CPAC :: No Gay Groups Allowed!

It's clear that the Republican Party is strongly divided when it comes to gay issues, including same sex unions. Earlier this week it was reported that more than 100 Republicans signed a brief urging the Supreme Court that the federal ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Still, several conservatives stand strong in their belief that marriage can only be defined as a union between one man and one woman, and their views are not likely to change anytime soon.

While gay acceptance has never been more widespread as it is today, Republican gay group still can't get a place at the conservatives' table.

As News Works reports, two conservative gay groups, GOProud and the Log Cabin Republicans, were not invited to the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. Almost every Republican organization has been invited to the annual event, which will be held in Washington, and a number of superstar GOPers, like Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, Paul Ryan, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Marco Rubio and Rand Paul, will make an appearance.

But as News Works points out, GOProud was kicked out of CPAC in 2011 because high profile conservative groups opposed its presence. These groups include, religious right groups, like the Family Research Council, Liberty Council, Concerned Women for America and the American Family Association. Log Cabin officials said they did not ask to be invited to CPAC and that organization would rather "choose its battles."

"It speaks volumes about the conservative mentality that this kind of bigotry persists even though it's clearly a political loser - moreso, with each passing year," News Works writes. "In fact, gay voters arguably swung the '12 election to President Obama; according to exit polls, he and Romney split the straight vote, 49 percent apiece, but Obama won among self-identified gays, 76-22 percent."

Not all Republicans agree with the GOProud and Log Cabin's removal, however.

"Times are changing. But unless we conservatives are willing to face up to the unmitigated absurdity of (advocating) liberty alongside sexual segregation, swathes of otherwise reachable voters will continue to regard our movement as undeserving," Ted Rogan, a conservative, said. The news editor at National Review Online, Daniel Fister, said that the GOP need to create a "peaceful coexistence" with the LGBT community because "the center of the country is becoming more gay-friendly."

Politico reports that S.E. Cupp, the conservative columnist and MSNBC co-host, said she refuses to speak at CPAC because the gay groups were not invited.

"I've been thinking about this a lot, and I know a lot of people on my side of the aisle have been struggling with this for some time now, too: I've been scheduled to speak at CPAC this year, and I just don't think I can until this issue is reconciled and figured out," she said on MSNBC's "The Cycle."

Chris Hayes, a progressive MSNBC host, also said he would not accept CPAC's invitation unless GOProud and the Log Cabin Republicans were welcomed.