Jimmy LaSalvia appeared on MSNBC
Thursday, where the former Republican said that a “small” group
of anti-gay, anti-Muslim “forces” are holding the GOP back.
In 2009 LaSalvia helped launch gay GOP
group GOProud. Last week, he said he was leaving the Republican
party over its “tolerance of bigotry.”
“It was during the 2012 election when
I realized just how big the problem was,” LaSalvia
said during an appearance on The
Cycle. “I saw how Mitt Romney was held hostage and
paralyzed with fear of retribution from the forces of intolerance in
the party.”
“I don't think that they're ever
going to win a national election again. So if I've determined that
they can't win the biggest prize, then what's the point,” he added.
After splintering off from Log Cabin
Republicans, GOProud made headlines in 2010 with its co-sponsorship
of CPAC, a three-day convention of conservatives held annually in
February. Opposition to the group's participation led to its
exclusion from CPAC 2012.