We admit it: the above photo of Andrew McLaren stopped us dead in our tracks. We really didn’t care who he was. But when we read that he was a decorated Iraq War veteran and appears in an upcoming NBC reality competition, we thought, “That’s nice.” Then we read that he was a social liberal an staunch supporter of marriage equality and we got moist.
We should have stopped there.
It turns out McLaren will appear on the upcoming NBC show Stars Earning Stripes, a sort-of souped up Battle of the Network Stars debuting August 14.
The show comes from executive producers Dick Wolf (Law & Order), Mark Burnett (Survivor) and David Hurwitz (Fear Factor), and teaches personalities like Dean Cain, Picabo Street and Nick Lachey how to execute daunting military-style missions like helicopter drops and launching missiles. McLaren was brought in to be one of the expert operatives paired with a celebrity contestant.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
But in a recent interview he beamed how close he had become to his assigned “star”—First Dude Todd Palin!
“I like hanging out with Todd and Sarah a lot. They walked into my trailer, and obviously we disagree on some issues. I am a libertarian guy—socially liberal and an avid supporter of gay marriage but I am pro-gun rights and pro-life, and we made off like regular people.
I was teaching Todd how to shoot grenades, we were hanging from helicopters together 60 feet above the ground and we were swimming together with full gear on,” he enthused. “The thing that impressed me most is that Todd is a commercial fisherman in Alaska, he is pretty hardcore. He even won a challenge with a broken arm! He really earned my respect.”
That’s funny because you just lost ours.
Okay, that’s a little harsh. But then McLaren delivered the coup de grace—the classic “we agree to disagree” line:
“Todd and Sarah Palin are the nicest people I have ever met,” he said. “I love America and they love America. They may not agree with me on my stance on gay marriage, but that is their personal view and I respect that. That’s what is so great about being American.”
Except that you can all agree to disagree because it’s an abstract topic. We can talk dispassionately about the plight of baby harp seals because it doesn’t affect us directly. But unlike Todd, Sarah and Andrew, LGBT people don’t see institutionalized discrimination as an abstract. It’s a big ugly reality.
Mark
Queerty, please proof read articles before you post them online – “an” where it should be and….good grief. “social liberal an staunch supporter of marriage”
Belize
“Except that you can all agree to disagree because it’s an abstract topic. We can talk dispassionately about the plight of baby harp seals because it doesn’t affect us directly. But unlike Todd, Sarah and Andrew, LGBT people don’t see institutionalized discrimination as an abstract. It’s a big ugly reality.”
Pfft. This is brimming with typical pro-LGBT double standards. Yet another work of pure “genius” from Dan Avery.
And what exactly do you want McLaren to do? Distance himself from the Todd Palin who he was assigned to? Be unprofessional toward people he was assigned to work with? Or perhaps you would go the crazy Republican route and call for him to choose to “dislike” Palin? Do you want him to “control” his preference while maintaining the ultimate LGBT stance that a person’s preferences are NOT his/her a choice? LOL.
Besides, we are no strangers to the “agree-to-disagree” stance either, are we? We may bitch, complain and react violently toward people like the Palins. But even if we kill them for not sharing our views, short of convincing them that our stance is right (GOOD LUCK WITH THAT,) your non-acceptance toward their stance will not change the fact that you are agreeing to disagree–even if you don’t say the coup de grace.
As for your baby harp seals comment, perhaps we could remind ourselves of how many deranged bi-phobic and transphobic comments we get from people who consider themselves as “regular” homosexuals. I’m sure that your tenure in Queerty has allowed you to come across so many of those.
MARCUS BACHMANN
“They may not agree with me on my stance on gay marriage, but that is their personal view and I respect that.”
What decent person respects discrimination?
Twist
You’re a jackass. Please have a look at your own “sentence”. It is grammatically impossible.
WillBFair
He’s an idiot. He thinks Todd and Sara love America, while they promote economic policies that would bring another depression. Honey, judge people not by what they say but by what they do. Didn’t anyone ever teach youn that?
WillBFair
Some of the time pumping iron might be better spent reading a book.
tazz602
@Belize
Take a step back and think for a moment. What if the Palins were bigoted against all non-whites. Thought Blacks, Asains, etc should not have the same rights, should drink at separate drinking fountains, should only sit in the back of the bus and cannot sit with white people in a restaurant and should NOT be allowed to marry whites or people of other races?
Would it be perfectly OK to “agree to disagree”?? NO – the Palins would become pariahs and would not even be on this show.
ANYONE who says that they stand with us, should stand WITH US in ALL THINGS. Bigotry should not be treated as a “difference of opinion” It should be treated as it is, something disgusting, distasteful and they should disassociate themselves from the bigots 100%.
ChrisC
White Supremacy and Holocaust Denial is also a “differing view point”, should it too be respected? No.
By not having a problem with this, he is not just accepting, but DEFENDING the fact that the Palins believe in denying Americans their Civil Rights.
BYEE.
ChrisC
PS: He wouldn’t affiliate himself with Holocaust Deniers & Racists, or men who believe that Women belong in the kitchen, so why is he affiliating himself with people who believe in denying AMERICAN CITIZENS their CIVIL RIGHTS? Not a real supporter of our cause.
ChiChi Man
@Belize – bring it brother!
Mk Ultra
Reducing the figt for equality to ‘a difference of opinion’ is a logical fallacy.
We’re not talking abput how to spend a surplus, or figt a deficit taxes or any of the other things that effect everyone.
We’re talking about a subject tat doesn’t effect homophobes in any way yet effects GLBT in one million and one ways.
They are very cruelly and inhumanely saying that in our own country of birth we don’t get the American Dream.
Love, marriage, sex, freedom, happiness, self determination. No that’s not for us. Those are special rights for special people. Not only that but according to them we’re villains. Evil wit an agenda to take over the country. Mentally ill, pedophiles, perverts.
Hmmmm do you guys remember where and when in history tis happenend before.
Remember a little black mustache and a swastika?
Do you think that was just a “difference of opinion”?
Do you really think that if te wrong people get into power that our fate will be much different, especially let’s say in te event of a economic collapse?
Mike
Pro-life and pro gay marriage? I’ve found my soul-mate!!! If only he were gay. [sigh]
Dave
Honestly who cares queerty?
Chuck
I’m tired of this Us vs. Them mentality. I always hope that people on the verge of becoming pro-gay marriage or even anti-gay marriage people DON’T read Queerty, because the stance that’s taken on everything is such ridiculous queen behavior.
jwrappaport
@Queerty: I think I can understand your comment about gay rights being sufficiently concrete to overcome the “agree to disagree” copout in general, but you go too far: you are demanding that Andrew make gay rights his fight. It is unfair to require him to compromise what may be meaningful and fruitful relationships because they disagree on an issue that, as far as their lives are concerned, is in fact abstract.
It is enough for me that he is supportive, and it should be enough for you as well. To presume to tell someone who their friends should be on the basis of something that likely does not directly affect either of them is unreasonable. I declare shenanigans.
nineinchnail
So basically he is a Republican who supports gay marriage who hapens to be smoking hot. Im sure he isnt the only pro-gay marriage Republican.
Mouse
@tazz602: Sorry but I disagree. You can’t compare behavior/orientation with skin color. Most Christians will tell you that there is no comparison, as skin color is natural and racially-based and sexual preference (who one chooses to have sex with) is not natural and is not considered “inborn” to them. To us maybe, but not to them. And they view our behavior as sinful. Why is that so hard to understand folks?
I am gay yet I have always been supportive of Christians who disagree with homosexuality AS LONG AS they are supportive of my right to be who I want to be. Most are very “love the sinner, hate the sin” types and mean no harm. When they get into legislating their morality, that is where I put up my dukes and fight!
Most Christians I know aren’t all about legislating but more about living their own lives and saving souls (including us gay folks, even if we don’t need saving). It’s the preachers and the fundie politicians looking to get votes who want to get all the conservative Christians riled up about the “gay agenda”. But I truly believe most of the evangelicals I know don’t want to get involved in politics and merely want to spread the word of Jesus.
I am an atheist, so I am not siding with organized religion, but as long as they want to preach peacefully, I don’t care. Freedom of religion and freedom from religion are equally protected here in this country. We are not living in Iran or under Sharia Law.
But…. on that same note, we must take a stand against any creeping Christian Taliban imposing a theocracy in this country. EVERY religion has its fundamentalists and some will want to go as far as imposing biblical law here in America. That is were I get pissed.
But people, the sooner you realize that you cannot force Christians whose very bible tells them that homosexuality is sin without attacking their religion, the sooner maybe there might be a compromise of “love the Christian, hate their beliefs” and they might come around to us, even if they disagree with us. But the more you try to push teaching anal sex to 8 year olds in school and try to push other types of sexually charged discussions to their Christian children, the more it will irritate them and push they away. I thought at first that this was made up by the religious right to discredit us, but there was a well-known incident (probably not the only one) where kids were being taught about fisting! And you guys wonder why they hate us?
Sheesh. Wake up my brothers and sisters.
Bee
@MARCUS BACHMANN: THANK YOU!
Donnie V
If this author thinks people should only stay in their own groups then how can gays like him get angry at people who choose to exclude gays from their organizations etc?
Tony David
Mouse,
Being Christian is merely a choice, as is any religion. Being gay is not. It IS natural and inate and has withstood the scientific scrutiny beyond anything that religion withstand. Refer to the official positions of the Am. Psychologocal Assoc/Am. Psychiatric Assoc./Am. MEdical Association/Am. Academny of Pediatrics/Am. Anthropological Assoc.
Yes, orientation is much more along the lines of skin color as both are inate qualities. Gay is normal. Gay is natural. Because people have a hard time understanding that, allowing them to disagree based on issues of faith is simply a cop out on our part, and shows a complete lack of humility on theirs, as faith is faith, it is not provable fact.
Here are questions and points to put to Christians who have issues with gays:
1) What is worse to a Christian, homosexualty (and same sex marriage), or not believing in Christ at all? The same personal rights and freedoms extended to Christians and non-Christians alike are also the same freedoms that should be extended to gays, who have FAR less choice in their sexuality than people do in choosing their religion.
2) Being intellectually honest means being an American first and Christian (or Muslim, or Buddhist or Atheist, etc.) second. Yes, people already do subordinate their religion for the sake of everyone’s personal freedom. That’s why a Christian may CHOOSE not to work on Sunday or CHOOSE not to get divorced (according to Christ’s teachings), but he/she can NOT CHOOSE those restrictions for others. American ideals of personal freedom come before religious edicts in this country.
When we get away from the exclusionary fear and isolationist emotion of the debate, the facts speak for themselves; and we each need to be Americans first.
Darren
@Donnie V:
Exactly. And that’s the hypocrisy of many gay men and women. Frankly, I prefer an open minded, handsome man, who can make his own decisions and can associate comfortably amongst a variety of people. It’s better than just following others in lock-step out of blind solidarity.
J Stratford
meh. He is not my type.
Randall Reynolds
No friend of the Palins can truly be an LGBT Ally.
MagazineMan
@WillBFair:
Wow Will, how ignorant are you?
MagazineMan
What kind of lives are you all living that you post nonstop on stupid threads that only 20 people see?
Go get lives. I know you’re jealous of those who have lives, but you too can have one with a kick in the pants.
GAY AMERICAN HEROES
Andrew McLaren is an award winning actor and humanitarian who has been politically active in Los Angeles California and Westchester county in New York State. His most notible achievement was writing environmental legislation for United States Congress pertaining to providing clean drinking water to all citizens living in public housing where pipes were rusty and polluted thus reducing bottle water consumption and allowing residents to safely consume tap water. Andrew has fought for jobs for Veterans, adequate mental health care for Veterans and for P.T.S awareness, stating it is not a disorder but something society needs to understand. “Post Traumatic Stress can happen to rape victims, robbery victims, cops, firefighters, not just soldiers returing from war, it does not mean that we are going to shoot up the post office it means that we are dealing with something traumatic that happened in our life and everyone handles it differently and usually turns their trauma into something constructive if dealt with properly”. Andrew is a national spokesperson for http://www.gayamericanheroes.com which is an organization founded by “Rainbow” Scott Hall trying to end violence against LGBT citizens and build a memorial to honor all of the victims of these hate crimes. “Almost all animals such as dolphins and primates have gay sex we are the only species that makes a big deal out of it and I never saw the Navy kicking mine detecting dolphins out of the service”. Andrew has two biological sons Andrew Jr and Alexander and two stepdaughters ChiChi and Chilaili. Andrew is a Democrat and is supporting President Barack Obama for reelection. “Democrats protest war and the Republicans protest healthcare”. “I am very happy that the President has time and time again stood up on the right side of history whether it be women’s health issues, stem cell research, racial profiling, Veterans healthcare and employment. I know that he is a good man with strong family values and moral conviction, he loves America and I love him. I used to live in Kailua Hawaii where he vacations. I’d have a beer with him in the rose garden anyday and I would love to talk to him about legalizing gay marriage federally it would help reduce the deficit it’s a win win”. Andrew McLaren plans on running for N.Y State Assembly.
“I want to unite New York the same way my Marine unit joined together in Iraq, we had little in common except we were Americans, I didn’t believe in the war the same way my Father didn’t believe in the war in Vietnam but we still went, marines and soldiers served alongside eachother to keep our battle buddies safe, we didn’t care about politics we just did what the President and commisioned officers ordered us to do. Now that I am out of uniform I will say that I don’t believe the war was justified. I think George Bush made a huge strategical blunder of epidemic proportions that along with the housing crisis destroyed our economy and has left tens of thousands of Americans dead, limbless, burned and with Post Traumatic Stress only to come home to towns out of business, unfair stereotyping, foreclosure and unemployment. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians are dead. I am done taking orders from President Bush and commissioned officers, I only listen to the people of my community asking me to help them, and my moral conscious. I believe in God but I also believe that if you don’t that is your right and I have no problem with what you believe. I don’t care if you are an atheist, muslim or jew or gay or straight, I just care that you are not being bullied or discriminated against for being yourself. Join my fight for justice for all, lets get New York back to work, let’s fight for the middle class and working poor, lets fight for the environment, healthcare, equal rights, fair representation, against corruption and lets fight to make sure that we never forget about the men and women who served in uniform once they return home. Lets get police officers better training so they wont panic and shoot unarmed citizens and lets fire their leaders for covering up bad shoots. I am Andrew McLaren and I’m reporting for duty. My heroes are Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King and I hope to honor them by carrying their legacy on, thank you and God bless America home of the free and the brave”.
Mags
Not a hunk by any stretch of the imagination with all those tattoos, looks like a walking sandwich board with abs.
Rob Moore
Perhaps, I am simply too cynical, but I wonder how many of Andrew McClaren’s defenders would be so righteous in their indignation at Queerty, if instead of being porn hot, he looked a lot like Drew Carey. Don’t blow off the suggestion without thinking back. I have seen people both gay and straight trying to make excuses for people they found physically attractive, and less forgiving for those who are not quite so blessed.
How many of you ignore the fact that Levi Johnston is an irresponsible jerk because he is kind of hot?
vdanker
Another wonderful reality show. I can hardly wait.
Dagrlzrd
@Tony David: YEA TONY!!!You took the words right out of my brain. Were I not an old married fella,(Not in the legal sense of course.) I would try to find you and woo you with romance,flowers,Poetry,Music,the language of love and of course,evenings of intellectual discourse not to mention dining and dancing. I am an amazing cook.As well as a darn good dancer.While being a healthy Gay man I cannot help a little oh my at the sight of man candy.But the world is rife with injustice,intolerance,and hatred.Not just for Gays but women and people of color.The Gay subculture should be the last place that one should find such things.In fact these views should not exist there at all.We really need to be united and not just during pride week.Any forward thinking person should do the research sexual orientation is dictated by brain structure.What really scares me is that there are Nazi scientists out there looking for a way to insure that a woman will have a NORMAL child.Research is underway to detect and correct in vitro various abnormalities,such as birth defects and Downs Syndrome.It even goes further into eye color, intelligence,and yes sexual orientation.Science fiction now you say, but yesterdays Science Fiction is to days science fact.Should the human race survive we will see genetically modified humans with cybernetic implants.They are already putting microchips in peoples brains.That is a fact.There is a guy who is totally paralized with a chip in his head that allows him to change channels on TV from his bed.