of those college student government types who will do anything to fit in, pretend to be important, and willing to fuck everyone else over in their pursuits. I know that the term “self loathing” is misused all the time. But, joining in with Focus on the Family and NOM? Really? Yeah, GoProud, grow some balls and get some pride because, damn, with friends like the GOP, Focus, NOM, who the fuck needs enemies?
I’d say, “Go fuck yourself, cocksucker!” BUT you guys don’t deserve same-sex gratification. Instead, go fuck Maggot Gallagher, she is much more your type.
Attmay
GOProud is everything Log Cabin Republicans’ critics accused it of being.
These hate groups are a menace to society, not just to the GOP. The Democrats got along just fine by cutting the white supremacist albatross from around its neck.