Co-Founder of GOProud Quits GOP

I have long said that being gay and supporting the Republican Party in its current state is akin to a Jew supporting the Nazi regime in the early 1930's.  Why support a party that hates you and seeks to make you a second class - or in Virginia third class - citizen.  I reached this conclusion many years ago.  Now, this reality seems to have finally sunk in with GOProud co-founder Jimmy LaSalvia who quit the GOP and now is registered as an independent.  Gay Star News looks at this common sense move.  Here are excerpts:

GOProud co-founder Jimmy LaSalvia has quit the US Republican Party over the party’s tolerance for homophobia and a leadership that he says is controlled by ‘big government conservatives.’

GOProud was founded in 2009 by former Log Cabin Republicans Christopher R Barron and LaSalvia because they felt that group was not conservative enough.

But on Monday LaSalvia posted on his blog, ‘So I changed my voter registration today – “No Party”’

‘Today, I joined the ranks of unaffiliated voters. I am every bit as conservative as I’ve always been, but I just can’t bring myself to carry the Republican label any longer. 

The other reason I am leaving is the tolerance of bigotry in the GOP. The current leadership lacks the courage to stand up to it – I’m not sure they ever will.

‘I have worked hard to help to create an atmosphere on the right where conservatives can openly support gay Americans and even support same-sex marriage. In that effort, we have won, but there is more work to do to root out the anti-gay and other forms of bigotry in the party.

‘Now I feel huge sense of freedom. I am an independent conservative. That sounds much better than “gay Republican.”’ 

I get chided by those who say one should work from within to change the GOP, but masochism has its limits.  I am glad that LaSalvia has seen the light.

GOProud co-founder Jimmy LaSalvia

GOProud co-founder Jimmy LaSalvia