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A faction of gay conservative activists will launch a new group Wednesday to rival the Log Cabin Republicans, the longtime home of the party's gay fringe. A couple of former Log Cabin staffers broke off to form GOProud, a new political advocacy group, amid complaints the older organization was aligned too closely with liberal gay and lesbian causes and failed to provide an effective voice in Washington for gay Republicans. Former Log Cabin policy director Jimmy LaSalvia, who will be GOProud's executive director, said LCR local groups continue to do great work at the city and state level, but there...

Meghan McCain, daughter of former presidential hopeful John McCain, said she supports gay marriage and lashed out against anti-gay Republicans in her blog on The Daily Beast today. "People may always have a difference of opinion on certain lifestyles, but championing a position that wants to treat people unequally isn't just un-Republican. At its fundamental core, it's un-American," she wrote. The mini maverick declared her support for same-sex marriage and urged more Republicans to embrace the gay and lesbian community -- a move she thinks is "vital to the future success of the party." "Sometimes, gay Republicans are regarded in...

This week, I will be speaking at the Log Cabin Republicans' national convention in support of the gay community and its role in the future of the Republican Party. Of all the causes I believe in and speak publicly about, this is one of the ones closest to my heart. The Log Cabin Republicans’ mission "is to work within the Republican Party to advocate equal rights for all Americans, including gays and lesbians." The group is centered on core Republican values, such as limited government, individual liberty and responsibility, an economy based in free markets, and a strong national defense....

A dissident faction of gay conservatives is launching a rival group to the traditional voice of gay Republicans: the Log Cabin Republicans. GOPROUD, the new 527 group, will launch next week, according to a media advisory. The contact given for the group is Christopher Barron, a former Log Cabin political director who broke with the group. "Essentially, there's no voice for gay Republicans or gay conservatives in particular in D.C. right now. Log Cabin has been completely and totally absent here in D.C. for months and months," Barron said. "It has simply moved way too far to the left and...

The amount of money that the Gill Action Fund has contributed to the Log Cabin Republicans — about one-third of its total budget in some years — is raising questions about Democratic influence over the GOP organization and its search for a new president. Tim Gill, founder and chair of Gill Action, is widely known for funding the campaigns of pro-gay politicians, many of them Democrats. He’s a wealthy entrepreneur and founder of Quark who has donated tens of thousands of dollars to various Democratic causes and candidates, including to the campaigns of Sens. John Kerry, John Edwards and Chris...

Tuesday February 24, 2009 Homosexual Republican Group Calls Pro-Family Activists "Domestic Terrorists" By Kathleen GilbertATLANTA, Georgia, February 24, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A homosexualist Republican group is lobbying GOP chairman Michael Steele to turn a deaf ear to pro-family activists, who the group leader labeled in a letter "Anti-American" and "domestic terrorists." James Ensley, President of the Georgia Log Cabin Republicans (LCR), made the comments after the pro-family group, Americans for Truth, petitioned Steele to work to return the GOP to its conservative roots and protect true marriage."I want to urge you not to allow small biggoted [sic], anti-American and anti-Christian fringe...

Two individuals who were intimately involved with John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign will be addressing an April gathering of homosexual activists in Washington, DC. Meghan McCain, the 24-year-old daughter of former Republican presidential nominee John McCain, will be among the featured speakers at the annual convention of the Log Cabin Republicans, a homosexual activist group.

A leader of a homosexual faction of Republicans is lobbying the new party chairman, Michael Steele, to ignore the suggestions of a pro-family Christian group to support traditional marriage, because the Christians are "terrorists." The attack comes from Jamie Ensley, president of the Georgia "Log CabinRepublicans," who also compared the Illinois-based Americans for Truth to Germany's Nazi party. Ensley's comments followed a request by Americans for Truth that the GOP rebuild its conservative base by defending a definition of marriage limited to one man and one woman. Now Peter LaBarbera, chief of Americans for Truth, says Republicans who seek a...

John McCain's daughter, Meghan McCain, 24, has agreed to headline the annual convention of the Log Cabin Republicans, a GOP group which advocates on behalf of gays and lesbians. "Her willingness to reach out to organizations like ours shows her commitment to growing the Republican Party," Log Cabin convention manager Christian Berle told ABC News. "The title of Meghan McCain's speech is 'Winning the Next Generation -- How can the Republican Party attract more young voters.'" Joining Meghan McCain at the conference will be Steve Schmidt, her father's top 2008 strategist. The topic of Schmidt's address is "Moving Forward." The...

A conservative activist group is urging the new chairman of the Republican National Committee to refrain from courting homosexual activists within the GOP. Illinois-based Americans for Truth About Homosexuality is calling on socially conservative Republicans to call or write new party chairman Michael Steele and ask him not to promote the agenda of the Log Cabin Republicans, a homosexual activist group. Log Cabin praised Steele's election last month, saying the former Maryland lieutenant governor "believes in a big tent GOP" and "is an inclusive leader who will bring a new energy and a new vision to the GOP at a...

A conservative activist group is urging the new chairman of the Republican National Committee to refrain from courting homosexual activists within the GOP. Illinois-based Americans for Truth About Homosexuality is calling on socially conservative Republicans to call or write new party chairman Michael Steele and ask him not to promote the agenda of the Log Cabin Republicans, a homosexual activist group.

Make a contribution today! Help Stop Workplace Discrimination Write to your Delegate and Senator today and urge them to support legislation that will help stop workplace discrimination. xxxxxx, Please plan now to join us in Richmond on January 27, 2009 for Equality Virginia's annual Lobby Day. The Family Foundation is saying that they are expecting to turn out "hundreds" for their lobby day a week earlier. Help Equality Virginia show its strength and your unrelenting commitment to change laws and lives by registering now for this event. You'll have the opportunity to meet other advocates from around the state, learn...

Former State Dept. employee Lawrence C. Yontz, 48, pled guilty before a U.S. magistrate to illegally accessing hundreds of passport files, including those of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain. He didn’t access Sarah Palin’s passport file, presumably because she obtained a passport for the first time last year. According to the Justice Dept.: In pleading guilty, Yontz admitted that between February 2005 and March 2008, he logged onto the PIERS database and viewed the passport applications of approximately 200 celebrities, athletes, actors, politicians and their immediate families, musicians, game show contestants, members of the media corps, prominent business...

ST. PAUL -- Last week's Republican National Convention heard plenty of testimonies to John McCain's character. Indeed, while the frenzy over Sarah Palin's selection as the party's vice presidential nominee may have dominated media coverage of the gathering of the Republican clan, almost every speech from the podium -- including Palin's own -- vouched for the honor and decency of the party's presidential candidate. Most of the speeches were predictable recitations of the senator's military record, topped with equally predictable recollections of the days when he was something of a political maverick. Even McCain got into the act, delivering an...

Item: A CBS News / New York Times poll finds that 48% of Republican delegates support either gay marriage or civil unions for gay people. Item: The Log Cabin Republicans, after some dawdling, formally endorses the McCain-Palin ticket. Said LCR president Patrick Sammon in a statement: "On the most important issue that LGBT Americans faced in the last decade-the federal marriage amendment-Sen. John McCain stood with us. Now we stand with him. Sen. McCain is an inclusive Republican who is focusing the GOP on unifying core principles that appeal to independent voters."

Gay Democrats talk strategyKristen Wyatt The Associated Press Aspen, CO Colorado DENVER — Gay and lesbian Democrats are gathering early to prepare a strategy for next week's convention, and their marching orders are the same for all states: Make sure other delegates know who you are and what gay voters want this fall. The Stonewall Democrats started a four-day "boot camp" in Denver Thursday. At the top of their agenda for the convention, which starts Monday, are pushing Democrats to fight proposed gay-marriage bans in three states and passing federal anti-discrimination laws. With a record 370 lesbian, gay and transgendered...

Conservatives steam over Sauerberg staffer Chris Barron, former Press Secretary for the Log Cabin Republicans , now Press Secretary for Sauerberg 2008 IL GOP candidate for U.S. Senate Steve Sauerberg stunned social conservatives last week when he announced the addition of a homosexual rights activist as his campaign's new press secretary. Christopher Barron, 36, was point man for the Log Cabin Republicans in their 2004 campaign against President George W. Bush's effort to add a federal marriage amendment to the U.S. Constitution. After discussion about the revelation broke out last week on Illinois Review (see Sauerberg: Personnel is Policy...

Unconfirmed as yet by the campaign, but the LCRs say it’s so: A source with close ties to the Log Cabin Board of Directors provided information about the meeting to GayPatriot earlier this week. This source disclosed that the Log Cabin meeting was not reflected on Senator McCain’s published schedule in advance and the meeting…Log Cabin President Patrick Sammon confirmed the meeting with Senator McCain in email correspondence with GayPatriot earlier today…Based on published news reports, the meeting with Senator McCain would be the first between any national-level gay Republicans and a Republican Presidental nominee since “The Texas 12″ met...

The Log Cabin Republicans of California, a gay GOP organization, has endorsed a number of Inland candidates in the June primary. The group said it didn't focus on "gay issues" in making its decisions because gays and lesbians already have many rights in California. Instead, the group looked at candidates' positions on issues such as lower taxes and public safety, said James Vaughn, the Log Cabin Republicans' state director. "The gay wars are over. We've moved on," Vaughn said. "We want to support Republicans who want to win elections, not fight losing battles." The group took neutral positions on some...

Conservative activist Peter LaBarbera is urging GOP presidential nominee John McCain to cancel his plans to meet with leaders of the homosexual activist group known as the Log Cabin Republicans. Although Senator McCain (R-Arizona) did not address the Log Cabin Republicans convention in San Diego over the weekend, he did send California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as his surrogate to address the event. CBS News chief political consultant Mark Ambinder, associate editor of TheAtlantic.com, reports that McCain plans to meet soon with executives of the Log Cabin Republicans. LaBarbera, founder of the website Republicans for Family Values, says McCain should dump...