
CONTACTAbout UsCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2025 Equal Entertainment LLC.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Two influential Iowa antigay activists have chosen their preferred Republican presidential candidate -- former U.S. senator Rick Santorum.
Bob Vander Plaats, CEO of Family Leader, and Chuck Hurley, president of its education division, the Iowa Family Policy Center, announced their endorsement of Santorum at a press conference this morning in Urbandale and called on other conservative candidates to unite, The Des Moines Register reports. However, Family Leader as an organization will remain neutral -- an indication of the division among the right wing over which GOP hopeful to support in the Iowa presidential caucus, which takes place January 3.
Santorum, Texas governor Rick Perry, and Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann are the favorites of the right, and polls indicate each is supported by about 10% of Iowa Republicans. Hurley, without naming names, said socially conservative candidates should "team up," according to the Register.
"Why can't the top three or so pro-family candidates come together and figure out who has the talents for president, who has the talents for other roles?" Hurley said. "And those people could quickly ... vaunt into first place and win the caucuses and win the nomination."
Far-right leaders, the Register notes, are worried that if social conservatives' votes are divided among several candidates, it could result in a caucus win for former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who by their standards is a moderate. As an indicator of the intense competition, Hurley said one activist had threatened to "burn [Vander Plaats's] body, drag it through the streets, and hang it from a bridge" if he didn't support the person's chosen candidate. Hurley did not say who the candidate was.
Vander Plaats had much praise for Santorum, who represented Pennsylvania in the Senate and has a long history of antigay and anti-abortion stances. "I believe Rick Santorum comes from us," Vander Plaats said at the press conference, according to Politico."Not to us. He comes from us. He is one of us." Hurley added that Santorum "meets and exceeds the biblical qualifications" for endorsement by conservative Christians.
Santorum welcomed the endorsement, releasing a statement saying it "will be a terrific catalyst for our campaign as we continue building momentum in Iowa," Politico reports.
Meanwhile, a national antigay group, the American Family Association, has endorsed Newt Gingrich for president. Read more here.
trudestress
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
31 Period Films of Lesbians and Bi Women in Love That Will Take You Back
December 09 2024 1:00 PM
18 of the most batsh*t things N.C. Republican governor candidate Mark Robinson has said
October 30 2024 11:06 AM
True
These 15 major companies caved to the far right and stopped DEI programs
January 24 2025 1:11 PM
True
Latest Stories
Marriage equality or same-sex marriage? Why the language matters
April 16 2025 6:00 AM
Right-wing extremists threaten LGBTQ-affirming religious communities: report
April 15 2025 2:27 PM
We’re the biggest queer group you never see—it’s time we changed that
April 15 2025 12:00 PM
Our former CA state rep Low fined $106k for hiding payment to Alec Baldwin
April 15 2025 10:41 AM
Trending stories
Recommended Stories for You
Trudy Ring
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.