Sarah Palin, one of the most prominent leaders of the conservative movement, says that boycotting the upcoming Conservative Political Action Conference because of a group of gay conservatives participating in the event can hinder helpful debate.

"It's like you being on a panel with ... a bunch of those liberal folks that you've been on with," she said in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network. "You provide good information and balance, and you allow for healthy debate, which is needed for people to gather information to make up their own minds on issues. I look at participation in an event like CPAC or any other event, along, or kind of in that same vein as the more information people have, the better."

Several conservative organizations including Concerned Women for America and the Family Research Council and figures such as Sen. Jim DeMint have decided to skip the annual event because of the inclusion of gay organization GOProud.

Watch a clip from the interview below:

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