YBOR CITY, Fla. — As Ann Romney talked about love on the convention stage in Tampa, gay Republicans and their supporters were welcomed warmly here in this small town outside of Tampa filled with tattoo parlors and cigar shops.
Unlike their reception at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February, pro-gay rights conservative group GOProud staged a great party here on Tuesday night, hosting hundreds of guests at The Honey Pot, complete with glittering disco ball lights.
The three-floor “Homocon” bash featured go-go dancers clad in black T-shirts with the words “freedom is fabulous” written on them, a message underscoring GOProud’s goal to highlight gays and lesbians in the conservative movement.
Seated in the VIP sections were MSNBC “The Cycle” co-host S.E. Cupp, former Rep. Mark Foley and Grover Norquist, the founder of Americans for Tax Reform. Both Cupp and Norquist are members of GOProud’s advisory board.