“Lifestyle.”
We didn’t catch it during yesterday’s queer conference call with Barack Obama’s campaign, but deputy campaign manager Steve Hildebrand, who is gay, made a bit of a slip: “Hildebrand [also] talked about how Obama is ‘a different kind of politician’ who often talks with the African-American community about how ‘there needs to be less bigotry, there needs to be more of a working relationship, you know, more acceptance of a lot of African-Americans who do not agree with the gay lifestyle. There was a time where [Obama] repeated that we’ve got to do better – that my own black community needs to do better. And he does not hesitate to do that.’” Homo-journo Karen Ocamb claims the archaic language overshadowed the call’s message, which was to announce David Noble’s appointment of the Obama campaign’s LBGT Vote initiative. [POQ]
Wait; where’s the slip? Can someone point it out to me? Maybe I just need another cup of coffee this morning….
Oh. “Lifestyle”… got it… it’s right there in the title. Ha ha, I guess I am just so used to politiicans saying it I don’t immediately recognize it as ill-worded.
It definitely is ill-worded, but I don’t think it was an intentional dig at gays. I just dislike when anyone uses that phrase + have had several arguments about it.
oh, this is really news.
silly.
who cares…
Please we can’t get the media to stop saying “lifestyle” or “preference.”
Bad choice of words, but I doubt any harm was intended…that said…the wrong choice of words when referring to people of color will get you branded as racist no matter the intent. Bill Clinton is a clear recent example.
I’m confused … the post seems to say that an openly gay guy made the statement. And even if the guy was straight, it’s all about context. The context here is pro-gay. When the right-wing says “lifestyle” it tends to be anti-gay.
I don’t know if Clinton is a good comparison. His language, as usual, was fine. It was his intent that angered many of us. It’s pretty much the opposite of the situation here.
Is Ocamb so insecure that she lets that tiny, innocuous (at least out of the mouth of Steve Hildebrand) phrase “overshadow” the rest of the conference call?