Timing is everything. Iowa Lt. Governor Joy Corning’s upcoming conference on diversity has made news before it has even occurred, thanks to fear and ignorance.

The conference, which was supposed to focus on a variety of issues surrounding multi-culturalism and other diverse backgrounds and lifestyles, was expected to have Governor Terry Branstad’s support.

Unfortunately, Branstad balked at giving his full support to the conference due to the inclusion of issues of sexual orientation.

Bill Horn, a representative of the Report, which earlier this year contributed to the axing of the Des Moines school system proposal which dealt with issues of sexual orientation, defended the governor’s cowardly actions.

“We’re for diversity. We’re for multi-culturalism, but it shouldn’t include sexual behavior,” Horn said. “People think this is a divisive and they don’t want it forced on them.”

It is very sad that anyone, especially leaders of our state such as Branstad, should consider issues of diversity too “divisive” to not fully participate without reservations. For two very large reasons:

First, it is sad to see Branstad shy away from this conference either because he does not consider sexual orientation to be a worthy topic of discussion (ironic during National Coming Out Week, don’tcha think?), or he is afraid of what his homophobic supporters will think of him supporting discussion on the concerns of a certain section of the population.

Secondly, Branstad is letting either his own personal prejudice regarding sexual preference or those of his supporters keep him from freely supporting an event in which many issues, not just homosexuality, will be discussed.