On Saturday I was a guest at Milo Yiannopolous’s “Coming Out Conservative” event for Pride weekend. I was on the exclusive list of people from around the nation, which Milo described as:
“A party for the outcasts, the rebels, the gay conservatives who speak, think, and live free of liberal demands.”
Milo hosted the event with his new publishing imprint, Dangerous Books, giving conservatives in the LGBT community (and those that support them) a place to go for Pride weekend. It was a nice surprise, considering I was either excluded or uninvited from a few mainstream LGBT events and parties due to my political stance.
How did I end up on the list? Through a new friend. While protesting Sharia Law at ACT for America’s March Against Sharia in NYC’s Foley Square, I had the chance to meet an important leader in the gay conservative community, Chadwick Moore.
Chadwick was a speaker at the event aimed at protesting Sharia Law, where he bravely told the truth about his experience covering last year’s Islamist terror attack on the gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando.
We stayed in touch, and two weeks later I was put on the list to attend the event at the Jue Lan Club — a venue that ultimately gave in to Leftist boycott threats and cancelled the event, forcing a last-minute switch to Le Reve.
At the event, I had a chance to catch up with Chadwick, who’s been working with Milo since May.
“Lately I’ve been reflecting on how miserable I was when I was on the Left, and how that poisonous liberal dogma makes people intrinsically unhappy. There was so much genuine warmth, excitement, and joy in the room, which is always the case when I’ve been in a sizable group of Trump-lovers,” Chadwick said. “This may have been the first time in gay history that 200 homos were in a room together and there was zero bitchiness or judgment. Gays can be awful to each other, but not in this group. And of course we must acknowledge our many straight friends who came out to support us. It’s so important for conservatives, especially in New York and other liberal strongholds, to continue making real life connections with one another.”
The Left’s poison Chadwick mentioned found its way into my life last year. I have been on the receiving end of a great deal of hate from the LGBT Left regarding my separation from liberalism. It is a blessing that the conservative gay community has welcomed me with open arms, without judgment and accepts me for who I am.
Despite not knowing anyone but Chadwick and my plus one, I wasn’t alone in a crowded room. I felt right at home, like I was with old friends and like I found a place that I don’t have to worry about what other will say about me.
This mirrors the little known fact about the new right – there’s a family dynamic and unity that is equal to that of a sports team or club.
When we made the choice to come out conservative, we all faced the same intolerance from the Left, and became pariahs. In fact, since coming out as a homosexual in 2012, I can truthfully say I have never faced discrimination or was ostracized and ridiculed, which is a stark difference from what happened when I came out conservative.
The party details are vague — there was good food and drinks, great music and everyone looked great. It was a party — a good party.
Milo — in full drag as the smart and beautiful Ivana Wall — had every single person in that room smiling as he thanked us all for celebrating with him. It’s just another day’s work for Milo.
But for me it was something I wasn’t used to — it was genuine fun. When the LGBT community slammed the door on my face for being a conservative, Milo opened his arms. I had somewhere to go for Pride weekend in NYC and everyone was kind to me.
From one gay conservative outcast to another – thank you Milo for having me on Saturday, and reminding me that I don’t have to stay silent anymore. I may not be very loud, but I’ll never be voiceless again.
James Merse is a healthcare communications professional from Northern New Jersey and teaches communication courses at community colleges
