Anti-gay Speaker Booed Off the Stage at CPAC

We've been following the controversy over GOProud being a co-sponsor at CPAC for a few months now (Post 1, Post 2). Liberty University boycotted the conference over it and several others threatened to (before they backed down).

I think it's pretty much over. During a session for student activists on the main stage, one thanked CPAC for letting GOProud be a cosponsor. Then, Ryan Sorba of the Young Conservatives of California, started with this:

I'd like to condemn CPAC for bringing GOPride [sic] to this event.

The crowd started to boo. He continued:

Bring it. Bring it. I love it. I love it. I love it.

Civil rights are grounded in natural rights. Natural rights are grounded in human nature. Human nature is a rational substance in relationship to the intelligible end of the reproductive act of reproduction. Do you understand that?

I have no idea what he was trying to say, but the booing got louder. Then he got angry and this popped out:

Civil rights when they conflict with natural rights are contrary... Will you sit down? The lesbians at Smith College protest better than you do. The lesbians at Smith College protest better than you do.

Then he ran away.

Longtime commenter Crankyd pointed out to me that the right response to bad speech is more speech, not shutting down the speaker. Cranky is right. However, CPAC does not have to give time to an anti-CPAC speaker on CPAC's own stage. Sorba can find his own podium.

Predictably, several on the Left are perpetuating the story that GOProud and gays were rejected by conservatives at CPAC. Alan Colmes headlines the Sorba event: "CPAC Insults Gays". Another useful idiot on twitter suggested that the incident "seemed staged."

However, several others, including some influential gay bloggers are noting that "Democrats ought to start getting worried." Yep.

Allah thinks that social issues are getting sidelined because Obama has brought out fiscal and liberterian-leaning conservatives.

posted by Gabriel Malor at 09:25 PM

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