Conservative Group WND Cancels Ann Coulter As Keynote Speaker Over Speech To Gay Republicans

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Conservative Group Cancels Ann Coulter As Keynote Speaker Over Speech To Gay Republicans

Conservative website WND has dropped Ann Coulter as the keynote speaker at its upcoming conference over her plan to speak to a group in favor of gay rights.

WND says that Coulter's decision to speak at Homocon, an event sponsored by a gay Republican organization called GOProud, disqualifies her from speaking at their "Taking America Back National Conference."

"Ultimately, as a matter of principle, it would not make sense for us to have Ann speak to a conference about 'taking America back' when she clearly does not recognize that the ideals to be espoused there simply do not include the radical and very 'unconservative' agenda represented by GOProud," WND editor and CEO Joseph Farah said. "The drift of the conservative movement to a brand of materialistic libertarianism is one of the main reasons we planned this conference from the beginning."

Coulter, who is and will remain a WND columnist, said she was hired to deliver a speech at Homocon but that does not mean she endorses GOProud's views.

"They hired me to give a speech, so I'm giving a speech. I do it all the time," she said. "I speak to a lot of groups and do not endorse them. I speak at Harvard and I certainly don't endorse their views. I've spoken to Democratic groups and liberal Republican groups that loooove abortion. The main thing I do is speak on college campuses, which is about the equivalent of speaking at an al-Qaida conference. I'm sure I agree with GOProud more than I do with at least half of my college audiences. But in any event, giving a speech is not an endorsement of every position held by the people I'm speaking to."

Coulter added that she was set to speak for WND, but she thinks the organization is "nuts on the birther thing."

Coulter's history on gay issues is checkered: she notoriously called John Edwards a "faggot" in 2007, and earlier this year she railed against "irritating lesbian" Constance McMillen for challenging the sanctimony of heterosexual-only proms.
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"The gay left has done their best to take all the fun out of politics, with their endless list of boycotts and protests. Homocon is going to be our annual effort to counter the 'no fun police' on the left," said Christopher Barron, Chairman of the Board of GOProud, in a statement when announcing that Coulter would address the conference. "I can't think of any conservative more fun to headline our inaugural party then the self-professed 'right-wing Judy Garland' - Ann Coulter."

Coulter was also dropped as a speaker earlier this year at the University of Ottawa, where event organizers canceled her planned appearance following a protest by hundreds of students.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/18/wnd-drops-ann-coulter-as-_n_686103.html