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Congressman Bob Barr to Headline 2011 Log Cabin Republicans National Convention in Dallas

Barr Authored, and Now Rejects, the So-Called "Defense of Marriage Act"

March 29, 2011

(Washington, DC) – Log Cabin Republicans are proud to announce that former Congressman Bob Barr (L-GA) will be the keynote speaker at the Log Cabin Republicans 2011 National Dinner on April 30th in at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, TX. The Dinner will be the culmination of the 2011 Log Cabin Republicans National Convention and Liberty Education Forum Symposium.

"Congressman Barr is living proof that Republicans are becoming more inclusive, and doing so for conservative reasons," said R. Clarke Cooper, Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director. "As a freshman member of Congress in 1996, Barr wrote DOMA. He has since come to the conclusion that 'DOMA's language reflects one-way federalism' and that the law 'has become a de facto club used to limit, if not thwart, the ability of a state to choose to recognize same-sex unions,' contrary to the traditional Republican respect for states' rights, and that DOMA should be repealed.

"Barr's principled stand shows what a real evolution on marriage looks like today, and Log Cabin Republicans look forward to hearing from him on this timely issue in Dallas. As evidenced by the last election, in which gay and lesbian support for Republicans nearly doubled and independent voters helped sweep a GOP majority into office, inclusion can and does win. Log Cabin will continue to work to expand the base of the Republican Party, all the while gaining new allies in the fight for freedom."

Congressman Barr joins a growing roster of pro-equality Republicans and conservatives, including former Solicitor General Ted Olson, Republican presidential primary candidate Ambassador John Bolton, and former Vice-President Dick Cheney. Other special guests at the 2011 National Convention include FOX News contributor Margaret Hoover and former Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman, both of whom are leaders in the fight for marriage equality.