The 2011 Conservative Political Action Conference hasn’t begun yet, and it’s already producing fireworks.
Those fireworks took the form of a segment earlier today on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports in which GOProud co-founder & chair Christopher Barron hammered Family Council Research (FRC) President Tony Perkins for not only misrepresenting his group’s agenda, but for also being anti-gay.
Both guests talked to Mitchell about why Perkins’ FRC, among a number of conservative groups, decided to skip out on the annual conference over GOProud’s co-sponsorship of this year’s event. Perkins denied his group was “boycotting” the conference because of that, stating instead that the FRC hasn’t participated in the conference for the last three years thanks to CPAC’s “left-ward drift.”
But the FRC President did nonetheless offer his opinion of the Republican gay group’s participation.
“As a co-sponsor, they’re a part of setting the agenda,” said Perkins. “And it’s hard to grasp the idea that those who are working on redefining marriage can sit at the same table and discuss strategy with those who are trying to promote and protect traditional marriage.”
Mitchell asked Barron to respond — and he did not appreciate Perkins’ comments one bit.
“Tony needs to stop lying about our record. He keeps talking about redefining marriage,” said Barron. “GOProud doesn’t have a position on marriage beyond believing that marriage ought to be decided by the states.”
“The bottom line is people like Tony Perkins are in the industry of demonizing gay people,” he said. “The reason why Tony, Joseph Farah, the World Net Daily crowd, the extreme fringe of the conservative moment, the reason why they aren’t participating has nothing to do with policy at all, it’s because we happen to be gay. ”
Watch the video below:
