Jimmy LaSalvia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gary Johnson will abandon his bid to become the presidential nominee of the Republican Party and seek the Libertarian Party nomination instead. ?Gary Johnson will abandon his bid to become the presidential nominee of the Republican Party and seek the Libertarian Party nomination instead, the AP reported. The former New Mexico governor's campaign has gained scant traction. And Johnson's low polling numbers have locked him out of all but 2 Republican debates. Johnson will announce his decision at a news conference on December 28 at the Capitol building in Santa Fe, New Mexico. ?He is representing a viewpoint and a viewpoint that needs to be heard and he's going to do whatever it takes to get that done,? Joe Hunter, a spokesman for Johnson, told the AP. Johnson endorsed gay marriage earlier this month during an online town hall with Jimmy LaSalvia, co-founder and executive director of gay GOP group GOProud. Johnson previously supported civil unions for gay and lesbian couples. He recently

Gary Johnson is considering leaving the Republican Party in part because of its anti-gay rhetoric. ?Gary Johnson is considering leaving the Republican Party in part because of its anti-gay rhetoric. The former New Mexico governor and presidential candidate told gay glossy The Advocate that he's considering seeking the Libertarian nomination. Johnson, whose common sense and good judgment were recently lauded in a GQ story titled Is Gary Johnson the Sanest Man Running for President?, came out in support of gay marriage earlier this month during an online town hall with Jimmy LaSalvia, co-founder and executive director of gay GOP group GOProud. Johnson previously supported civil unions for gay and lesbian couples. ?I've been in the Republican Party my entire life,? Johnson told the magazine. ?And I don't feel like I'm leaving the Republican Party as much as the party is leaving me.? Johnson said the anti-gay rhetoric of some candidates in his party was ?deeply offensive.? ?I don't think I

Chris Barron on Wednesday announced he was stepping down as the chairman of gay GOP group GOProud. ?Chris Barron on Wednesday announced he was stepping down as the chairman of gay GOP group GOProud. The announcement comes less than a week after the group outed Rick Perry pollster Tony Fabrizio as gay and days after conservative icon Andrew Breitbart quit the group's advisory board over the incident. ?Given the tremendous growth and success of GOProud in our first two and a half years of operation, we are restructuring and expanding our Board to meet the needs of a bigger organization,? Barron said in a statement. Barron added that he would continue to run the organization's day-to-day management and take on the title of chief strategist. Co-founders Barron and Jimmy LaSalvia, the group's executive director, outed Fabrizio in a series of tweets after Perry released an anti-gay ad titled Strong in early caucus state Iowa. (Related: Rick Perry heckled over anti-gay ad during Ames appearan

Ann Coulter has said she thinks Michele Bachmann's husband Marcus Bachmann is a straight man who seems 'kind of gay'. Ann Coulter has said she thinks Michele Bachmann's husband Marcus Bachmann is a straight man who seems ?kind of gay.? During her recent guest appearance on The A-List: Dallas, which is broadcast on all gay cabler Logo, the 50-year-old Coulter, a conservative icon, also reiterated her claim that liberals would abort gay babies. Coulter made her remarks during a luncheon with conservative cast member member Taylor Garrett and Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of gay GOP group GOProud. Garrett complained that he gets ?attacked all the time for being pro-life and Republican.? ?The gays have got to be pro-life,? Coulter replied. ?As soon as they find the gay gene, guess who the liberal yuppies are gonna star aborting?? ?I don't believe Michele Bachmann's husband is gay,? she also noted. ?I mean, if you can have gays who do not seem gay, why can't you have heterosexuals who

Last week's outing of Rick Perry pollster Tony Fabrizio has prompted Andrew Breitbart to quit the advisory board of GOProud. Last week's outing of Rick Perry pollster Tony Fabrizio has prompted Andrew Breitbart to quit the advisory board of gay GOP group GOProud. In blasting Perry's anti-gay ad Strong, GOProud co-founders Jimmy LaSalvia and Christopher Barron also outed Fabrizio. (Related: Stephen Colbert on Rick Perry ad: Unlike being gay, loving Christmas is not a choice.) ?I've just about had it with faggots who line their pockets with checks from anti-gay homophobes while throwing the rest of us under the bus,? wrote LaSalvia on Twitter. Barron later added that LaSalvia was referring to Fabrizio. However, The Huffington Post reported that the ad had divided Perry staffers and quoted Fabrizio as calling the ad ?nuts.? On Friday, LaSalvia continued in a statement, saying that ?Tony Fabrizio is not the victim here.? ?Rick Perry should be embarrassed and the people around him who are t

Rick Perry campaign pollster Tony Fabrizio has been outed as gay in the wake of a GOP group's criticism of Perry's anti-gay ad. ?Rick Perry campaign pollster Tony Fabrizio has been outed as gay in the wake of a GOP group's criticism of Perry's anti-gay ad titled Strong. In the ad, released Tuesday in early caucus state Iowa, Perry linked faith to anti-gay sentiment and lamented that there's something ?wrong? with a country where gay and bisexual troops can serve openly but children cannot openly celebrate Christmas. In blasting the ad, GOProud co-founders Jimmy LaSalvia and Christopher Barron also outed Fabrizio. ?I've just about had it with faggots who line their pockets with checks from anti-gay homophobes while throwing the rest of us under the bus,? wrote LaSalvia on Twitter. Barron later added that LaSalvia was referring to Fabrizio. However, The Huffington Post reported that the ad had divided Perry staffers and quoted Fabrizio as calling the ad ?nuts.? ?The ad is beyond anti-gay