However, by doing so, did those who declined attendance as a stand against the gay community make a mistake?  Some seem to think so.

According to a post on the conservative site US News and World Report:

Those who boycotted CPAC because conservative gay-rights group GOProud was a cosponsor made a strategic mistake. Social conservatives who disagree with gay rights should not remove themselves from the debate–they risk looking, at best, out of touch and worse, intolerant.

More here!

He did this in this portion of the conversation when Roberts said, “I think for probably most heterosexual Americans this isn’t going to come as a big deal, but I think for millions of gay and lesbian Americans — me included — find this to be kind of a shocking admission, especially when Mehlman’s leadership, in the positions that he held, came at a time when he was part of talks that would have put discrimination into the Constitution. When they were ramping up anti gay rhetoric and now he wants to come out say, ‘hey I’m one of you.’ So how does he go about trying to get millions of gay and lesbian Americans to believe that he is not just a big hypocrite.”

Read more from the author, Lyndon Evans at his Blog: Focus On The Rainbow!

Matt Barber, who heads the Liberty Counsel, has been actively seeking a boycott of the event unless GOProud was dismissed as a co-sponsor.

“Among other things, GOProud advocates in favor of both ’gay marriage’ and ’civil unions,’ against pro-marriage constitutional amendments ; is pushing for the repeal of ’Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ and advocates in favor of federal ’partnership benefits’ for homosexuals,” LaBarbera quoted Barber as writing in an open email.

Now Focus on the Family has responded. Senior Vice-President Tom Minnery told right-wing site One News Now he has no problem with other CPAC co-sponsors disagreeing with Focus on the Family, including GOProud.

“We think we’ve got to engage the broader conservative movement and to be salt and light in that environment,” he said. “We believe that social conservatism, biblical Christianity has a lot to say to the political culture–and we want to be where the action is, so that’s why we’re engaging it.”

He opposes the boycott. Instead, he advocated coming to the conference “to counter the agenda of GOProud.”

On its website, GOProud wrote, “GOProud looks forward to continuing to work with the conservative movement to promote policies that will improve the lives of all Americans, including gays and lesbians.”

More at: Edge Boston!