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2 MARCH 13, 2014 METROWEEKLY.cOM METROWEEKLY.cOM MARCH 13, 2014 3 4 MARCH 13, 2014 METROWEEKLY.cOM METROWEEKLY.cOM MARCH 13, 2014 5 Now online at MetroWeekly.com News: Assessing Va.’s legislative session NewsLGBT Last Word: First gay mayor for Santa Fe Silence at CPAC Annual conservative confab returns to National Harbor minus much overt anti-gay animus by Justin Snow or a gathering that seeks to foster debate and chart a path forward for the conserva- tive movement, the silence on Fgay issues at this year’s Conservative Polit- ical action Conference was deafening. in the year since CPaC was last held at the sprawling gaylord national resort & Convention Center at national har- bor, Md., much has changed. three Sen- ate republicans — rob Portman (ohio), Mark Kirk (ill.) and Lisa Murkowski (alaska) — have come out in support of marriage equality. in 2013, same-sex marriage was legalized in rhode island, ore DM Delaware, Minnesota, new Jersey, i SK hawaii and illinois. Same-sex nuptials have resumed in California for the first gage Rick Santorum time since 2008, after the Supreme Court refused to hear arguments in the Proposi- republicans. “if i’m being a little more grover norquist, founder of americans tion 8 case, and the federal government’s cynical, a tiptoeing around gay issues.” for tax reform and a supporter of Log definition of marriage as between a man indeed, speaker after speaker – and Cabin republicans, told Metro Weekly. “i and a woman has been struck down as presidential candidate after presidential think what has happened is anti-gay stuff unconstitutional, subsequently leading candidate – took to the stage to articu- has dropped down to near zero. there’s federal judges to strike down same-sex late their messages to the conservative a separate debate on the nature of mar- marriage bans in six states and counting. movement over the three-day confer- riage, whether it’s a secular or sacred and the employment non-Discrimina- ence, March 6 to 8, with gay issues rare- institution and what that all means. … But tion act (enDa) passed the Senate with ly mentioned. When new Jersey gov. certainly the negative is way down and i the support of 10 republicans — the most Chris Christie, who was snubbed from think that’s healthy for the country and Senate republican votes ever cast for a being invited to last year’s conference for the party.” piece of gay rights legislation. being too moderate, spoke about social But while the negative may have the LgBt-equality movement is rid- issues he framed them in the context diminished in 2014, it certainly hasn’t ing a wave of momentum it has never of abortion. (Christie upset some social vanished. experienced before, with many republi- conservatives when he abandoned his rick Santorum, who has run for presi- cans and conservatives no longer walking administration’s legal fight against same- dent with campaigns firmly planted in in lockstep on LgBt issues. a New York sex marriage last year, thus leading to social issues, told the audience he didn’t Times/CBS news poll released late last same-sex nuptials in new Jersey.) Sen. want to talk about “redefining marriage,” month found 40 percent of republicans ted Cruz (texas), who introduced an but about “reclaiming marriage as a good believe it should be legal for same-sex cou- anti-gay marriage bill last month that for society and celebrating how impor- ples to marry. But that reality and divide would defend his states’ right to regulate tant it is for our economy.” From whom was easy to miss on the stage at CPaC. marriage, articulated a tea party vision of marriage must be reclaimed Santorum “i think throughout CPaC, if i’m limited government focused largely on did not say, but it was easy enough to read being polite, there has been a sensitiv- federal spending and obamacare. between the lines. ity toward gay issues,” said gregory t. “that may be the interesting point, “i’ve been watching a little bit of what’s angelo, executive director of Log Cabin what you’re not hearing about a lot,” going on here at CPaC and i hear a lot of, 6 MARCH 13, 2014 METROWEEKLY.cOM Silence at CPAC ore DM i SK gage METROWEEKLY.cOM MARCH 13, 2014 7 LGBTNews ‘We have to win.’ now, we all know what goProud was not invited back. them to be that, whether you’re talking they mean. they actually mean, ‘We have “this year, we’re not on a panel and about banning Big gulps or same-sex to lose,’” Santorum said. “We have to lose we don’t have a booth, which was our marriage,” said alexander McCobin, co- those currently unfashionable stances on choice,” hemminger said. “But next year founder and president of Students for cultural and limited-government issues we do hope to have a larger level of par- Liberty, to widespread applause. that have been proven over time to give ticipation and i hope to see a goProud at a panel on minority outreach, the americans the best chance for a healthy, supporter on a panel next year and that gay community was not once mentioned. happy life.” will be another step forward.” “Part of me sees an element of fear Dr. Ben Carson, who linked same-sex But while goProud works to repair its there. i think that it’s largely due to marriage to bestiality last year, told the relationship with the aCU board, groups a conservative movement still trying to audience that gay people deserve the who have done little to rock the boat come to terms with the best language to same rights, but not “extra rights” to have found themselves shut out as well. use when addressing these issues and the “redefine marriage.” Log Cabin republicans sought to partici- messaging on this,” said angelo. and among the various organizations pate in a “meaningful” capacity, only to Lisa De Pasquale, who resigned from that erected booths at the conference receive no response from the aCU. “they goProud’s board along with Barron and was the national organization for Mar- told me everything they needed to with one other member after the organization riage, as well as the american Society their silence,” said angelo. agreed to attend CPaC as guests of the for the Defense of tradition, Family and “Whether or not this is something the aCU, said “playing nice” will do nothing Property, which distributed pamphlets conservative movement directly address- to increase acceptance of gay conserva- depicting the group goProud as a rain- es or not, it’s something that must be tives by CPaC organizers. bow-colored beaver gnawing away at acknowledged at some point, whether it’s “People have been working against the social leg of ronald reagan’s three- at CPaC or whether it’s on the campaign goProud since before Chris or Jimmy legged stool representing the conserva- trail,” he continued, speaking of same- said anything. Certainly they’ve had tive movement. sex marriage and LgBt rights. “one of sponsors in the past who have been criti- Missing for the third year in a row, the important parts of CPaC is being able cal of aCU, so why pick on the gays?” said however, was any official presence to debate these issues as a family, and the De Pasquale. “they seem to have a differ- of gay conservatives. although Matt lack of any explicit discussion of these ent standard for goProud just because Bechstein and ross hemminger — for- issues at CPaC is something that i was they’re gay.” mer goProud interns who became part missing here and something i was disap- Whether it went acknowledged at of the organization’s new leadership pointed to see.” CPaC or not, the conservative movement team after the departure of goProud although last year’s conference saw is at a crossroads, with the old guard co-founders Jimmy LaSalvia and Chris a sparsely attended anti-gay marriage and a younger generation increasingly at Barron — were extended an invitation panel featuring noM’s Brian Brown, and odds over issues such as LgBt equality. to attend by CPaC’s organizers, the a widely attended panel on gay inclu- “to me the big story is the leadership is american Conservative Union (aCU), sion, no such panels were devoted to that out of touch with the attendees and the they did not sponsor the event or have a debate this year. the most the issue was attendees don’t necessarily know it,” said booth present. goProud participated in discussed was during a panel on social De Pasquale. But conservative leaders CPaC in 2010 and 2011 to the protests conservatives vs. libertarians, which wit- will be forced to address that simmering of social conservatives, but was kicked nessed widespread applause not only for divide, either among movement-faithful out of the conference in 2012 after Bar- preventing government from dictating at an event like CPaC or among the ron labeled conservative attorney Cleta certain beliefs on others, but also for masses on the campaign trail. Mitchell a “nasty bigot” and blamed gay adoptions rather than single-parent “Like it or not, gay conservatives her for the decision by the heritage homes and putting children in institu- are here and here to stay,” said angelo. Foundation to remove itself from the tions. “Just because you think people “they can either keep their heads in the conference over goProud’s participa- ought to act a certain way doesn’t mean sand or acknowledge us as a formal part tion.

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