GOProud's Chris Barron Calls Bachmann's Views on His Sexuality a 'Side Show': VIDEO

CNN's Ali Velshi doesn't get why Chris Barron of gay conservative group GOProud says he won't question Michele Bachmann about her "ex-gay" clinic at the group's planned meeting with her.

Demands Velshi: "You're not running for President. Why are you dodging questions?"

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Towleroad Guide to the Tube #866

SPIN DOCTOR: GOProud's Chris Barron offended to be mistaken for the lead singer of a 90's alt rock band who wakes up with a joint in his hand every morning.

COUSIN OLIVER: The lost Brady Bunch episode.

MAN SAVES HERON: Good work.

ANOTHER ROYAL WEDDING: Jimmy Kimmel looks at Piers Morgan's infatuation with Simon Cowell.

For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

GOProud's Christopher Barron Says Donald Trump's Birther Questions are 'Common Sense'

Christopher Barron, Chairman of the gay conservative group GOProud, hops on Donald Trump's birther train.

Barron tells Politico's Ben Smith:

"Organizationally it's not a GOProud issue. Not related to any of the organization's legislative priorities... It's not an issue that particularly resonates with me, but it clearly resonates with a large segment of the Republican primary. I think Mr. Trump's position on this has been a pretty common-sense one, and honestly, I can't understand why President Obama wouldn't have released his birth certificate before now to put an end to this once and for all."

You may recall that GOProud invited Trump to speak to their group at the recent CPAC conference.

UPDATE: Barron clarifies that it's his, and not GOProud's position. "As for my personal position, let me be 100% clear – I am not a birther...I do believe that Mr. Trump’s approach to this issue, like his approach to almost every issue he has spoken on, has been a 'common sense' approach. If there are those who question President Obama’s birthplace, then why not just produce the birth certificate (not the certificate of live birth – there is a difference) and be done with it? To me, that sounds pretty common sense."

New CPAC Leader Already Turning Back On GOProud

The gay conservatives of GOProud shouldn't get too comfortable at CPAC, because the newly selected chair of the American Conservative Union, which organizes the right wing gathering, has already started distancing himself from the group.

Al Cardenas, who replaced David Keene as Chair of the ACU this week, sat down for an interview with FrumForum today and lamented GOProud's public quarrels with anti-gay conservative groups, such as Family Research Council and the Heritage Foundation.

 

I have been disappointed with their website and their quotes in the media, taunting organizations that are respected in our movement and part of our movement, and that’s not acceptable. And that puts them in a difficult light in terms of how I view things.

 Cardenas went on to say that it would be "difficult" for his organization to keep working with GOProud "because of their behavior and attitude."

Cardenas' comments were in direct response to an interview Christopher Barron, the Chairman of GOProud's board, and Jimmy LaSalvia, the group's executive director, did with LGBT publication Metro Weekly, in which Barron blamed ACU Foundation chairman Cleta Mitchell for divisive arguments among the conservative camp.

Read more about GOProud's tenuous relationship with CPAC, AFTER THE JUMP...

GOProud Leads 'Trump In 2012' Movement At CPAC

Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich and other Republican politicians will get plenty of headlines out of this weekend's CPAC gathering in DC, but few speakers are as buzzed about as Donald Trump, who surprised attendees by announcing that he'll deliver a speech this afternoon.

Trump's appearance comes months after the real estate tycoon began hinting at a potential presidential run, and was apparently organized by none other than gay conservative group GOProud.

“Mr. Trump is somebody whose voice is heard all around the world,” explained Christopher Barron, chairman of the controversial organization's board.

“He’s not only a well respected businessman, and somebody who obviously has a giant megaphone, and having him involved in this event and talking about those issues – issues that are not only important to GOProud but important to conservatives all across this country — is critical."

Not only are GOProud's leaders claiming responsibility for Trump's presence at the conference, they're also trying to spark a write-in campaign for CPAC's presidential straw poll. Barron says he "would love to see Mr. Trump run for president.”

Read more, AFTER THE JUMP...

Watch: FRC's Tony Perkins vs. GOProud's Chris Barron on CPAC

The Family Research Council's lead hater Tony Perkins tells Andrea Mitchell that the CPAC GOProud kerfuffle is about "setting the agenda" for conservatives and he's refusing to go to the conference to debate them because CPAC should be for conservatives only.

GOProud's Chris Barron clucks that their group has the same position on marriage as Dick Cheney and that Perkins just hates them because they're gay.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...