Christopher R. Barron

{{Infobox person

| image =

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| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|12|15}}

| birth_place = Maine, United States

| death_date =

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| occupation = Political consulting, political strategist, and lawyer

| nationality =

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| alma_mater = University of North Carolina at Greensboro
East Carolina University
Wake Forest University School of Law

| party = Republican

| spouse = Shawn R. Gardner

}}

Christopher R. Barron (born December 15, 1973) is an American political activist best known as the cofounder of GOProud, a political organization representing gay conservatives. He is the president of CapSouth Consulting, a political consulting firm, and previously the organizer of LGBT for Trump and the national political director for Log Cabin Republicans, where he directed the organization's federal lobbying efforts and media relations.

Early life and education

Christopher Barron was born in Maine, and raised in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Barron graduated from Eastern Wayne High School and studied as an undergrad at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and East Carolina University. He served vice president of the College Republicans and president of his fraternity while studying political science at the East Carolina University. During his senior year a fraternity brother "outed" Barron, who at the time was in a relationship with his chapter law adviser. Barron moved out of the fraternity house that night, fearful of the hostile reaction his fraternity brothers might have, once his secret spread. Barron came out to his family before graduating from college in 1997. He enrolled at Wake Forest University School of Law a few months later. Barron graduated with honors from Wake Forest University School of Law, where he was a member of Wake Forest Law Review and was the Wake Law Faculty Scholar.{{cite web|url=https://shadowproof.com/2012/04/30/goprouds-chris-barron-amendment-one-is-simple-bigotry-nc-is-better-than-that/|title=GOProud's Chris Barron: Amendment One is simple bigotry – NC is better than that|work=Shadowproof |date=30 April 2012|publisher=shadowproof.com|accessdate=27 September 2016 |last1=Spaulding |first1=Pam }}

Political activism

Barron joined the Log Cabin Republicans as political director in February 2004. He was instrumental in the organization's September 2004 decision to not endorse President George W. Bush's re-election.{{cite web |last=Vallebuona |first=Michael |date=2004-10-31 |title=Log Cabin Republicans Director Fights for Gay Rights |url=http://www.theeagleonline.com/scene/story/log-cabin-republicans-director-fights-for-gay-rights |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116015240/http://www.theeagleonline.com/scene/story/log-cabin-republicans-director-fights-for-gay-rights/ |archive-date=2012-11-16 |accessdate=2013-12-04 |website=The Eagle Online |publisher=American University}} In a 2004 interview, he revealed that in 2003 he submitted a written testimonial praising Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards on a web site and that he supported Edwards' 1998 U.S. Senate campaign.

In 2006, Barron founded CapSouth Consulting, where his clients included Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the Republican National Committee, the Republican Main Street Partnership, and the National Republican Congressional Committee.{{Cite web |title=About CapSouth Consulting |url=http://www.capsouthdc.com/about |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110204062937/http://www.capsouthdc.com/about |archive-date=2011-02-04 |website=CapSouth Consulting}}

In 2009, Barron and Jimmy LaSalvia both found GOProud and left the Log Cabin Republicans. This was in direct result to both of them viewing the Log Cabin Republicans as too centrist.

Before the 2012 Republican primary, Barron helped organize the "Draft Cheney 2012" movement, which was to convince the former vice president Cheney to seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.{{cite web |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/11/27/new-group-tries-to-convince-cheney-to-run-in-2012/ |title=New group tries to convince Cheney to run in 2012 |publisher=CNN |date=November 27, 2009 |accessdate=2014-02-01 |archive-date=2014-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203152424/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/11/27/new-group-tries-to-convince-cheney-to-run-in-2012/ |url-status=dead }} Early in the 2012 Republican primary process, Barron endorsed Herman Cain for the 2012 U.S. presidential election. After Cain dropped out, Barron endorsed Republican and later Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson for the 2012 U.S. presidential election.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}} He was a delegate to the 2012 Libertarian National Convention.Chris Johnson, [http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/06/20/goproud-endorses-romney/ GOProud endorses Romney], Washington Blade, June 20, 2012. In the 2012 Republican primary in the District of Columbia, Barron voted for Ron Paul.{{cite web|url=http://therealredbarron.com/2012/03/13/why-i-cast-my-vote-in-the-republican-primary-for-ron-paul/ |title=Why I Cast My Vote in the Republican Primary for Ron Paul |publisher=therealredbarron.com |date=March 13, 2012 |accessdate=2014-01-30 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201215850/http://therealredbarron.com/2012/03/13/why-i-cast-my-vote-in-the-republican-primary-for-ron-paul/ |archivedate=2014-02-01 }} In October 2012, however, he announced he had decided to support and vote for Mitt Romney for President, even while continuing to serve as a D.C. elector for Johnson.Mike Riggs, [http://reason.com/blog/2012/10/15/another-prominent-libertarian-ditches-ga Another Prominent Libertarian Ditches Gary Johnson for Mitt Romney], Reason, October 15, 2012.{{cite web|url=http://therealredbarron.com/2012/10/15/icymi-why-this-libertarian-is-endorsing-mitt-romney/ |title=ICYMI: Why this Libertarian is Endorsing Mitt Romney |publisher=therealredbarron.com |date=October 15, 2012 |accessdate=2014-01-30 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201215748/http://therealredbarron.com/2012/10/15/icymi-why-this-libertarian-is-endorsing-mitt-romney/ |archivedate=2014-02-01 }}

On February 19, 2014, Barron left GOProud after Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) invited GOProud to attend the 2014 CPAC. In an interview with BuzzFeed, Barron said, "Last night I resigned from the Board of GOProud, the organization that I co-founded back in April of 2009. I cannot in good conscience sit by and watch as the current leadership of the organization disingenuously pawns off an unconditional surrender to the forces of bigotry as some sort of 'compromise,'" and "Nothing has changed in regards to GOProud and CPAC, GOProud does not have a booth, they are not a sponsor, they are not participating in any formal sense—individual members can attend and that's exactly the terms ACU dictated the previous few years."{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/goproud-founder-chris-barron-leaves-board-over-cpac-flap |title=GOProud Founder Chris Barron Quits Board Over CPAC Flap |publisher=BuzzFeed |date= February 20, 2014 |accessdate=February 24, 2014}}

Previously a Never Trump Republican, he later endorsed and voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 United States presidential election, along with organizing LGBT for Trump.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/2016/06/defunct_goproud_ex_president_trump_better_for_lgbt_americans/|title=Gay GOP Activist Who Called Gay Liberals 'The American Taliban' Wants LGBT Republicans to Vote Trump|date=June 16, 2016|website=The New Civil Rights Movement}}

=Political views=

Barron is a conservative, libertarian, and registered Republican.

Barron supports same-sex marriage, including being in a same-sex marriage himself. He said about the issue of marriage that "I opposed the federal marriage amendment because I do not believe we should federalize marriage," and "Marriage is and always has been a state issue. The last thing I want is for some federal court to impose a tortured Roe v. Wade law on gay marriage that will make sure that this issue is never resolved."{{cite news|last=McGurn |first=William |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123966833747115385 |title=William McGurn Says GOProud Is Asking Republicans to Return to Its Reaganite Roots |publisher=Online.wsj.com |date=2009-04-14 |accessdate=2013-11-02}}

On the issue of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act he said that "We believe it isn't the proper role of a limited federal government and that it is a solution in search of a problem. The truth is that the private industry has been way ahead on protections and benefits for gay and lesbian Americans."{{cite news|url=http://www.metroweekly.com/feature/?ak=5987 |title=Guess Who's Coming to CPAC? |publisher=metroweekly.com|date= February 9, 2011|accessdate=2014-01-30}}

He supported the inclusion of the Thune–Vitter Concealed Carry Reciprocity Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010.{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-barron/concealed-carry-if-youre_b_213912.html |title=Concealed Carry: If You're Interested in Preventing Hate Crimes, Let's Stop them Before They Happen |publisher=On Top Magazine|date= February 16, 2011|accessdate=2013-06-18}}

Barron supports non-interventionist foreign policy and suggested to Mitt Romney, before his foreign policy president debate with Obama, that in order to win over libertarian voters he should stress ending the war on Afghanistan, support ending foreign aid to countries like Libya and Egypt, oppose sending US ground troops into Syria, US foreign policy won't be dictated by the UN, and make clear difference between Romney's foreign policy views and that of George W. Bush's foreign policy views.{{cite news |url=http://www.unitedliberty.org/articles/11632-if-romney-wants-to-win-libertarian-votes-he-has-the-chance-tonight |title=If Romney Wants to Win Libertarian Votes – He Has the Chance Tonight |publisher=unitedliberty.org |date=2012-10-22 |accessdate=2014-01-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203002148/http://www.unitedliberty.org/articles/11632-if-romney-wants-to-win-libertarian-votes-he-has-the-chance-tonight |archive-date=2014-02-03 |url-status=dead }} He had previously criticized Michael Steele in 2010 for his comments that the war in Afghanistan is Obama's war of choice.{{cite news |url=http://www.metroweekly.com/poliglot/2010/07/goproud-among-those-calling-on.html |title=GOProud Among Those Calling on Steele to Resign |publisher=metroweekly.com |date=July 3, 2010 |accessdate=2014-01-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202102247/http://www.metroweekly.com/poliglot/2010/07/goproud-among-those-calling-on.html |archive-date=February 2, 2014 |url-status=dead }}

Barron had previously held pro-choice views and worked for Planned Parenthood{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20130705144110/http://www.covenantnews.com/newswire/archives/016371.html Gay Republican to Lead Abortion Outreach to GOP]}}, 2005 for two months and described the experience as "Worst 2 months of my life... Want to convert pro-choicers to the pro-life cause? Make them work at Planned Parenthood." He also said he stopped supporting the Roe v. Wade decision in early 2006, after this experience, "but beyond that don't have strong feelings on abortion – not really involved in the process." In February 2011, Barron responded to Tim Pawlenty calling for defunding the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, by stating that he would be better served talking about the need to defund Planned Parenthood and end federal funding for abortion.{{cite web|url= https://slate.com/content/slate/blogs/weigel/2011/02/09/one_last_shot_at_goproud.html |title=One Last Shot at GOProud |publisher=Slate |date=Feb 9, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219205956/https://slate.com/content/slate/blogs/weigel/2011/02/09/one_last_shot_at_goproud.html |accessdate=2014-01-30|archive-date=2012-02-19 }} He stated that "I want pro-life gays to know they have a home here."

Barron has called President Trump's purposed ban on transgender individuals from serving in the United States military as "unwise".{{Cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/christopherbarron/say-what-you-will-about-roger-stone|title=People May Hate Roger Stone, But He's An LGBT Ally|first=Christopher R.|last=Barron|website=BuzzFeed News|date=13 October 2017 }}

After The New York Times tweeted a cartoon portraying Trump and Putin as a gay couple, Barron said: "This is exactly what they think of gay people - that our lives and our relationships are jokes...Most middle school children behave better than this."{{cite news |title=The New York Times offends with 'homophobic' cartoon depicting Trump, Putin as lovers |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/new-york-times-offends-with-homophobic-cartoon-depicting-trump-putin-as-lovers |work=Fox News |date=July 17, 2018}}

Career

During his legal career, Barron served as a consultant to the litigation boutique firm of Watson & Renner, in Washington, D.C. At Watson & Renner, he worked on a variety of legal issues, including a number of corporate governance and toxic tort issues. Previously, he was an associate at the law firm of Powell, Goldstein, Frazer & Murphy in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was a member of the Business & Financial Institutions Litigation Group.{{cite web|url=http://therealredbarron.com/about/the-chris-barron-bio/ |title=The Chris Barron Bio |publisher=therealredbarron.com |accessdate=2014-02-01 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201220943/http://therealredbarron.com/about/the-chris-barron-bio/ |archivedate=2014-02-01 }}

Barron is currently Vice President of Public Relations at International Health Brands and The Wellness Company,{{Cite web |date=2022-04-07 |title=About Us |url=https://ihb.health/about-us/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230522222903/https://ihb.health/about-us/ |archive-date=2023-05-22 |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=International Health Brands |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Leadership |url=https://www.twc.health/pages/leadership |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230523080001/https://www.twc.health/pages/leadership |archive-date=2023-05-23 |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=The Wellness Company |language=en}} as well as CEO of Vigilant News Network.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-08 |title=VNN Leadership Team |url=https://vigilantnews.com/vnn-leadership-team/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212215453/https://vigilantnews.com/vnn-leadership-team/ |archive-date=2023-12-12 |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=Vigilant News Network |language=en-US}}

Personal life

Barron lives in Washington, D.C., with his husband Shawn R. Gardner,{{cite web |url=http://www.goproud.org/board-of-directors-advisory-council/GOP |title=Proud Board of Directors Advisory Council |publisher=Goproud.org |accessdate=2013-12-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202101026/http://www.goproud.org/board-of-directors-advisory-council/gop |archive-date=2014-02-02 |url-status=dead }} to whom he has been legally married since 2010.{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/ChrisRBarron/status/312947168161972224 |title=Twitter / ChrisRBarron: Shawn and I got legally married |publisher=Twitter.com |date= |accessdate=2013-12-04}} He has stated that he served in the Air Force Reserve.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y0UN9PVAws |title=Mike Rogers & Christopher Barron On DADT Repeal |publisher=YouTube |date=2010-12-20 |accessdate=2013-12-04}} Barron has written numerous opinion pieces for The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, The Boston Globe, Roll Call, The Hill, Politico, TheBlaze, The Daily Caller, and United Liberty. He has appeared on numerous national and local television channels, including MSNBC, NBC, CBS, CNN, CNN Headline News, ABC News Now, and Fox News, including being a frequent guest on Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld and Gutfeld!.

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20110204021932/http://www.goproud.org/ GOProud]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110204062902/http://www.capsouthdc.com/ CapSouth]

Category:1973 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American lawyers

Category:21st-century American male writers

Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers

Category:Activists from North Carolina

Category:Activists from Washington, D.C.

Category:American columnists

Category:American LGBTQ military personnel

Category:American male non-fiction writers

Category:American political commentators

Category:American political writers