{"id":85602,"date":"2019-04-26T20:25:26","date_gmt":"2019-04-27T00:25:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/pete-buttigieg-considering-attending-candidates-forum-organized-by-iowas-most-notorious-homophobe\/"},"modified":"2019-04-26T20:25:26","modified_gmt":"2019-04-27T00:25:26","slug":"pete-buttigieg-considering-attending-candidates-forum-organized-by-iowas-most-notorious-homophobe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/pete-buttigieg-considering-attending-candidates-forum-organized-by-iowas-most-notorious-homophobe\/","title":{"rendered":"Pete Buttigieg Considering Attending Candidates Forum Organized by Iowa\u2019s Most Notorious Homophobe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pete Buttigieg Considering Attending Candidates Forum Organized by Iowa\u2019s Most Notorious Homophobe<\/b><\/p>\n

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Pete Buttigieg is reportedly thinking about attending the Family Leadership Summit, an election year candidates forum on religion and politics organized by Iowa\u2019s most notorious homophobe.<\/p>\n

You may recall the forum\u2019s organizer, Bob Vander Plaats of The Family Leader, as the Iowa conservative behind the campaign to oust pro-equality state Supreme Court justices<\/a>\u00a0back in 2010, or the guy<\/a> behind a\u00a0failed boycott of Starbucks<\/a>\u00a0over its pro-LGBT policies a few years back, or perhaps the activist\u00a0charged with selling his 2012 presidential endorsement<\/a>\u00a0(which eventually went to Rick Santorum).\u00a0<\/p>\n

But Vander Plaats is arguably best known for his group\u2019s anti-gay<\/a>,\u00a0vaguely pro-slavery<\/a>\u00a0\u201cmarriage pledge\u201d that was used in a (failed<\/a>) attempt to get the most extreme social conservative elected as the party\u2019s nominee in the 2012 election.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Vander Plaats told NPR<\/a> he\u2019s sending invitations to Democrats for the first time: Kamala Harris; Pete Buttigieg; Elizabeth Warren; Joe Biden; Bernie Sanders; Beto O\u2019Rourke and Cory Booker.<\/p>\n

An O\u2019Rourke spokesman told NPR<\/a> that Beto will not attend because of the organization\u2019s homophobic past: \u201cVander Plaats and the Family Leader have unapologetically provided a forum for dangerous anti-LGBTQ hate speech on numerous occasions. They are the antithesis of the unifying, inclusive, welcoming atmosphere that our campaign prides itself on in Iowa and across the country. We will not be participating in this forum.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Mayor Pete just might: \u201cA spokesman for Buttigieg, who was criticized by a prominent conservative Christian leader this week for being gay<\/a>, said he would consider attending.\u201d<\/p>\n

NPR adds<\/a>: \u2018Vander Plaats is a controversial figure, who has been\u00a0regarded as a kingmaker<\/a> among white evangelicals in Iowa, where the conservative Christian vote is a vital voting bloc for Republicans.\u2019<\/p>\n

The post Pete Buttigieg Considering Attending Candidates Forum Organized by Iowa\u2019s Most Notorious Homophobe<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad Gay News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Pete Buttigieg Considering Attending Candidates Forum Organized by Iowa’s Most Notorious Homophobe<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n