GOProud’s sponsorship for CPAC brought out some opposition form the Marxist “Right” like Matt Barber and Peter LaBarbera of Americans for the Truth about Homosexuality. I’ve put forward what I think of LaBarbera here but I will say Matt Barber is no different. He’s a supposed righty who recycles Soviet propaganda to rail against gays while rarely speaking out about Communism, Islamism or any of the other isms that actually threaten America. In other words, his Christianized communism is at best a dangerous distraction for Americans, but more likely part of a scheme to stealthily introduce Marxist philosophy into the evangelical movement.
These whiny comintern agents worked in tandem with the leftists they claimed to fight against to discredit GOProud by feeding the hateful online left anti-gay quotes for them to use to “prove” that GOProud was betraying gays by supporting the hateful right. It wouldn’t surprise me if Barber and LaBarbera were secretly coordinating their attacks with the left, trading notes with them at the local anti-globalization rally or IMing each other while perusing Infowars. But GOProud stood firm, as did CPAC to their credit, and GOProud Chairman of the Board Christopher Barron has an op-ed piece in Metro Weekly that explains how important it is for all gays to have groups like GOProud reaching out to conservatives:
According to a May 2009 Gallup poll, a plurality (49 percent) of those who personally know someone who is gay or lesbian support legalized same-sex marriage, while 72 percent of those who do not personally know someone who is gay oppose it.
Conservatives, who oppose same-sex marriage at a significantly higher rate than liberals, also are far less likely to know someone who is gay. According to the same poll, 71 percent of self-identified liberals know someone who is gay, while only 55 percent of conservatives do.
Indeed, Gallup concluded that the data showed ”that many views toward gay and lesbian issues are related — in some instances, strongly so — to personal experience with individuals who are gay or lesbian.”
[…]
In a case of truly strange bedfellows, the gay left has joined the most radical elements of the social conservative movement in attacking GOProud’s participation. You can understand the fear of extremists on the far right: They know the impact GOProud’s sponsorship will have on undercutting their anti-gay message. These people rely on manipulating fear of what is unknown or different. But why is the gay left so angry about it?
The answer is simple. They are far more interested in politics then they are in achieving equality of opportunity for gays and lesbians and their families.
For much of the gay left the world is divided into two easily definable camps: Democrats, who by definition are infallible and should be defended at all costs; and Republicans, who regardless of their positions on LGBT issues are the enemy.
The leadership on the gay left has repeatedly made excuses for inaction by the Obama administration and the Democratic House and Senate on the gay and lesbian issues they claim are critical to our community. While they make excuses for the failures of Democrats, they ignore — or in some cases actively oppose — policies promoted by Republicans that would improve the lives of gays and lesbians.
Indeed. As a Republican I have no desire to discriminate against gays, but I do have concerns about the lawyers waiting in the wings to slap lawsuits on religious groups that refuse to marry gays. I want gays to get married and I want to protect the ability of religious institutions to keep their theological integrity in the face of social or state pressure. In other words, in both cases I want to protect the individual from the tyranny of the majority, which is what Republicanism is all about.
The gay left and the Matt Barber wing of the right believe that the majority should be able to oppress any minority and enforce their views on America by convincing enough people to hit a voting booth lever. They believe in the pure democracy that Benjamin Franklin dismissed as despotism when he said “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.”
Thus, I support GOProud and so should you.
