Anti-Gay Iowa Republican Partners With Anti-Gay Christian Group To Bully Anti-Bullying LGBTQ Group

A young rising star with a troubled past is taking allegations from a highly controversial Iowa “pro-family” Christian group to conduct a “witch hunt” against an anti-bullying LGBTQ organization – on the eve of that group’s annual fundraising dinner.

Bob Vander Plaats heads a vociferously anti-gay “pro-family” group in Iowa, the Family Leader. He’s managed to gain power and influence by attacking everything LGBTQ, from same-sex marriage to pro-equality presidential candidates, and now, a respected group that works to end anti-LGBTQ student bullying and LGBTQ youth and teen suicide.

Back in April, Vander Plaats published a long list of allegations supposedly detailing some of the events that took place at the Iowa Governors Conference on LGBTQ Youth, including speakers highlighting “horror stories of how outcast they felt as kids.”

“They told stories of ‘coming out’ and finding homosexual relationships. They reinforced the narrative that the world ‘hates,’ but the homosexual community accepts. They repeatedly affirmed that it’s OK to be gay.”

Shocking.

But Vander Plaats also charges “a drag performer named Coco Peru… delivered an expletive-laden presentation,” and this:

• One speaker wore a dress made of condoms, so they could be easily detached and “used as needed.”

• Another told a rousing story of how he used social media to find friends and accidentally stumbled into an orgy.

Student attendees and advisors fought back, with one writing an open letter to Vander Plaats refuting his allegations and generally making mincemeat from them.

Enter GOP rising star Bobby Kaufmann, whose father is the Chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa and a former Republican House Speaker Pro Tem. Despite being just 29 and just a two-term State Representative holding the very seat his father once did, Bobby Kaufmann is already chairman of the powerful Government Oversight Committee.

Kaufmann has received financial support from GOP presidential candidate Rand Paul, who even came to Iowa to headline a fundraiser for Kaufmann, although Kaufmann recently endorsed Marco Rubio for president. He does not support same-sex marriage although in 2012 actually said, “I believe the voters should have an opportunity to vote on the definition of marriage. That being said, one of my best friends is gay and my aunt is a lesbian.”

Now, Kaufmann has partnered with Vander Plaats and announced this week he will hold an investigation into the Iowa Governors Conference on LGBTQ Youth, despite the fact that the group is not associated with the governor’s office and does not receive state funds. His basis for the investigation? Bob Vander Plaats and the allegations he made after sending someone undercover to spy on the conference’s activities.

His in?

A claim some public schools used school busses to transport students to the group’s event back in April.

As Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern writes, “Republicans want to shut it down… alleging the most recent gathering contained ‘obscene material.'”

What “obscene material” is Kaufmann describing? A breakout session at which social justice advocate Sam Killermann and adolescent sexuality expert Dr. Karen Rayne discussed sexual health. In 2015, extremist anti-gay fringe group the FAMiLY LEADER sent an undercover operative to monitor the session and reported that, during the Q&A, Rayne actually answered students’ questions about sex. Her session is hardly the focus on the conference. But Kaufmann has seized upon it as a justification to investigate and possibly terminate the conference, now in its 11th year. (Students who attended vigorously deny Kaufmann’s claims.) 

Raw Story notes “Iowa Safe Schools executive director Nate Monson said Kaufmann’s investigation, which will include a Nov. 18 committee hearing, amounted to a ‘witch hunt’ that the legislator has organized solely to shut the conference down.”

What’s equally disgusting is the timing of Kaufmann’s attack this week, and the announcement he will next month hold hearings into the Iowa Governors Conference on LGBTQ Youth, which is organized and hosted by Iowa Safe Schools.

Tonight, Iowa Safe Schools holds their annual fundraising dinner, the Iowa Spirit Awards in Des Moines, featuring keynote speaker former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, a current Democratic presidential candidate.

Here’s a report from local news station KCCI:

 

Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC license
Hat tip: Raw Story