Openly Gay Gadfly Fred Karger Files For GOP 2012 Presidential Nomination

Today Fred Karger will officially file his candidacy for the GOP 2012 presidential nomination, becoming the first Republican to do so. Oh, he's also the first-ever openly gay GOP candidate to run for president. Mother Jones reports:

Karger has already made many swings through Iowa and New Hampshire, laying the groundwork for his campaign in those key primary states. He's run TV ads and met with dozens of young Republican activists to rally the troops. Today's FEC filing simply makes his candidacy official. It also, no doubt, will make it harder for Republicans to keep him out of candidate forums and debates during the campaign, which some have been trying to do. While Karger met this week with officials at the RNC, including chairman Reince Priebus, in what he called a warm meeting, other members of the GOP establishment have not been so welcoming of his historic candidacy. As we reported earlier this month, RNC members in Iowa and a key organizer with Ralph Reed's Faith and Freedom Coalition have not only threatened to keep Karger out of the race but also intentionally shut him out of a March 7 presidential forum in Des Moines organized by Reed's group. Karger responded by filing a complaint against RNC member and Iowa Faith and Freedom organizer Steve Scheffler as well as his organization for violating federal election laws by discriminating against Karger because he's gay. Karger's official candidate status now will only help his complaint.

Karger made his name in 2008 by launching boycotts of corporations that made donations in support of Proposition 8. He's been instrumental in the numerous lawsuits filed against NOM for failing to disclose the names of their backers.