Can Gays Be Conservative?

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


The libertarian-leaning Cato Institute held a policy forum yesterday called “Is There a Place for Gay People in Conservatism and Conservative Politics?” The panel of lively experts included Andrew Sullivan of The Atlantic’s Daily Dish blog; Maggie Gallagher, president of the National Organization for Marriage; and Nick Herbert, a Conservative British MP with the wonderfully chilling title “Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.” 

You’ll find audio and video of the event here. Though it starts a little slow, things heat up a few minutes in, when Sullivan and Gallagher start to butt heads like a pair of Rocky Mountain rams (on the topic of gay marriage, naturally). Also discussed: adoption, whether today’s Republican party is truly conservative (Sullivan maintains it isn’t), and the inclusion of transgender people in conservative politics.

Follow Evan James on Twitter.

We were built for times like these

Russian bots are impersonating us. Trump and his allies want to silence us. AI wants to (and does!) steal our content. The list goes on. But with 50 years of experience, we know we were built for this moment: We’re ready to keep diving deep and uncovering the truth, then getting that to you right here, completely accessible and never behind a paywall.

While our work is free to read, watch, and listen to online, it’s incredibly costly to make. Court documents, travel, research: It all adds up. Because we’re a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on reader support to fund our investigations. Will you stand with us in these extraordinary times, as headlines clamour for our attention and disinformation is rampant? We can’t get the truth out without you.

We were built for times like these

Russian bots are impersonating us. Trump and his allies want to silence us. AI wants to (and does!) steal our content. The list goes on. But with 50 years of experience, we know we were built for this moment: We’re ready to keep diving deep and uncovering the truth, then getting that to you right here, completely accessible and never behind a paywall.

While our work is free to read, watch, and listen to online, it’s incredibly costly to make. Court documents, travel, research: It all adds up. Because we’re a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on reader support to fund our investigations. Will you stand with us in these extraordinary times, as headlines clamour for our attention and disinformation is rampant? We can’t get the truth out without you.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

INDEPENDENT. BECAUSE OF YOU.

Mother Jones has no billionaires calling the shots—just readers like you making fearless reporting possible

Donate