Anti-Gay Republican Booed At CPAC Event...

[FSTargetDrone]

...by other Republicans:

CPAC crowd boos homophobe off stage

A speaker tries to incite an anti-gay riot at the conservative conference -- and nearly gets the riot

Mike Madden

Feb. 19, 2010 |

Turns out CPAC isn't quite the place for insane jeremiads against homosexuality.

During a lighting round of two-minute speeches by young activists, Ryan Sorba, of the Young Conservatives of California, decided to bash CPAC organizers for inviting GOProud (a gay Republican group that's splintered from the Log Cabin Republicans) to have a booth at the event.

His rant began:

I'd like to condemn CPAC for bringing GOPride [sic] to this event. Civil rights are grounded in natural rights. Natural rights are grounded in human nature. Human nature is a rational substance in relationship to the intelligible end of the reproductive act of reproduction. Do you understand that?

But then the crowd began to boo, and shout back at him. ("Ron Paul!" was the loudest shout in the part of the ballroom where I'm sitting; he was due to speak not long after the lighting round ended.) And Sorba -- who's the author of a book called "The Born Gay Hoax," and whose speech at Smith College was shut down by protests two years ago -- got angry.

Civil rights when they conflict with natural rights are contrary... Will you sit down? The lesbians at Smith College protest better than you do. The lesbians at Smith College protest better than you do.

One conservative activist, Jeff Frazee of Young Americans for Liberty, shouted something trying to defend GOProud. (UPDATE: Frazee contacted Salon later Friday night to say he never said anything to Sorba, and was just sitting in the second row when Sorba started yelling at him. He says he figured Sorba could see him, and thought he was the source of the boos.) Sorba snapped back:

Guess what? You just made an enemy out of me, buddy.

Well, that was a pleasant surprise of sorts.

[Thanas]

Hopefully, this is an indication of some progress at the GOP. I really doubt it will amount to something, but I hope it will.

[FSTargetDrone]

Yeah, it's a start.

That Sorba guy, what an angry, hateful person, eh?

[Thanas]

^Meh. Just your standard bigot who probably thinks he will either get power from raging, really believes what he says or is just a tool. Probably a combination, but nothing special.

[Count Chocula]

As a Tea Party observer, but not participant, this movement is starting to look a LOT more rational than either the entrenched Democrats or Republicans. My God, it's almost as if the mindless middle...isn't...mindless! Marco Rubio gave a hella good speech too, and is going to Berkeley stomp RINO Charlie Crist in the Florida Republican primary.

The times they are a changin'. Maybe I should start calling myself...a regressive. Oohh, can I request that as a custom title? Or "Reaganite?"

[Guardsman Bass]

This isn't really surprising. There tends to be much greater tolerance for homosexuality and homosexuals among the younger generation (the twenty-somethings), and if you watch the videos, they are the largest booers of Sorba. Speaking of which, watching the video, the guy clearly comes across as that unpleasant combination of paranoid jackass, homophobic shitstain, and attention whore (it was really, really obvious that he brought it up to get a rise).

[Prannon]

What strikes me is that he says he "loves it," as though the anger and hatred directed to him is exactly what he wanted from the very beginning. More likely he was subconsciously hoping that he would have a lot of support or wasn't expecting such vitriol from the others in the room. Probably a mix of embarrassment at being ridiculed in front of so many people and not being agreed with, so he got quite flustered and angry. Then he spouted off some random "You've made an enemy of me" nonsense (who's this guy again, that anyone should care?) and he walks off stage.

As far as I'm concerned, not only is the guy a fucking tool, he doesn't even have the cajones to take what he apparently loves. He's a useless specimen and I'm glad to see him booed off the stage.

[Knife]

Yeah, I don't think too much tolerance is being shown here. Rather, I think, it has more to do with the speaker just being a giant ass nobody really likes than expressing an unpopular political plank.

[Count Chocula]

Yeah, I don't think too much tolerance is being shown here. Rather, I think, it has more to do with the speaker just being a giant ass nobody really likes than expressing an unpopular political plank.

Yeah, I think you've got this one wrong. The "Boo!"s started when this tool got to the point of his speech. The shot, around 48 seconds into the video, of a silver-haired 70-something is delightful: he has an immaculate "You, Sir, are an ASS!" expression on his face.

This douche was an obvious troll, hiding behind a Young Republican facade. This may not be the context you meant, Knife, but why the fuck would a rational crowd tolerate what he was saying? They wouldn't, and didn't. End of story.

[FSTargetDrone]

^Meh. Just your standard bigot who probably thinks he will either get power from raging, really believes what he says or is just a tool. Probably a combination, but nothing special.

Oh, if nothing else, I think he clearly believes it.

Rather cartoonish, the "you just made an enemy out of me" thing. Ha.

[Knife]

Yeah, I don't think too much tolerance is being shown here. Rather, I think, it has more to do with the speaker just being a giant ass nobody really likes than expressing an unpopular political plank.

Yeah, I think you've got this one wrong. The "Boo!"s started when this tool got to the point of his speech. The shot, around 48 seconds into the video, of a silver-haired 70-something is delightful: he has an immaculate "You, Sir, are an ASS!" expression on his face.

This douche was an obvious troll, hiding behind a Young Republican facade. This may not be the context you meant, Knife, but why the fuck would a rational crowd tolerate what he was saying? They wouldn't, and didn't. End of story.

My point is I doubt many in that crowd would blink twice if a anti-gay marriage bill passed, and quite a few would probably cheer. That he came up to the mic with his chest out, chewing gum like a prick, and immediately started to pick a fight with the organizers of the convention and people in the audience, I think, turned them against him, not his message.

[eion]

My point is I doubt many in that crowd would blink twice if a anti-gay marriage bill passed, and quite a few would probably cheer. That he came up to the mic with his chest out, chewing gum like a prick, and immediately started to pick a fight with the organizers of the convention and people in the audience, I think, turned them against him, not his message.

I think he also started off by saying, "I've got to condemn CPAC..."

And studies have shown insulting you audience right before you ask them to agree with you is a GREAT way to get booed.

But I think that's exactly what he was going for. He did get on television.

[Dominus Atheos]

As a Tea Party observer, but not participant, this movement is starting to look a LOT more rational than either the entrenched Democrats or Republicans. My God, it's almost as if the mindless middle...isn't...mindless! Marco Rubio gave a hella good speech too, and is going to Berkeley stomp RINO Charlie Crist in the Florida Republican primary.

Two things, first: The Teabaggers are not made up of the middle.

Second: It doesn't count as a movement until it gets some specific goals besides just being vaguely anti-government. Until then it's just a bunch of white trash people who got together on April 15 to hold up misspelled signs.

[bobalot]

What the fuck is this douche talking about "natural" rights? It's funny he simply states all these associations and terms without a single shred of evidence that they are related or even exist.

Why the fuck would gays want to be apart of the Republican party anyway? Why would you associate with a party whose base pretty much hates you.

As a Tea Party observer, but not participant, this movement is starting to look a LOT more rational than either the entrenched Democrats or Republicans.

The teabaggers are rational? Are you serious?

[eion]

What the fuck is this douche talking about "natural" rights? It's funny he simply states all these associations and terms without a single shred of evidence that they are related or even exist.

He's a young republican. He has to couch his bigotry in halfass-philosphy and pseudo-biology to justify it. He can't just say, "Mansex is wrong!" he has to say "Mansex is wrong because the parts can't be used to make a baby!"

Why the fuck would gays want to be apart of the Republican party anyway? Why would you associate with a party whose base pretty much hates you.

Some are self-hating, some are genuine limited government advocates, some are just filthy rich and want to stay that way, and some are just crazy.

There is an argument (not one that has convinced me) that it is easier to change the party from within than from without. It did work with Buckley in his expulsion of the John Birch Society from the Republican Party.

[Liberty]

As a Tea Party observer, but not participant, this movement is starting to look a LOT more rational than either the entrenched Democrats or Republicans. My God, it's almost as if the mindless middle...isn't...mindless!

What the FUCK? Rational?

This is like arguing that Creationism is rational because it makes sense within its own paradigm (believe the Bible no matter what, so that means that this is how everything was created, so all the fossils must come from this global flood, etc - if you are a believer in the inerrancy of the Bible, it all makes perfect sense).

And yes, I am a bit annoyed with the Dems right now (they're nowhere near socialist enough), but I sure as hell don't find teapartiers rational! And remember, I was raised amongst this ilk.

[Plekhanov]

As a Tea Party observer, but not participant, this movement is starting to look a LOT more rational than either the entrenched Democrats or Republicans. My God, it's almost as if the mindless middle...isn't...mindless! Marco Rubio gave a hella good speech too, and is going to Berkeley stomp RINO Charlie Crist in the Florida Republican primary

Since when is a group to the right of the republicans in the "middle" and how is it "rational"?

[Surlethe]

What strikes me is that he says he "loves it," as though the anger and hatred directed to him is exactly what he wanted from the very beginning. More likely he was subconsciously hoping that he would have a lot of support or wasn't expecting such vitriol from the others in the room. Probably a mix of embarrassment at being ridiculed in front of so many people and not being agreed with, so he got quite flustered and angry.

No, he was going with the flow. It's bad form to become visibly flustered when you're in front of a hostile audience, so instead he went ahead and tried to make it look like he was intending to incite that reaction. He was trying to retain the illusion of control.

[Lord Insanity]

Why the fuck would gays want to be apart of the Republican party anyway? Why would you associate with a party whose base pretty much hates you.

Armed gays don't get bashed.

"Thirty-one states allow all qualified citizens to carry concealed weapons. In those states, homosexuals should embark on organized efforts to become comfortable with guns, learn to use them safely and carry them. They should set up Pink Pistols task forces, sponsor shooting courses and help homosexuals get licensed to carry. And they should do it in a way that gets as much publicity as possible. "
--Jonathan Rauch, Salon Magazine, March 13, 2000

That is why gays would support the Republican party.

[Ritterin Sophia]

That is why gays would support the Republican party.

Or they can do the same by supporting a conservative stance on the 2nd Ammendment. Just because you support 2nd Ammendment Rights does not mean you're a Republican.

[Lord Insanity]

Or they can do the same by supporting a conservative stance on the 2nd Ammendment. Just because you support 2nd Ammendment Rights does not mean you're a Republican.

There aren't many Democrats that support a conservative stance on the 2nd Amendment, which I consider a shame. Far more often than not, if you support gun rights in the U.S., you are voting Republican. That is not the only reason gays would support the Republican party, but it is certainly a reason they would.

[Plekhanov]

Why the fuck would gays want to be apart of the Republican party anyway? Why would you associate with a party whose base pretty much hates you.

Armed gays don't get bashed.

What evidence do you have that gay bashing is stopped by the carrying of concealed weapons? I how many cases of being jumped upon leaving a bar or whatever would you even have time to draw a weapon anyway?

"Thirty-one states allow all qualified citizens to carry concealed weapons. In those states, homosexuals should embark on organized efforts to become comfortable with guns, learn to use them safely and carry them. They should set up Pink Pistols task forces, sponsor shooting courses and help homosexuals get licensed to carry. And they should do it in a way that gets as much publicity as possible. "
--Jonathan Rauch, Salon Magazine, March 13, 2000

That is why gays would support the Republican party.

Just how many homosexuals do you think are so hung up upon carrying concealed weapons that they're going to overlook all the efforts that republicans do to deny homosexuals basic rights and to marginalise and demonise them?

[Darth Wong]

Hopefully, this is an indication of some progress at the GOP. I really doubt it will amount to something, but I hope it will.

GOPers have disavowed overt gay bashing for quite a while now, but it's no different than the GOP booing the KKK. Yes, they dislike the in-your-face type of homophobia, but lower-level homophobia is different.

[Thanas]

Hopefully, this is an indication of some progress at the GOP. I really doubt it will amount to something, but I hope it will.

GOPers have disavowed overt gay bashing for quite a while now, but it's no different than the GOP booing the KKK. Yes, they dislike the in-your-face type of homophobia, but lower-level homophobia is different.

Sure. However, young people (god, saying this makes me feel old) nowadays get introduced via the media to gay people far more than say....ten years ago. I mean, I hardly can think of a show that did not have some gay/bisexual character on it. So I am hoping that this is an indication of changing values.

[Lord Insanity]

What evidence do you have that gay bashing is stopped by the carrying of concealed weapons? I how many cases of being jumped upon leaving a bar or whatever would you even have time to draw a weapon anyway?

The U.S. Department of Justice paid for a survey of 1,874 incarcerated felons from 1982-1983. While the relevant document "Armed Criminals in America - A Survey of Incarcerated Felons" is not available online its reference information is here. The authors of that document also published a book based on the same survey titled Armed and Considered Dangerous: A Survey of Felons and Their Firearms. Page 15 states: "...three fifths agreed that "most criminals are more worried about meeting an armed victim than they are about running into the police." About two fifths of the sample reported at least one armed victim encounter at some time in their careers; just over one third said that they had personally been "scared off, shot at, wounded, or captured by an armed victim." About two fifths reported having decided at least once in their lives not to commit a crime because they had reason to suspect that the intended victim was armed."

That makes this sound quite sensible to me.

"Thirty-one states allow all qualified citizens to carry concealed weapons. In those states, homosexuals should embark on organized efforts to become comfortable with guns, learn to use them safely and carry them. They should set up Pink Pistols task forces, sponsor shooting courses and help homosexuals get licensed to carry. And they should do it in a way that gets as much publicity as possible. "
--Jonathan Rauch, Salon Magazine, March 13, 2000

Just how many homosexuals do you think are so hung up upon carrying concealed weapons that they're going to overlook all the efforts that republicans do to deny homosexuals basic rights and to marginalise and demonise them?

I suspect hardly any but that is still more than none.