GOProud Accepts Maddow Challenge

Gay conservative group GOProud is responding in the affirmative to a challenge from Rachel Maddow for conservatives to appear on her MSNBC show.

On her program Thursday night, Maddow appealed to bold-faced names from the right such as Sarah Palin, Marco Rubio, Scott Brown, and Christine O'Donnell to accept her invitations to talk. She also chided the conservatives for capitalizing on her name for fund-raising purposes while refusing to have a two-way conversation with her.

Speaking for his group, which last month hosted Ann Coulter at the Homocon event in New York City, GOProud chairman of the board Christopher R. Barron said in a news release Friday, "We accept Rachel Maddow's challenge for conservatives to appear on her show. We would welcome the opportunity to debate her and to defend our commitment to conservative principles and conservative values. As the only national organization representing gay conservatives we believe that going on Maddow's show would also provide the gay community with an important contrast - a break from the conventional wisdom that all LGBT Americans subscribe to her version of radical liberalism.

"We have routinely appeared on MSNBC and would gladly appear on her show," Barron added. "If Rachel was sincere in her challenge, if she really wants an open and honest debate with conservatives then our message to her is: call us."