HOLY HYPOCRISY! Anti-LGBTQ CPAC chair accused of same-sex sexual assault

HOLY HYPOCRISY! Anti-LGBTQ CPAC chair accused of same-sex sexual assault

CPAC Chair Matt Schlapp has no problem attacking the LGBTQ community, or capitalizing on the right-wing trend of baselessly accusing President Joe Biden of inappropriate behavior — and now he’s the one who’s been hit with an allegation of sexually abusing a male staffer on Herschel Walker’s Senate campaign.

The alleged victim came forward anonymously but says that if Schlapp issues a denial (which his attorney has since done on his behalf) he’ll release his name.

The staffer, more than a decade Schlapp’s junior, says the older man wasn’t taking hints to back off, and that he was afraid to respond more explicitly and embarrass the powerful conservative leader and organizer.

The staffer says that he met with Schlapp to discuss his political future, was surprised, humiliated, and upset by an unwanted fondling after being bought drinks in two different bars, where the victim says the organizer was behaving inappropriately and trying to get too physically close.

He says he thought he’d successfully, and discreetly, expressed his disinterest, until he was driving back to the hotel and the other man grabbed his crotch.

He describes freezing and being uncertain of how to react, and very aware of the “power dynamic.”

When they arrived at the hotel, he says that Schlapp asked him to join him in his hotel room, and the victim refused and headed for his room.

He says he reported the incident to the campaign, which responded by reaching out to make sure he was still willing to drive Schlapp to another event.

He says the campaign was otherwise supportive, and offered to assist in pressing charges or seeking therapy. Sharing his story with the Daily Beast, the anonymous complainant describes his emotional reaction to being violated:

“From the bar to the Hilton Garden Inn, he has his hands on me. And I feel so fucking dirty. I feel so fucking dirty,” he said.

He did save text messages and logs of calls exchanged with Schlapp and the campaign about the encounter, including one in which he tells Schlapp he is uncomfortable with “what happened last night,” and shares that the campaign will be providing a different driver.

Schlapp replied by asking the staffer to call, then repeatedly attempting to call him, but the younger man did not answer.

This is the same conservative leader who tweeted to suggest that Biden was a danger to children, saying that he wouldn’t want the President to live next door to him since he has daughters.

Schlapp has a history of attacking the LGBTQ community, lashing out at Democrats for support of what he calls “gender politics,” but has also invited gay Republicans to CPAC.

Metro Weekly reported in 2015 that, after mixed messaging left gay conservatives unsure of their welcome, he extended it specifically:

“We have taken rather historic steps to make it very clear that CPAC is welcoming of all kinds of conservatives, including conservatives who are gay,” he says. “We have gay speakers on the main stage and the break out [panels]. We have made an intentional effort to make it very clear to people that that is part of what CPAC is going to be about. And that’s important to me.”

That’s for CPAC, though — in a tweet months later, Schlapp, who also heads the American Conservative Union (ACU), clarified that his own organization is less inclusive.

Responding to a tweet complaining about Log Cabin Republicans, an organization for LGBTQ conservatives and supporters, he explained:

“[ACU] stands for life religious freedom and [traditional] marriage. [CPAC] is broader and includes our libertarian allies.”

Without explicitly stating, the response seems to distance Schlapp himself from that inclusiveness.

[Screenshot via Matt Schlapp/Twitter]
He also released a statement opposing the recently-passed Respect for Marriage Act, protecting married couples from government discrimination based on gender, race, or nationality.

In it, he not only opposed the new legislation, but condemned the Supreme Court’s marriage equality decision as “judicial activism.” He opened:

The so-called “Respect for Marriage Act” does not simply codify the judicial activism of Obergefell v. Hodges. Rather, it is a trojan horse that will be used to decimate religious liberty.

Altogether, it doesn’t give the appearance of a man who is moving away from extremist anti-gay views in his public and political life.

His accuser says he’s still weighing his options regarding legal action.

Stephanie Bazzle

Steph Bazzle is a news writer who covers politics and theocracy, always aiming for a world free from extremism and authoritarianism. Follow Steph on Twitter @imjustasteph. Sign up for all of her stories to be delivered to your inbox here: