GOProud

Jimmy LaSalvia, the executive director of gay GOP group GOProud, lauded Tuesday's gay marriage wins in four states. ?Jimmy LaSalvia, the executive director of gay GOP group GOProud, up shifted his support for gay marriage on Thursday, two days after President Barack Obama won a second term. Wins for marriage equality in four states on Tuesday backed up polling which had shown support rising above 50 percent over the past 18 months. GOProud was the first gay conservative group to endorse the presidential ambitions of Mitt Romney, who is opposed to recognizing gay and lesbian couples with either civil unions or marriage. In previous interviews, LaSalvia and other GOProud members have downplayed their support for gay rights, in particular the right to marry. During a CNN appearance, Piers Morgan asked LaSalvia: ?How can you really support a ticket which is so resolutely opposed not just to gay marriage but to most gay rights?? ?Right. I know, but look, here's the deal,? LaSalvia explained

Talk show host Joy Behar has knocked gay Republicans, telling them their money won't protect them from homophobia. ?Talk show host Joy Behar has knocked gay Republican group GOProud, telling them their money won't protect them from homophobia. Behar's current talk show, Say Anything!, premiered on cabler Current in September. She also co-hosts ABC's The View with Barbara Walters, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Sheperd. In an interview with gay glossy The Advocate, Behar said her show was trying to book more Republicans ? she mentioned conservative author Ann Coulter ? which led to her rant against GOProud. ?I don't understand the GOProud people either,? she said. ?Why are they voting for someone who's against gay marriage, gays in the military? The Republican platform wants to roll back into 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' I mean, that is completely retro. It's not all about your pocketbooks, guys. I guess they feel their money will protect them from homophobia. A lot of peo

Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of GOProud, believes economic issues will drive LGBT people to vote for Mitt Romney. ?Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of gay GOP group GOProud, believes economic issues will drive LGBT people to vote for Mitt Romney. In a Fox News Fox and Friends appearance, LaSalvia discussed with host Gretchen Carlson the lack of a question on the issue of gay marriage during Wednesday's presidential debate. President Barack Obama in May endorsed marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples, while Romney supports a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to heterosexual couples. ?I think the president would have loved to talk about it because he hasn't wanted to talk about his record on jobs and the economy,? LaSalvia said. ?But gay people aren't any different than anyone else. All over the country, gay people are living paycheck to paycheck, worried about their future and wondering how much longer they can hold on.? ?I think that everybody wants to know that b

Gay Republicans are divided on an ad which featured an image of Libyan Ambassador Chris Stevens' lifeless body. ?Gay Republicans are divided on a controversial ad which featured an image of slain Libyan Ambassador Chris Stevens' lifeless body to attack President Barack Obama on gay rights and Israel. The campaign ad was produced by the Broward County Log Cabin Republicans, the local chapter of gay GOP group Log Cabin Republicans. Under the headline, ?Where is the outrage now?? the group attacked the Obama administration for not protecting Stevens: ?If the Obama Administration isn't going to protect Gay/Gay-friendly American citizens from the terror of Islamic radicalism, what makes you think they will protect us from Shariah Law ? ANYWHERE?? ?SUPPORT ISRAEL IN THIS HOUR OF DARKNESS,? the ad continued. ?VOTE REPUBLICAN!? The ad is a nod to rumors that Stevens was gay which surfaced days after his death at the hands of an angry mob who stormed the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. R. Cl

Wanda Sykes advises people to vote in order to avoid being gassy and have messed up dreams for the next 4 years. Comedian Wanda Sykes advises people to vote in order to avoid being gassy and have messed up dreams for the next 4 years. Sykes dispenses her advice during her election special NewNowNext Vote with Wanda Sykes set to premiere Monday on all-gay cabler Logo. Joining her on the program are Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank, MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts, Obama 2012 co-chair Joe Solmonese, GOProud executive director Jimmy LaSalvia and Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen. ?I'm a black, gay woman,? she tells the panel. ?I think the only way to make the GOP hate me more is if I sent them a video of me rolling around on a pile of welfare checks.? ?Vote,? Sykes tells the audience. ?People say it doesn't matter if you vote. But it's like deciding what to eat for dinner. Do you want to feel happy and full for the next four years? Or be gassy and have messed up dreams? You can gyrate

Barney Frank and Thomas Roberts are among the celebrities scheduled to appear on all-gay cabler Logo's election specials. ?Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank and MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts are ?among the celebrities scheduled to appear on all-gay cabler Logo's election specials. Hosting the specials will be comedian Wanda Sykes. Titled NewNowNext Vote with Wanda Sykes, the specials will be taped in front of a live studio audience in Times Square in New York City and feature notable panelists from both sides of the political divide. The first special will air on Monday, September 10, four days after the Democratic National Convention (DNC), followed by a second special on Monday, November 5, election eve. Frank and Roberts are schedule to appear on the first special, along with GOProud executive director Jimmy LaSalvaia, Obama 2012 co-chair Joe Solmonese, Democratic pundit Hilary Rosen and Historian Rick Shenkman. According to producers, the specials will ?touch on hot topics for t

Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of gay GOP group GOProud, has called Gay Pride Parade marchers 'lunatics'. Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of gay GOP group GOProud, has at the least suggested that Gay Pride Parades are offensive. LaSalvia made his comments in a video interview with Victoria Jackson on her YouTube show. ?Don't you think that Baptists like me would be less offended by the homosexual movement if there weren't those gay parades where they have dildos and naked people flouncing around. Why do we have to have the gay parade? It seems like it's making you lose respect,? Jackson asked. ?Well, I think that that's a good point,? LaSalvia started. ?It was until recently that that's the only time most Americans saw gay people was at these parades. But now it's different. We have gay people who are coming out in all communities and we have gay conservatives who are out at the Republican convention showing that gay people are just like everybody else. And that's an important t

Wisconsin Representative Tammy Baldwin will address the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Thursday. Wisconsin Representative Tammy Baldwin will address the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Thursday. The 50-year-old Baldwin would become the first openly gay U.S. senator if she captures the seat being vacated by Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl. Her Republican rival, Tommy Thompson, is a former governor of Wisconsin. Baldwin has been given a prime speaking slot: on the convention's final evening and in the same stadium where President Barack Obama will accept the Democratic nomination. ?We've seen Paul Ryan and Scott Walker on the national stage. I'm going to talk about the Wisconsin I know,? Baldwin told the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. ?We've increasingly seen wealthy, powerful interests gain power in Washington and, frankly, in Madison, and write their own set of rules. Hardworking families deserve a shot.? Last month, LPAC, the political action committee formed earli

GOProud's Jimmy LaSalvia has said his group backs Mitt Romney because gay people need jobs before they can marry. Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of gay GOP group GOProud, has said his group backs Mitt Romney because gay people need jobs before they can marry. GOProud was the first gay conservative group to endorse Romney for president. The GOP candidate opposes recognizing gay and lesbian couples with either civil unions or marriage. The group's Homocon party at the Republican National Convention took place on the same day Republicans ratified a platform which supports a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as a heterosexual union. During a CNN appearance, Piers Morgan asked, ?How can you really support a ticket which is so resolutely opposed not just to gay marriage but to most gay rights?? ?Right. I know, but look, here's the deal,? LaSalvia explained. ?The answer is you gotta have a date before you get married. Everyone knows you can't get a date without a job. ? G

Tickets to gay GOP group GOProud's Homocon convention party not in much demand among members of Nevada's delegation. Tickets to gay GOP group GOProud's Homocon convention party are not in much demand, at least not among members of Nevada's delegation. According to the Las Vegas Sun, Nevada RNC committeewoman Heidi Smith was having a hard time giving away the tickets Tuesday morning. GOProud describes Homocon 2012 as ?THE must-have ticket. Guests will dance the night away after the evening convention session at The Honey Pot night-club in Tampa's Ybor City neighborhood.? ?Any one?? Smith asked about the Tuesday night party. ?Free, fun?? The paper reported that the crowded breakfast ballroom fell silent. Carl Bunce spoke up: ?I'll take 'em.? ?Those guys know how to party,? he added. Vice-chair James Smack also claimed a ticket. No one else in the delegation joined in. Conservative celebrity Ann Coulter headlined Homocon 2010, where she told attendees that marriage is not a civil right. M

Gay GOP group GOProud has endorsed Tommy Thompson for the U.S. Senate over Rep. Tammy Baldwin. Gay GOP group GOProud on Wednesday endorsed former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson for the U.S. Senate over Rep. Tammy Baldwin. The 50-year-old Baldwin would become the first openly gay U.S. senator if she captures the seat being vacated by Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl. Last week, voters decided on Thompson as her Republican rival. ?Tommy Thompson is a common-sense conservative who will focus on creating jobs and growing the economy for all Wisconsin,? Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of GOProud, said in a statement. ?Governor Thompson's experience and leadership uniquely qualify him to serve in the U.S. Senate.? The group noted that Thompson opposes a federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. But the GOP candidate remains opposed to legalizing gay nuptials and has previously voiced support for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Thompson's record on gay rights also includes h

Matt Barber of Liberty Counsel believes Chick-Fil-A's opposition to gay marriage represents the GOP base. ?Matt Barber of the Christian conservative group Liberty Counsel believes Chick-Fil-A's opposition to gay marriage represents the GOP base. Appearing Friday on The Janet Mefferd Show radio show, Barber criticized gay GOP groups GOProud and Log Cabin Republicans and Republicans who support gay nuptials, saying they have ?poisoned? the party and must be ?rooted out.? ?You know, that's all we need is the Republican Party looking more and more like the Democratic Party,? said Barber. ?What the Log Cabin Republicans are doing here ? and let's be very clear here; groups like GOProud and the Log Cabin Republicans who call themselves Republican or conservative, they're just a bunch of radical homosexual activists in conservative or Republican clothing. These guys know exactly what they're doing, they're trying to undermine the Republican Party from within I believe intentionally, I believe

Gay GOP group GOProud has endorsed the Republican ticket of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. Gay GOP group GOProud has endorsed the Republican ticket of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. The group endorsed Romney, the likely Republican nominee, for president in June. In a Fox News appearance, executive director Jimmy LaSalvia explained that ?all Americans are living in the Obama economy. And we got to come together and fix that and it starts with the election in November and electing Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan to replace our failed president.? When asked whether GOProud considered President Obama's support for gay marriage in making its decision, LaSalvia said the president is forced to discuss social issues because he cannot defend his own policies. ?This election is down to more than one issue,? LaSalvia said. ?But the president has to talk about things like gay marriage or birth control or, you know, chicken sandwiches, because he can't defend his record on jobs and the economy.? (The video is em

Gay GOP groups on Saturday cheered Mitt Romney's selection of Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate. ?Gay GOP groups on Saturday cheered Mitt Romney's selection of Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate. R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans, said that ?nobody is more qualified to articulate a conservative economic vision to restore the American economy and stimulate job creation.? And while Ryan scored zero on the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) latest Congressional Scorecard, a measure of an elected official's support for gay rights, Cooper praised Ryan's ?consistent willingness to engage with Log Cabin on a range of issues,? saying it ?speaks to his record as a fair-minded policymaker.? GOProud Executive Director Jimmy LaSalvia echoed a similar sentiment: ?[T]here is no better pick for Vice President than Paul Ryan.? Both groups noted Ryan's 2007 vote in favor of the Employee Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). But that version of the workplace discrimi

Comedian George Lopez is being accused of using an anti-gay slur against Mitt Romney, the presumed GOP candidate for president. Comedian George Lopez is being accused of using an anti-gay slur against Mitt Romney, the presumed Republican candidate for president. During a stand-up routine to be broadcast on pay cabler HBO, Lopez, a Mexican-American, said Romney's attempts to win the Latino vote would fail. ?Mitt Romney wants the Latino vote. He ain't going to get it. He ain't going to get it. And you know why? Because Mitt Romney's a fucking Latino and won't admit it. His father was born in Chihuahua, Mexico. Mitt Romney is a Chicano but he won't admit it. ? If you want our vote puto, come out of the closet. Get a hairnet and lean back, ese,? Lopez joked. ?And while we're at it: Sheriff Joe [Arpaio] in Arizona ... fuck you, you fucking puto,? he later added. (The video is embedded in the right panel of this page. Visit our video library for more videos.) The word ?puto? in Spanish means

Meghan McCain, daughter of Arizona Senator John McCain, has questioned President Barack Obama's commitment to gay rights. Meghan McCain, daughter of Arizona Senator John McCain, has questioned President Barack Obama's commitment to gay rights, saying his endorsement of marriage equality is ?not enough for me.? Appearing on Sirius XM's The Michelangelo Signorile Show to pitch a book she co-wrote with comedian Michael Ian Black titled America, You Sexy Bitch, McCain also attacked gay GOP group GOProud, which recently endorsed Mitt Romney for president. ?I am a Log Cabin Republican member,? she said. ?As far as I'm concerned, GOProud is a rogue group that has publicly said very nasty things about me, very nasty things. And they're the type of gay Republicans that I think exacerbate the stereotype. Ann Coulter is who they had speak at one of their conventions and was touted as some kind of icon, a woman who uses gay slurs on television. In gay Republican circles, GOProud are not respected.

Mitt Romney has earned the endorsement of gay GOP group GOProud. ?Gay rights activist Dan Savage has called gay GOP group GOProud's endorsement of Mitt Romney for president ?pathetic.? The conservative group endorsed Romney in a news release on Wednesday. ?Most gay Americans ? like their straight counterparts ? are not better off than they were four years ago,? GOProud Executive Director Jimmy LaSalvia said in making the announcement. ?The truth is that gay people are living in the disastrous failed Obama economy too.? LaSalvia said that two members of its board voted against endorsing the Republican candidate and added that the group opposes Romney's support of a federal amendment defining marriage as a heterosexual union. Savage, the editor of Seattle alternative The Stranger and co-creator of the It Gets Better Project, tweeted to his nearly 84,000 followers: ?The GOP's house faggots grab their ankles, right on cue ? pathetic.? GOProud co-founder Christopher Barron responded in a bl

Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of gay GOP group GOProud, has defended his group's endorsement of Mitt Romney. ?Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of gay GOP group GOProud, has defended his group's endorsement of Mitt Romney for president. The conservative group endorsed Romney in a news release on Wednesday. ?Most gay Americans ? like their straight counterparts ? are not better off than they were four years ago,? LaSalvia said in making the announcement. ?The truth is that gay people are living in the disastrous failed Obama economy too.? LaSalvia said that two members of its board voted against endorsing the Republican candidate and added that the group opposes Romney's support of a federal amendment defining marriage as a heterosexual union. Appearing on The Young Turks, LaSalvia defended the choice. When host Cenk Uygur told LaSalvia that the Romney campaign doesn't like gay people, LaSalvia disagreed. ?The truth is Mitt Romney has a long record of dealing with gay people ? and

Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday frustrated gay marriage supporters as he explained away remarks that appeared to suggest he backed the institution. Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday frustrated gay marriage supporters as he explained away remarks that appeared to suggest he backed the institution. Appearing on NBC's Meet the Press, Biden told host David Gregory that he is ?absolutely comfortable? with gay couples marrying, then added that ?The president sets the policy.? The remarks suggest that Biden was endorsing marriage equality since President Barack Obama does not, though the president does support civil unions for gay couples and is opposed to marriage bans. Biden also gave credit to the hit NBC sitcom Will & Grace for influencing society's increasing acceptance of gay rights. But in a statement released shortly after Biden's interview aired, an aide rolled back his apparent endorsement, saying the vice president's views are still ?evolving.? ?The Vice President was saying wh

Ron Paul's super PAC is secretly funded by San Francisco gay billionaire Peter Thiel. Ron Paul's super PAC is secretly funded by San Francisco gay billionaire Peter Thiel, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Thiel, who co-founded PayPal and invested early in Facebook, has given $2.6 million to Endorse Liberty, the super PAC which has released several ads attacking Paul rivals Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry, without ever meeting Paul. The German-born Thiel is a 44-year-old conservative Christian who has previously supported gay rights causes and artificial intelligence research. ?He has great insight,? Jimmy LaSalvia, the executive director of gay GOP group GOProud, told the paper. ?He also is inquisitive, and most of the conversations I've had with him have been him asking questions. He gathers a lot of information.? Thiel, who currently helms Clarion Capital, a global hedge fund, has provided more than half of Endorse Liberty's proceeds. ?I think Peter has a gift for se