The increasingly influential Western Conservative Summit has disinvited a gay Republican group to attend its event this summer — a message that sends exactly the wrong message, members of the Log Cabin Republicans say.
The Colorado Log Cabin Republicans had paid a $250 fee to be able to set up a table at the event, but then received a message from John Andrews, head of the Centennial Institute, which is affiliated with Colorado Christian University and sponsors the summit.
“You and your members are very welcome to get tickets and attend, but we can’t officially have the organization as a partner, exhibitor, or advertiser,” Andrews said.
As a private organization, the summit has a right to decide the invite list, Log Cabin Republicans concede. But still.
“It is a pretty common issue we face. They’ll take our money, but want us in the closet,” said Michael Carr of Denver, a former state Senate candidate and secretary of the state chapter of Log Cabin Republicans.
“This is the most important time for us to be reaching out to all types of groups and people, all types of Republicans, all types of conservatives. Young people especially want to see a robust political debate and this dis-invitation is the exact opposite of that. Being perceived as anti-gay turns young people off even more than it does the general public.”
Andrews told the gay group that the Log Cabin Republicans’ “worldview and policy agenda are fundamentally at odds with what Colorado Christian University stands for, so it’s just not a fit. I’m sorry it has to be that way.”
He reiterated that this morning, telling The Denver Post he was “disappointed” that no one from the Log Cabin Republicans called him to discuss the situation and instead sent out a news release.
“The Log Cabin Republicans exists to redefine the family. Log Cabin Republicans think gay marriage should be the law of the land and Colorado Christian University doesn’t believe it should be,” he said. “They advocate contrary to our agenda and our core beliefs.”
He said the group’s $250 has been refunded.
The Western Conservative Summit also would not allow vendors who advocate for higher taxes or about the concerns of climate change, and the group has a published policy concerning that, he said. Apparently the Log Cabin Republicans did not read that policy first before submitting its fee, he said, adding a member of the group might have been at an event where he spoke and invited groups to set up tables at the summit.
The Western Conservative Summit has attracted some of the best-known right-siders in the country since it first began. This year’s event, the sixth summit, will be held from June 26 to June 28 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Speakers include Scott Walker, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum.
Two years ago, Log Cabin Republicans played an active role in Colorado’s election, hammering a wealthy, gay Democratic congressman, Jared Polis of Boulder, who supported measures reigning in the oil-and-gas industry. A radio ad welcomed listeners to “Lifestyles of the Rich and Out of Touch.” A newspaper ad featured Polis in a crown and robe.
