Conservatives Embrace Gay Citizens

In Britain, of course, where the resurgent Tory party, facing a national election, threw its first official convention event for its gay members and supporters:

Party chairman Eric Pickles told partygoers: “We’re very, very proud of this event tonight and I think that this has shown just how far the Conservatives have come. “Next year I want to see another official gay pride night and I hope to see you all there!”

Openly gay shadow environment secretary Nick Herbert told the crowd he was "living proof" of the fact the party had changed. He said: "I am lucky enough to be in David Cameron's shadow cabinet as an out gay man, I was elected as an out gay man, I have never experienced any prejudice or obstacle along the way."

Herbert added that the party was proof that "gay people are not the property of the left." Party host and Conservative blogger Iain Dale told PinkNews.co.uk: “I’m really pleased that so many people have come and that people are having such a great time, I think that it is really important that we have events like this.”

The British Tories make Obama look like a member of the religious right. Unlike Obama, they have openly gay figure in real positions of power and have married gay future cabinet members. And they make the current Republicans look like the fearful, retrograde bigots so many of them are.