Is There a Place for Gay People in Conservatism and Conservative Politics?
As I wrote earlier this week, the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank (which boasts the likes of Tucker Carlson as a Senior Fellow,) this week held a conference titled, “Is There a Place for Gay People in Conservatism and Conservative Politics?”
The debate, which included Nick Herbert, MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Conservative Party, United Kingdom; Andrew Sullivan, The Daily Dish Blog, The Atlantic; and Maggie Gallagher, President, National Organization for Marriage, was very interesting.
Whether you’re a liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, or of any other affiliation — or none — you’ll find the ideas professed by Nick Herbert interesting and inspiring. I’m not a conservative by any means, but the way he describes the way the LGBTQ community is perceived and treated in the U.K. makes me envious.
I wrote when I posted the audio of the debate,
“It’s important to me to note the following. I believe true conservatives have a great deal of good in their minds and hearts. I also believe that the world they live in is not real. To be totally honest, in my youth I probably was a libertarian, without realizing it. But when I grew up, and lived in the real world, I saw what the world was doing to people — poor people, gay people, minorities, etc., and knew that it took laws and strong leadership to create a world that protects us from those who would do us harm.”
Andrew Sullivan, of whom I’m a great admirer, despite our political and religious differences, did a great job.
And then there’s Maggie Gallagher. I love Maggie. I truly do. Because she so steadfastly believes in her bigotry, she wields and displays it openly and proudly. It makes it so easy to expose her hate and bigotry.
You’ll see Maggie claim she knows many gay people who don’t believe in gay rights. She claims some of them work for her. I hope she is wrong. I can’t imagine any greater treasonous act to one’s community.
http://www.cato.org/jwmediaplayer44/player.swf