Utah GOP puts kibosh on speech by Glenn Reynolds due to his gay rights support
http://twitter.com/#!/instapundit/status/288032921179287553
To add insult to injury, Reynolds (aka Instapundit aka “The Blogfather“) had agreed to give the speech free of charge:
@rogerlsimon @paulzummo @cajunkate @utahgop The sad thing is, I agreed to speak as a favor, unpaid.
— Instapundit.com (@instapundit) January 6, 2013
Moreover, Reynolds’ speech was about Internet activism, not gay rights.
@rogerlsimon @paulzummo @sharm629 @cajunkate @utahgop Not seeing how my talk on activism and Internet involved giving up values.#whatever
— Instapundit.com (@instapundit) January 6, 2013
Does the Republican Party really want to tell libertarians they are unwelcome in the party, that their views on social issues are so repulsive they cannot be permitted to speak on any subject at Republican-sanctioned events?
Not only is this bad politics on the part of whoever invited Reynolds (a “small tent” policy?), it’s also just plain bad manners.
@utahgop Chrmn Wright – this is what’s wrong w/ #GOP now! MT @instapundit Just disinvited … support for gay rights “too controversial.”
— askerlro (@askerlro) January 6, 2013
@instapundit @rogerlsimon @paulzummo @cajunkate @utahgop No good deed goes unpunished. 😉
— EdMorrissey (@EdMorrissey) January 6, 2013
#FAIL RT @instapundit: Just disinvited from speaking by @utahgop because my support for gay rights makes me “too controversial.”Er, okay.
— Brendan Loy (@brendanloy) January 6, 2013
@instapundit @utahgop What in the hell? Sounds like something the DNC would do.They are generally afraid of ideas.
— Ryan van Steenis (@MillwallFCEO) January 6, 2013
@instapundit That kind of shit wears me out & makes my party look bad. FYI not allconservatives are anti-gay. I’m sure as hell not!
— Rebecca Iken (@marebiken) January 6, 2013
@instapundit @utahgop And that is why we keep losing elections. We are dumb.
— Bradley Hope (@Brad_Hope) January 6, 2013
.@instapundit Maybe the @utahgop can give seminars on how to lose elections to some other state GOPs. Oh wait. Most of them already know.
— Todd Kincannon (@ToddKincannon) January 6, 2013
It’s still unclear who exactly was responsible for this fiasco. State Party Chair Thomas Wright wasn’t aware of the incident until tweeters brought it to his attention earlier today.
@j_kane @instapundit @utahgop disinvited from what event?As Chairman if the UTGOP I know nothing about this. Please advise.
— Thomas Wright (@th_wright) January 6, 2013
After he learned of the disinvitation, Wright expressed interest in bringing Reynolds to the state:
@j_kane @instapundit I’d be happy to explore that.
— Thomas Wright (@th_wright) January 6, 2013
Smart move.
* * *
Update: It was the Utah County Republican Party that disinvited Reynolds.
@th_wright Utah County Lincoln Day dinner.
— Instapundit.com (@instapundit) January 7, 2013
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