FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 2010
CONTACT: Clark Ruper, 586-291-3096, cruper@studentsforliberty.org
STUDENTS FOR LIBERTY TAKES ON AND DEFEATS INTOLERANCE AT CPAC
February 22, 2010, WASHINGTON—Students For Liberty’s (SFL) co-founder and President, Alexander McCobin, sparked what has become a controversy this weekend at the Conservative Political Action Conference when he thanked the event’s organizers for allowing conservative gay-rights group GOProud to co-sponsor the conference.
“I would like to thank the American Conservative Union for inviting me to speak,” said McCobin. “This panel is titled, ‘Saving Freedom Across America.’ And so, in the name of freedom, I would like to also thank the American Conservative Union for welcoming GOProud as a co-sponsor of this event. […] The typical student’s response is to be socially tolerant and fiscally responsible. Students today recognize that freedom does not come in pieces. It is a single concept that we must defend at all times.”
While there were some initial boos, McCobin’s statements were greeted with widespread applause from the audience. The real controversy began soon afterward when another panelist, Ryan Sorba, rose to condemn CPAC for its open-mindedness toward GOProud and to attack homosexuals, which led to him being resoundingly booed off stage before completing his remarks. Full videos of the two speeches, including views of the audience’s reaction, can be found at www.StudentsForLiberty.org.
The support for individual freedom shown by CPAC attendees is an encouragement to SFL and students all across America who fight for freedom in all of its forms. As McCobin later stated, “Students For Liberty has always been committed to both economic and personal liberty, and we are thrilled that our message of social tolerance received such strong support at CPAC.”
Sorba’s rant against homosexuality and CPAC has been widely covered by media outlets ranging from the Daily Kos to the Daily Caller to MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann. The full story of how Students For Liberty stood up for freedom and equal rights is far more interesting than just one person’s rant.
Students For Liberty is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide a unified, student-driven forum of support for students and student organizations dedicated to liberty. Founded at the inaugural Students For Liberty Conference in February 2008, Students For Liberty has grown dramatically to be one of the largest organizations supporting pro-liberty students, with over 250 affiliated student organizations.
For additional information, please contact Clark Ruper at cruper@studentsforliberty.org.
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You can download the PDF version of the press release here.
