News Release
For Immediate Release:  February 7, 2011
Contact: Diane Gramley  1.814.271.9078

(Harrisburg) – Since 1974 conservatives have been attending the Conservative Political Action Conference or CPAC in Washington, DC.  Unfortunately, the past few years CPAC has permitted the homosexual group GOProud to be a part of their gathering.  This year they were even part of the planning process.  The American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA) a statewide traditional values group, finds this trend to be very troubling. The concern has led the AFA of PA to join other pro-family groups to sign onto a letter which was published as a full-page color ad in the Washington Times today.  Click here to view the ad.

“Many pro-family groups have decided not to attend the event because of GoProud’s homosexual activism and CPAC’s apparent lack of memory as to what conservatism is.  Ronald Reagan described conservatism as a three-legged stool – strong foreign policy, strong economy, and social conservatism.  Remove one leg and the stool collapses,” noted Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of PA.

GoProud pushed for the repeal of the law banning homosexuals from military service – destroying unit cohension and our military readiness, placing our troops in danger– and GoProud wants the federal Defense of Marriage Act repealed – placing the foundation of our nation – marriage and families – in danger as well.  GoProud MAY be fiscally conservative, but their Chairman Chris Barron describes defending traditional marriage and the right to life as those “crazy social issues” and does not believe they are necessary to be considered conservative.

Some invited speakers such as South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin have said they will not address the group.  Unfortunately, Pennsylvania’s newest Senator Pat Toomey and former Senator and potential Presidential candidate Rick Santorum both plan on addressing the CPAC gathering.

“The question is:  “Are those ‘crazy social issues’, as GoProud Chairman Chris Barron put it, important?  These are questions that not only Rick Santorum and Pat Toomey need to answer, but all those who consider themselves conservative must decide.  If one believes the core tenets of conservatism national defense, the economy AND social issues are important and that being conservative means the inclusion of all three, then it is time to take a stand. As real conservatives, we must work to preserve Ronald Reagan’s memory – his legacy – especially this year in which he would have celebrated his 100th birthday,”  Gramley concluded.

Preserving President Reagan’s three-legged stool concept will help turn the country around – ignore it and the stool will fall.  Ignore it and the nation will fall.

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