Jimmy LaSalvia

Gay activist Jimmy LaSalvia, a conservative, looks at a variety of cultural issues including gay marriage, the war on women, and the rise of Fox and MSNBC from a nonpartisan perspective as we begin the 2016 Presidential elections. Join us as we ask, what created these critical issues? And how large will they loom in 2016?

LaSalvia is a strategist, commentator and speaker. In 2009, LaSalvia founded GOProud to represent gay conservatives and their allies; he served as its full-time executive director until 2013. Under his leadership, GOProud became one of the highest-profile gay political organizations in the country. Prior to GOProud, he served on the national staff of Log Cabin Republicans first as Grassroots Outreach Director, then as Director of Programs & Policy. LaSalvia helped to build the organization across the country and lobbied to pass legislation in numerous state capitols and in Washington, DC. A long-time conservative activist, LaSalvia has held volunteer and professional staff positions in political campaigns and party organizations in South Dakota and Kentucky.

In early 2014, LaSalvia announced that he had left the Republican Party and changed his voter registration to “no party.” His decision to join the New Majority of voters who aren’t represented by either major political party received significant media attention. Now, he is focused on working outside of the traditional political party system to make our country better and change the world.

LaSalvia has appeared on the FOX News Channel, CNN, MSNBC and other television networks. He has been quoted in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post and other national and international newspapers and media outlets. His public speaking engagements have included speeches at Columbia University, Princeton University, Tufts University, George Washington University, Smith College and over a dozen other colleges and universities. He is also a frequent speaker and panelist at political conferences and programs.

LaSalvia was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1970 and grew up in a well-traveled military family. He graduated from Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota.

Discussion Group Topic
All Politics is Personal – A Gay Conservative Looks at the Culture Wars