Jimmy LaSalvia
{{short description|American political figure (born 1970)}}
{{COI|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jimmy LaSalvia
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_name = James Michael LaSalvia Jr.
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|12|15|df=y}}
| birth_place = Bowling Green, Kentucky, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| other_names =
| known_for =
| occupation = Commentator & speaker, political strategist
| parents =
| alma_mater = Black Hills State University
| party = Independent (2014–present)
Republican (until 2014)
| website = [http://jimmylasalvia.com/ jimmylasalvia.com]
}}
Jimmy LaSalvia (born December 15, 1970) is an American political figure. LaSalvia is the co-founder and former executive director of GOProud, a defunct U.S. political action group.{{cite news | author =William McGurn | title =Gay, Proud and Conservative | work =The Wall Street Journal | date =April 14, 2009 | url =https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123966833747115385| accessdate=September 12, 2010}}{{cite news | author =Chris Geidner | title =GoProud Goes Big at CPAC | work =Metro Weekly | date =February 22, 2010 | url =http://www.metroweekly.com/news/?ak=4914| accessdate=September 12, 2010}}"Some Conservatives Boycott Conference Over Gay Group's Role" The New York Times, 24 October 2007. [https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/us/politics/28conservatives.html] He has also done work for the American Civil Liberties Union.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}
Early career
A long-time political activist, LaSalvia has held volunteer and professional staff positions in Republican campaigns and party organizations in South Dakota and Kentucky, including volunteering on the campaign staff of former South Dakota Governor Walter D. Miller.{{Clarify timeframe|date=September 2014}} He has also previously worked as a development officer for Kentucky Opera and as a real estate broker in Louisville, Kentucky.{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}}{{Clarify timeframe|date=September 2014}}
Log Cabin Republicans
After taking a break from politics, LaSalvia reengaged in response to the anti-gay marriage amendments that appeared on ballots in 11 states and the federal constitutional amendment proposal to ban gay marriage nationally in 2004. He joined NO on the Amendment, a group that opposed the federal anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment. In the same year, he founded the Kentucky chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans .{{cite news|last=Frassica|first=Matt|title=GOProud building bridges for gay conservatives|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20110306/FEATURES/303060002/GOProud-building-bridges-gay-conservatives|accessdate=8 May 2013|newspaper=The Courier-Journal|date=5 March 2011}}
In 2006, LaSalvia left the Kentucky chapter and joined the national staff of Log Cabin Republicans, first as Grassroots Outreach Director, then as Director of Programs & Policy. He was left the organization in December 2008.
GOProud
LaSalvia left Log Cabin Republicans and along with fellow former LCR employee, Christopher R. Barron started GOProud as a means of driving a political perspective under their sole direction. They co-sponsored CPAC two years in a row and conservative commentator Ann Coulter headlined GOProud's first "Homocon" convention, where Ann Coulter addressed the audience informing them that gays didn't 'deserve civil rights protections because they weren't black.'{{cite news|url=http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a8578/ann-coulter-goproud-speech-092710/|title=Ann Coulter Loves the Gays? Inside a Surprising Culture War|last=Backerman|first=Marty|date=September 27, 2010|work=Esquire}} In advance of the 2012 CPAC, Barron went on a rage against ACU Chairman Al Cardenas and Board Member Cleta Mitchell calling her a 'nasty bigot'{{cite news|url=http://www.metroweekly.com/2011/02/guess-whos-coming-to-cpac/|title=Guess Who's Coming to CPAC|last=Geidner|first=Chris|date=February 9, 2011|publisher=Metro Weekly}} despite having developed a working relationship with her in the past, the statements by Barron spurred conservative lesbian radio personality Tammy Bruce to resign from the GOProud board.{{cite news|url=http://www.dallasvoice.com/tammy-bruce-quits-goproud-1064783.html|title=Tammy Bruce Quits GOProud|last=Jervis|first=Joe|date=February 13, 2011|publisher=Dallas Voice|access-date=November 25, 2015|archive-date=November 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126065425/http://www.dallasvoice.com/tammy-bruce-quits-goproud-1064783.html|url-status=dead}}
As Executive Director of GOProud, he went on record that he would endorse Michele Bachmann if she received the Republican nomination despite her lengthy anti-gay rhetoric and voting record.{{cite news|url=http://www.advocate.com/news/daily-news/2011/07/18/goproud-wants-meeting-bachmann|title=GOProud Wants a Meeting With Bachmann|date=July 18, 2011|last=Ring|first=Trudy|work=Advocate}}
GOProud is an organization for conservative gays and their allies. Barron and LaSalvia founded the organization in April 2009. LaSalvia announced in early 2013 that he would be stepping aside as the Executive Director of the organization and its daily operations, this coincided with pro-LGBT donor Paul Singer terminating his financial support. However, he will remain active with the organization by serving on the Board of Directors. They have co-sponsored CPAC two years in a row and conservative commentator Ann Coulter headlined GOProud's first "Homocon" convention.{{cite news|last=Geidner|first=Chris|title=GOProud Leaders Stepping Aside For "Someone Else To Come In And Shake Things Up"|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/goproud-leaders-stepping-aside-for-someone-else-to-come-in-a|accessdate=8 May 2013|newspaper=BuzzFeed|date=26 April 2013}}
Switching to Independent
In January 2014, LaSalvia left GOProud and re-registered as "No Party (Independent)" on his voting registration.{{cite web |url=http://jimmylasalvia.com/2014/01/13/no-party/ |title=No Party |date=January 13, 2014 |first=Jimmy |last=LaSalvia |accessdate=January 22, 2014 }}{{cite web|author=01/20/2014 12:02 pm EST |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/20/jimmy-lasalvia-republican-party-_n_4626851.html |title=Jimmy LaSalvia, Former GOProud Founder, On Republican Party's 'Cultural Disease,' Aaron Schock |work=The Huffington Post |date=2014-01-20 |accessdate=2014-08-26}}
Media prominence
LaSalvia has appeared on Fox News, Fox Business Network, CNN, MSNBC, and other television networks. He has been quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and other newspaper and media outlets. His public speaking engagements have included speeches at Columbia University, Princeton University, Tufts University, George Washington University, Smith College, and other colleges and universities.
Political views
In 2012, LaSalvia, while on the board of directors of GOProud, voted in favor of GOProud endorsing Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.{{cite web|url=http://www.metroweekly.com/poliglot/2012/06/goprouds-romney-endorsement.html|title=GOProud's Romney Endorsement Had Only A Bare Majority of the Board -- And Little Gay Support|publisher=|access-date=2014-02-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202144411/http://www.metroweekly.com/poliglot/2012/06/goprouds-romney-endorsement.html|archive-date=2014-02-02|url-status=dead}} In the November 2013 Virginia gubernatorial election, LaSalvia endorsed Robert Sarvis for governor.{{ cite news | title = Jimmy LaSalvia | work = Twitter | url = https://twitter.com/JimmyLaSalvia/status/393546764889759745 | date = September 18, 2013 | accessdate = November 17, 2013}}
LaSalvia's memoir, [http://skyhorsepublishing.com/titles/152-9781510702387-no-hope No Hope: Why I Left the GOP (and You Should Too)] was published in 2015. The book chronicles his evolution to political independence and clarifies his position on some issues, such as abortion, immigration, and others.{{Cite web|url=http://skyhorsepublishing.com/titles/152-9781510702387-no-hope|title=No Hope|website=skyhorsepublishing.com|access-date=2016-07-12}}
After switching party affiliation to independent, LaSalvia endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jimmy-lasalvia-/hillary-clinton-president-_b_8698000.html|title=As an Independent Voter and Former GOP Activist, Hillary Has Won Me Over|last=LaSalvia|first=Jimmy|date=December 12, 2015|work=HuffPost}}
Personal life
LaSalvia was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and grew up in a well-traveled military family. He is a graduate of Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota.{{cite web|title=Board of Directors |url=http://www.goproud.org/site/c.evKXIaONIlJcH/b.8478951/k.BE41/Board_of_Directors.htm |accessdate=8 May 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513232009/http://www.goproud.org/site/c.evKXIaONIlJcH/b.8478951/k.BE41/Board_of_Directors.htm |archivedate=13 May 2013 }}