Earlier this week, we reported that the Log Cabin Republicans had been denied a booth at the Western Conservative Summit in Denver this summer.
After a media firestorm, the Colorado GOP has attempted to quell the controversy by inviting Log Cabin to share its booth at the event — a major conservative conference put on by Colorado Christian University and its Centennial Institute think tank.
Not surprisingly, rather than apologizing for their bigotry and stupidity, organizers of the summit have responded by trying to play the victim. From The Denver Post:
Party Chairman Steve House, who took over in March, made the announcement Thursday afternoon, one day after a firestorm over the snub by summit organizers to the Log Cabin Republicans.
"We're fine with the Colorado Republicans sharing some table space at the summit with all their affiliated groups. We're not fine with the shaming and bullying pressure tactics of Log Cabin Republicans' national office," said summit chairman John Andrews.
I was unable to find any specific examples of bullying or shaming by Log Cabin Republicans National. I did find a long thread of comments in support of LCR on the summit's Facebook page, as well as a few tweets like these:
@LogCabinGOP @JohnAndrewsJr This is why the GOP is circling the drain, and what to helped get Obama re-elected. Idiots within the GOP.
— Jerry Boyd (@JerryRBoyd) April 15, 2015
We realize this is why republicans lose elections, yes? @JohnAndrewsJr
— Lauren Pacifico (@lpac2) April 16, 2015
@JohnAndrewsJr is the reason why moderates like me vote Democrat
— e08d5a514978a614d01c (@moreThanBytes) April 16, 2015
The bottom line appears to be that the Colorado GOP — along with many rank-and-file Republicans — has come to realize that alienating LGBT people and their allies is no longer in the party's best interest. But the religious right wing of the party, as well as most of its presidential candidates, have not. Of course, they're still willing to take Log Cabin's votes and money:
"I hope the state party's sensible approach gives the local Log Cabin folks more reason to sign up" as delegates to the summit," Andrews said.
"We want to be fair to them if they'll be fair to us."
And by being "fair to us," Andrews presumably means not trying to stop them from bullying and shaming LGBT people.
