Anti-gay marriage advocate Glenn speaks at 8 p.m. in Bovee Tuesday
Conservative family values advocate Gary Glenn will speak at 8 p.m. Tuesday in the Bovee University Center to raise awareness of traditional conservative beliefs.
Glenn, who will be speaking during a meeting of the Campus Conservatives, is president of the American Family Association of Michigan and is strongly opposed to gay marriage laws. He was the author of Proposal 2 in 2004, which called for the assurance of marriage being defined in Michigan as between a man and a woman.
He was also a major supporter of Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and contributed heavily to his Michigan campaign during the 2008 presidential election.
Campus Conservatives spearheaded the effort to bring him to Central Michigan University.
"We wanted to get the other side out there," said Macomb senior David Grabowski, Campus Conservatives vice president for political engagement. "He's really engaging in his speeches, he does a good job of getting the audience interested and involved."
The American Family Association is a nationwide organization founded in 1977 that focuses on regaining Christian family values, which members of the organization believe are being disregarded by media, particularly the entertainment industry.
Issues of concern include violence, sex, profanity and pro-homosexual programs on television and in the movies.
The national AFA has been widely criticized for its beliefs, particularly for its views on gay rights. They have also been accused of being anti-Semitic and have made sharp criticisms against all non-Christians.
Some actions taken by the organization against homosexuality include the lashing out at gay-straight alliance clubs in schools, as well as television networks such as Animal Planet and HGTV for being pro-gay.
The AFA also organized a boycott of McDonald's after it was discovered that the fast-food giant had a director on the board of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
"They're all about good family values and making sure they stay in our society," Grabowski said.
Grabowski said it is vital that conservative speakers like Glenn be brought to a mostly liberal campus. He encouraged people to attend the event regardless of their political beliefs.
"Whether you're liberal or conservative, hopefully you at least hear both sides," he said.
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