GOProud Breaks Boycott?

Gay Republican group GOProud has scheduled its San Diego political fund-raiser at Prop. 8 supporter Doug Manchester’s Grand Hyatt, even though Manchester is the target of an active boycott.

Manchester gave $125,000 to the campaign pass Proposition 8, prompting a boycott by the group Californians Against Hate. Last May he attempted to donate the same amount of money to gay groups in exchange for an end to the boycott and offered gay groups vouchers to stay at the hotel.

GOProud’s July 31 Don’t Tread on Us reception will feature “national radio talk show personality Tammy Bruce as the program's MC. The event will benefit GOProud, the nation's only political organization for gay conservatives and their allies.”

"We understand that Mr. Manchester has apologized for his support of Prop. 8 and has made a substantial monetary commitment to the LGBT community,” GOProud executive director Jimmy LaSalvia told The Advocate. “We believe strongly that the gay community should be in the business of winning new friends not making enemies."

Earlier this month Manchester submitted a proposal to the San Diego Unified Port District to trade down to a minority stake in the hotel and give majority control to Hyatt Hotels. His company would gain interest in two hotels, in Atlanta and Chicago.