Image source: The Miami Herald

BY ZACH TOOMBS

The antigay campaign ad Rick Perry released last week has now resulted in backlash not just from the gay and lesbian community -- but also for several gay Republicans who might have unintentionally outed a gay adviser to Perry.  

“You don’t need to be in the pew every Sunday to know that there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military, but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.”

Leaders of the gay conservative group GOProud reacted to the ad on Twitter, singling out Perry adviser Tony Fabrizio, a gay pollster who had not previously made his sexual orientation public.

GOProud Executive Director and co-founder Jimmy LaSalvia posted this Tweet -- we’ve censored the gay slur he used.

"I've just about had it with f***** who line their pockets with checks from antigay homophobes while throwing the rest of us under the bus.”

LaSalvia has since deleted the Tweet, but it was reportedly enough to put the spotlight on Fabrizio. The reaction has been harsh. On Saturday, prominent conservative columnist Andrew Breitbart resigned from his role on GOProud’s advisory board, saying:

“I have a zero tolerance attitude toward the intentional infliction of vocational and family harm by divulging the details of an individual’s sexual orientation as a weapon of political destruction. As an ‘Advisory Board member’ I was not consulted on this extreme and punitive act.”

But LaSalvia and GOProud co-founder Christopher Barron say they had no idea Fabrizio was not already publicly out. The two released a statement on the group’s website explaining their actions.

“From the time this organization was founded we have been clear in our opposition to outing. We would never intentionally out anyone. However, in the case of Tony Fabrizio, top pollster and chief strategist for the Presidential campaign of Texas Governor Rick Perry, we did not believe there was any question about his sexual orientation...”

Still, the GOProud founders didn’t let up on Perry and his campaign team, going on to say:

“Let us be crystal clear, however, Tony Fabrizio is not the victim here. Tony Fabrizio has lined his pockets for years with money from gay groups and is now one of the chief architects of a campaign strategy – not just an isolated television ad – intended to demonize gay people in order to score political points.”

As of yet, neither Fabrizio nor Perry’s camp have commented. Fabrizio remains on the campaign team, now averaging fifth in national polls, according to Real Clear Politics.