Republican state Rep. Mike Fleck of Pennsylvania has come out as gay in an interview with the aily News of Huntingdon County.
Fleck, 39, was raised as a fundamentalist Christian and graduated from Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University in 1991. He married Dorea Cunningham in 2002, though the couple split last year. “I wanted to live a normal life and raise a family,” he told the Daily News of his decision to wed. “I also believed that by marrying, I was fulfilling God’s will and I thought my same-sex attraction would simply go away.
Obviously he was wrong.
Today, Fleck says he is still “a person of faith trying to live life as a servant of God and the public.” But many GOP gays, Fleck got wrapped up in some anti-gay causes: From 1999 to 2004, he was a district executive for the Boy Scouts in Huntingdon County. “My livelihood depended on hiding my true sexual orientation—something I was very good at.”
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.
He also tried to pray the gay away: “I sought out treatment from a Christian counselor, but when that didn’t work out, I engaged a secular therapist who told me point blank that I was gay and that I was too caught up in being the perfect Christian rather than actually being honest.” He has met other Christians grappling with their orientation, but says, “I know of none who’ve been successful.”
Fleck, whose district includes Amish and rural Appalachian communities, entered office in 2006 and ran unopposed in the November election. Currently he’s the only openly gay legislator in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, though that will change when Democrat Brian Sims is sworn into office in January.
Don’t expect Fleck to switch teams any time soon, though: “The Republican Party is all about the government needing to stay out of people’s lives,” he maintains. “I’m not a one-issue person and it’s not a one-issue party.”
Staying out of people’s lives, Mike? That’s not really the GOP’s bag anymore.
Pennsylvania does not recognize same-sex marriages, civil unions, or domestic partnerships. Though measures to ban same-sex marriage have been considered in the state Senate, Fleck hasn’t had an opportunity to vote on them in the House.
Well, at least we can count on Fleck to back any marriage-equality measures, right?
balehead
He still sounds thick…..
Sukhrajah
I would like to preface this by saying that I am a Liberal and am proud and happy to be one.
I have a question though, what compels a member of the LGBT community to be a Republican/Conservative? No bashing please, but what’s the appeal? What’s the logical processes that lead a LGBT member into the Republican party?
What circumstances would have had to be different to have made LGBT voters Republican? And, going forward, as we gain our rights and freedoms, is is logical to see more and more LGBT Republicans?
scott747
@Sukhrajah: Most likely the appeal is the “fiscal conservatism” of the Republican Party. Plus the small government thing they keep yapping about. As for me though, I could never be a Republican – at least not a Republican today – based on their fairly insane social platform. Oh, and then there’s Sara Palin, Michelle Bachman, Allen West, etc.
FStratford
@Sukhrajah:
They think they can change the party from the inside – you know, convert those KKK racists so then wont be racists anymore, cconvert those homophobes…
Brian
He sounds like he’s a bisexual man who’s closer to the homosexual side of the Kinsey spectrum.
2eo
@Sukhrajah: Indeed, there is a massive dose of self loathing in there. Couple that with desperately seeking acceptance from the people around them, who are usually hateful bigots.
You have a recipe of utter contempt for themselves, this with what you and Scott have said is why they end up GOP.
brent
@Sukhrajah: You ask an interesting question. I would answer it by saying that if you vote only for self-interest then it would probably make sense to vote only for liberals if you are gay. But if you care about other issues you have to vote in a more balanced way. I for one think that public unions and greenpeace are wrecking our country. I support for example the keystone pipeline. Someone who is gay and liberal on other issues probably won’t understand that. But i could as you the question what if a politican supported gay marriage, but not abortion rights. Where the other guy supported abortion rights, but not gay marriage. Who would you vote for?
Mooz
He, like many people, is unable to escape from his local dominant culture. He is a pleaser.
The Republican culture uses the American identity like their religion. They are able to get away with hollow phrases like:
“The land of the free” – where everyone is under permanent surveillance and has the most incarcerated people in the world.
“The land of opportunities” – if you do not grow up in a privileged community, the chances are as high as winning the lottery to make it anywhere.
“Freedom of speech” – Every expression became just an opinion and lying for a purpose (for Jesus, America or interest-group) became acceptable.
“Un-american” – If you do not agree with me you are a traitor, should be ridiculed, excommunicated and ‘F* the hell out of my country!’
If ‘normal’ people do not address these issues, they are letting “America” turn into a religion instead of it being a real country with real people and a rich culture.
MikeE
@brent: You are confusing “wouldn’t understand that” with “wouldn’t agree with you”.
There IS a difference.
Someone can disagree with you on the issues and “understand” them perfectly.
Likewise, you can think like a “conservative” and not understand the issues.
Plenty of Republicans during the last election campaign demonstrated exactly that. People talked about “less government”… but what they wanted was government to enforce only THEIR point of view. The minute there was danger of the government enforcing any view that was counter to theirs, it was “too much government”.
There is an ingrained hypocrisy and contortion of reality present in the mindset of modern Republicanism.
Tracy
Fundie family – Liberty U – Straight marriage – GOP
What a denialist Odyssey! One can only imagine the psychological torment he has to undergo in order to appear “normal”.
Well, good luck to him and let’s hope he does not contribute to the anti-gay platform of his party.
BJ McFrisky
Cracks me up how you guys still believe that being gay and being conservative are mutually exclusive. Fight us though you will, our main goal is to help you and the country in ways that aren’t totally self-obsessed and will eventually lead the country into bankruptcy, as is the current trend. Rob Lowe (of all people) recently said that the Democrats are the party of compassion, and the Republicans are the party of common sense. Whoda thunk someone like Rob Lowe would be so reasonable?
the other Greg
@Sukhrajah: I’ve noticed that the gay Republicans who post on Queerty usually gripe about the bitchiness of “gay culture” which always seems to have shocked and disappointed them when they came out. Rather than find their niche in the usual structures of gay life, they turn to a sort of “drag” version of straight life, that of suit-&-tie gay Republicans talking about money all the time. (Note that relatively few actual straight people engage in this ’50s lifestyle nowadays; it’s a kind of retro “drag” persona even for straights.) Gay Republicans tend to be the kind of “nerds” who did well in school, so they get “good” (i.e. well-paying) jobs and sublimate their desires into workaholism, which dovetails well with the Republican stuff.
From this drag position, gay Republicans always, always whine about how they’re “victimized” and ‘harassed” by mainstream gays. This is vitally important to their self-image, being victims. BJ McFrisky started in on this routine after posting on Queerty for all of two weeks! – under what we can only HOPE is a pseudonym. (When I used to go to cause trouble on conservative or libertarian sites, under a cute pseudonym, it never occurred to me to feel “victimized” when the regulars reacted negatively! I thought that was part of the fun? “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”)
I’ll leave it to others (Little Kiwi et al.) to speculate about the family dynamics of gay Republicans; I find that stuff too hard to relate to since I can’t comprehend why anyone over the age of 20 or so would pay much attention to their family. But I find it hard to believe that’s a very important factor in gay Republicanism. Maybe, but it’s unprovable I think. (How would you take a poll on that one?)
My impression is that most normal gay people get over their shock and disappointment at “gay culture” (an imaginary construct that doesn’t actually exist) within a few months at age 23 or whatever, but they quickly move on and find bits and pieces of gay life that they can relate to, and find friends, sex partners and romantic interests who after all are individuals rather than cultural constructs.
erikwm
I think people who can’t figure out they’re gay are just dumb. The earlier you figure it out, the smarter and more perceptive you are.
Here it took Fleck 39 years to figure out. During which time he deceived and stole nearly a decade of some poor woman’s life for his own selfish ambition.
I wouldn’t vote for that guy. You already know he’ll put his own interests ahead of others.
Fitz
If you are too dumb to know that you’re gay, that you’re too dumb to be in public office.
Ok, “dumb” is the wrong word. “Numb” is probably closer.
erikwm
@BJ McFrisky: Oh please. The current fiscal mess was caused by Republicans. The Republicans had unified control of the federal government for most of 2001-2007. From 1997-2001, the federal government had been running surpluses. Rather than continuing to pay down the debt, newly elected President George W. Bush said this to Congress on February 27, 2001:
“The people of America have been overcharged and on their behalf, I am here to ask for a refund.”
WRONG.
The federal government was still 6 trillion dollars in debt at that time. But Bush said there was plenty of money to go around — to give away a $1.6 trillion dollar tax cut, pay down $2 trillion in debt, and increase social safety net spending.
House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt said then, “If what the president said tonight sounded too good to be true, it probably is.”
BINGO!
So what happened?
Thanks to the Republicans in Congress, Bush got his reckless tax cut, months later the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred, the United States embarked on a decade of war that cost 3-4 trillion dollars, never once raised income taxes to pay for it, promoted risky financial policy that ended up crashing the economy in spectacular fashion, thereby plummeting tax revenues and increasing necessary social safety net pending to records highs to prevent an economic depression, leaving the country, already saddled with substantial debt from years of war funding that wasn’t paid for, facing trillion dollar yearly deficits, unable to undertake the sort of economic stimulus needed to jolt the economy because the government was already carrying so much debt to begin with.
THANK YOU, REPUBLICANS!
The question now is — how do we fix it? Democrats are of the opinion we should raise income taxes, believing it’s not right to ask the poor to shoulder the burden of sacrifice, through gutted social programs, when you consider it is most often the poor who shoulder the burden of sacrifice in our volunteer military. The poor should not shoulder the entire burden — both in blood and treasure — of fighting our wars.
Republicans think we should just gut the social programs that help the poor.
Americans voted and the Democratic position, championed by President Obama, won the election.
Any questions?
GayBacon
BHAHAHAHAHA!!! So I went to a really really conservative university and came across plenty of these wackos. I guess things didn’t work out all that well when Mr. Fleck brought up pegging in the bedroom with his ex wife lol….and yes a lot of them are bottoms.
2eo
@erikwm: It’s a shame Brent and BJ won’t read your post, they’re paid conservative trolls as it sums up exactly why they and their toadying “friends” are cretins of the highest order.
It’s funny when they try and rationalise gay republicans, they have been rationalised completely and it is all down to bigotry and self loathing. The sad fact is anyone who loves America cannot be a republican because of the damage they and they alone cause to the country.
They hate America, it is as obvious as the facts on their own pages, they hate the country.
SteveMD2
Well at least its a beginning with 2 gay people in the PA legislature. PA is full of “family values peoples”, where family means white only, not gay, and those who kiss the derriere of the American Family association. a hate group of whom the gays are now their focus.
bTW these hate groups make a fortune by driving ignorance and that leads to fear and fear leads to hate.
In general we have yet to expose the amount of $$ that these AmeriKKKan pull in. Its a business like Krupp was a business in Germany in the late 1930s to 1945
hf2hvit
@BJ McFrisky: “Whoda thunk someone like you would be so stupid?”
hf2hvit
@hf2hvit: BJ McFrisky: “Whoda thunk someone like you would be so stupid?”
Anybody who reads your post.
brent
@MikeE: And that’s not true of democrats. They talk about choice when it comes to abortion, but not when it comes to smoking or youre diet.
brent
@Mooz: Are you saying you are not for freedom of speech, or just that republicans are hypocrites on it. It seems to me that it is liberals that want to restrict speech with PC codes. You don’t like flag wavers, does that mean you don’t believe in gays using the rainbow flag?
brent
@erikwm: Jim McGreevey also was married and wasted a woman’s life. Would you not vote for him?
brent
@erikwm: Any questions? well yes, it’s true Obama won, but on the same night John Boehner was re-elected as well. It is true that tax cuts and wars can put you in debt, but those thinge end. Obamacare debts are different, because Obamacare was designed by it’s creator’s to last forever. So if Obamacare creates debt’s those debt’s will never end.
brent
@2eo: You don’t see anything un-american with accusing people you disagree with as being paid for their views? They used to call that Mccarthyism. As for hating america, the great traitors tend to be liberals. Was Bradley Manning not a liberal. Jane Fonda, not a liberal.
Dumdum
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Sorry I dozed off. Did BJ say something I thought I heard a mouse squeaking.
Little-Kiwi
he can join the growing list of Outed gay republicans who remain unable to ever grow the balls to stand up against ther party’s bigotry.
i suppose, though, they give hope to other closeted republicans.
“Look! All you have to do is cut your own sack off, mentioned Jesus a few times, and never stand up for yourself and others and you’ll be almost tolerated!”
fail. at life.
gay republicans are split into two groups – the cowards online who come every day to ANONYMOUSLY prove to everyone else what stupid unintelligent wimps they are. and the Outed, like Fleck, who prove they’ve no balls and no spines.
there’s nothing noble about being a gay republican. you’re the cowardly doormats of america.
Little-Kiwi
dear gay republican commenters on Queerty – show us all what amazing pro-Equality work your apparently-awesome republican families are doing.
provide the URL where you show us via blog or youtube what you and you republican family are doing to show your fellow republicans that LGBT Equality is something that should be embraced.
seriously. i call your bluff. you’re a gay republican and proud of it? prove it. URL, please.
after all, your families totally support you….right? why not share their amazing love with the rest of the country?
😉
brent
@Little-Kiwi: If you come out, does that not show some courage. What difference does it make if the person is a democrat or republican. Showing courage works both ways, yes gay republicans should stand up to homophobia among conservatives. But gay democrats also have a responsibility to stand up to homophobia in latino and black communities. can you show me where Barney Frank has done that?
the other Greg
@brent: Much as I hate gay Republicans, I have to agree with you on this one. At least Rep. Mike Fleck has come out as gay when he’s already an elected official. That can’t be easy. His remarks at least show honesty about his situation. (His therapist seems to have been a good one!) Maybe something good will derive from this, eventually, who knows.
And the usual bullsh*t about “anonymity” from “Little Kiwi,” the hypocritical bully who’s anonymous himself. Zzzzzzzz. What’s with the creepy “family” obsession? Who over the age of 20 is so awestruck about their families? Barf.
My advice to young gay people from anti-gay families is: get away from them, avoid any financial dependence on them, and pretty much forget about them and live your life! And it’s not your job to make It Gets Better youtube videos (like there’s not enough of them already?) just because some anonymous hypocrite illegal immigrant on Queerty demands that you do so. Fuck that, just live your life.
Brent, to be fair to Barney Frank, the main minority group in his district is the Portuguese & Brazilians, and while they have some “macho” elements they tend to have a relatively relaxed attitude about homosexuality. The first openly gay congressman, the late Gerry Studds in the neighboring district including Provincetown (despite the circumstances of his outing being pretty dismal), spoke Portuguese fluently and was very popular with them. Barney has had a national stage of sorts but his political instincts were always very local, as Tip O’Neill advised everyone around here.
ChiChi Man
@brent: Hold it right there, buster!
Due to the support for marriage equality by our wonderful President and due to grass roots work being done by DEMOCRATS, a majority of Latinos and African Americans support marriage equality: from a November Pew Poll: 51% of Blacks and a whopping 59% of Latinos support marriage equality. And what percentage of Whites? 47%. That’s right, Brent, a majority of Whites are still opposed to marriage equality, while a majority of minorities are in favor.
So the Democrats HAVE taken responsibility for homophobia among minorities and we’ve seen real changes. What have you Republicans done, besides blaming minorities for your problems?
ChiChi Man
@brent: Oh and re the Boenher was re-elected, the Repubs lost seats in the House and the Senate and Obama won. In spite of a terrible economy, in spite of media lies, the nation repudiated the Republicans and their bogus message.
the other Greg
@ChiChi Man: Great statistics! I was unaware of that, thanks for posting it.
brent
@ChiChi Man: I was waiting for you’re response, and i knew what it would be. You are going to tell us that blacks and hispanics voted in higher numbers this time for it. I knew of course that you wouldn’t mention that those same news stories point out that republicans voted for it in higher numbers as well. Take responsibility! What have you done? I mean what exactly have you done to fight homophobia in the black and hispanic communities. You ask me that all the time about the GOP. And don’t forget it was the log cabin’s who fought in court for DODT overturn and Obama opposed them until they won, then he takes the credit.
BJ McFrisky
@brent: Take my advice, Brent. Argueing with the angry Lefties is like trying to put a fire out with gasoline. They rationalize, they lie, they do whatever they can to prove their ideology is the best, even when evidence points otherwise. They don’t possess a lot of common sense—just a lot of anger. Civil discussion is beyond their realm (but boy, do they love to call people names).
mikro
Cut the guy a break. He’s described as a “moderate” Republican. Most of you probably aren’t old enough to remember Republicans like Nelson Rockefeller. Fleck was the target of the conservative Citizens Alliance for Pennsylvania for his support for green energy projects and his votes for appropriations during Ed Rendell’s administration. Mike Fleck is obviously a conservative Christian as he graduated from Liberty University. Until he votes against the gay community he now openly belongs to I think we should welcome him with open arms. He’s had a long and hard struggle to get to this point and he’s already being attacked by some who accuse him of being deceitful because he hid his homosexuality while working for the Boy Scouts and also from the woman he married. He’s also being accused of adultery (although I don’t know how the idiot making that accusation would know if Fleck has had any sexual relationship) because he’s not yet divorced.
This guy could serve to open the eyes of some people we might otherwise not reach. Until he proves otherwise I say we should support him.
ChiChi Man
@brent: You’ve been waiting and THAT’S your paltry response? Honey, there may be less bigots in your party but still an overwhelming majority of Republicans are still anti-marriage equality. It’s nice to know that Republicans are still slower at accepting reality than everyone else.
But thanks for giving me an excuse to make my argument again: you cannot argue away statistics and the will of voters, especially voters who Republicans actively tried to disenfranchise. A majority of minorities support marriage equality. A majority of Republicans and Whites do not. You have consistently branded minorities as homophobes on this site and THE NUMBERS DO NOT SUPPORT YOUR POSITION. Due to the President — not your ridiculous self-hating Log Cabin Republicans but the President’s support of marriage equality, minorities across the land re-examined their bigoted views.
Would that people like you were capable of doing the same.
God, even an MP in New Zealand said she was inspired by the President. Who claims to be inspired by the Log Cabin Repubs except Log Cabin Repubs?
If I were you, I would ask myself why the hate for people of color. Why the need to hold onto anger when opinions have changed and are continuing to change? Why the desire to align yourself with people who despise you when other people (minorities minorities minorities) would actually grant you some dignity?
It reminds me of the poor Southern whites who clung to slavery when the entire system was keeping them poor.
brent
@ChiChi Man: Why do you hang on to you’re hate of white people? What is the great benefit to becoming a liberal? You want me to start supporting the teachers union? greenpeace? No thanks, i just read a book called eco-fascists and its terrible what the democrats are doing to rural america, the place i come from. When i start seeing liberals make sacrifices for the environment and when i see President Obama send his daughter’s to public schools, then maybe i will be a democrat.
ChiChi Man
@brent: First, dearie, you’ll have to be far more intelligent to get me off track with silly accusations. I deal with facts and statistics. You seem to have a problem answering direct questions. Can you please explain how minorities are more homophobic that White people, Brent? And especially how Republicans support you more than Democrats. And finally, how greater numbers of support among minorities means those pesky Blacks and Latinos are keeping you oppressed. I’m waiting.
And second, I hate individuals, but I don’t hate groups. In fact, this is the first time in my life that I’ve ever been accused of hating any group. I believe in reaching people instead of blaming them for my problems. I truly believe the rise in support of marriage equality among minorities will be mirrored among Whites in the coming years, and then we can put these destructive arguments about race and sexuality to rest. But the return of horrible misogyny and racism in the Republican party in the last election indicates to me that it will be years before LGBT people will truly find any true sympathy among Republicans.
In any event, you’re the one walking around with a millstone of hatred, my sad little friend. It’s holding you back. At the very least, it makes you seem poorly educated. Let go of it and face your deep, damaging self-hatred. Because I know that when I walk into a room of Democrats with my husband, they look at us as equals. My friends advocate for me and my rights and the right to live as they do. I can’t imagine what you go through, bowing and scraping for the smallest crumbs of approval from people who would happily put you in a cage. Sad sad sad…
ChiChi Man
@the other Greg: I know! The supposedly liberal media would have us all believe that it’s gays against blacks and latinos. But statistics are proving otherwise. Things are truly changing 🙂
Dumdum
@BJ McFrisky: Actually I do not recall you ever having a discussion you accuse and attack. I am a well read person with a Bachelor of Science from U.C.S.F. but you accuse me of being a reactionary irrational immature hot head. I am proud to be a member of the Green Party. Jill Stein received nearly 500.000 votes so I jokingly said that there are only that many intelligent people in the US. You refuse to debate ANYONE because your position is as weak as your mind. Here’s a little food for thought.Last year, all the world’s nations combined pumped nearly 38.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the air from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, according to new international calculations on global emissions published Sunday in the journal Nature Climate Change. That’s about a billion tons more than the previous year.
The total amounts to more than 2.4 million pounds (1.1 million kilograms) of carbon dioxide released into the air every second. But go ahead whine about liberals and taxes and the big bad government. I hope you live close to the ocean.@brent: What kind of car do you drive? Mine is a hybrid. I will compare my carbon footprint to yours any time. I live in rural america and almost everyone here drives a big SUV. I have never seen so much waste and so many fat white bible thumping knuckle dragging idiots in my life. I live in a red state and it is sickening. I came here to care for my 92 year old aunt so no I cannot leave.
the other Greg
I wonder what part of Ireland the McFrisky family hails from. Perhaps County Limerick?
brent
@ChiChi Man: In May of this year blacks voted 2/3 against gay marriage in North Carolina. I assume being the outspoken guy you are you let all you’re black friends know how unhappy you were about that.
brent
@Dumdum: Carbon footprint! Do you realize how crazy that sounds and also how religious it sounds. If you want to believe in some green god in the sky, then go ahead. Do not foget that we have seperation of church and state. You have no more right to impose you’re moral beliefs on people than Pat Robertson does. If you want to spend you’re life appeasing some green god by counting you’re carbon footprint, go ahead. But leave me out of it. And don’t give me bull about scientists, these scientists have no common sense. They would let an entire forest burn to the ground in order to save it. As for waste, well you critize rural people for SUVS i assume you take trains and not planes. And you never fly first class, or do you. Have you ever been on a cruise? You think that’s better than driving an SUV?
the other Greg
@Dumdum: I’ve got you beat, I haven’t owned a car since the ’80s!
@brent: It’s funny that conservatives hate science so much, but so they’re sure that every college grad with student loans should’ve gotten a science degree.
“And you never fly first class, or do you. Have you ever been on a cruise?” This may come as a shock to you, but probably most American gay people have never flown first class, even once, and have never been on a cruise.
Dumdum
@brent: Wow you ARE as stupid as people said. I am an Anthropologist caring for my 92 year old aunt. Have never flown 1st class or been on a cruise……The mitigation of carbon footprints through the development of alternative projects, such as solar or wind energy or reforestation, represents one way of reducing a carbon footprint and is often known as Carbon offsetting.
The main influences on carbon footprints include population, economic output, and energy and carbon intensity of the economy. These factors are the main targets of individuals and businesses in order to decrease carbon footprints. Scholars suggest the most effective way to decrease a carbon footprint is to either decrease the amount of energy needed for production or to decrease the dependence on carbon emitting fuel…. It has nothing to do with religion. You obviously know not one wit about science and base your ideas and beliefs on crazy conspiracy theorists. I can surmise by your psycho-babble that you are the internet version of the uni-bomber. Shave your beard, have a quick shower and go get some fresh air.
brent
@Dumdum: You want to punish a select group of people for their lifestyle. Why is it that you scientists put the burder of saving the earth on poor and middle class rural farmers and ranchers. There is a very good book called eco-fascists by Elizabeth Nickson. I would suggest you read it and see what great work you guys are doing. You have a great college degree but no common sense. It’s idiot scientists like you that introduce wild animals into the back yard of farmers and ranchers and expect them to live with it. I would like to see you introduce a mountain lion into suburban america and see how the residents like it. Why don’t you read that book and then tell me that i am wrong. Of course it would mean that you would have to open up you’re eyes and look what destruction you’re fellow scientists have brought to rural america.
Dumdum
@the other Greg: Actually it is my Auntie’s car I took a bus here, three days of screaming babies, fast food, over priced water and no internet.@brent: Anthropology is the “science of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term “anthropology” is from the Greek anthr?pos , “man”, understood to mean humankind or humanity, and -logia “discourse” or “study.” The essence of anthropology has been, since its tradition, cross-cultural comparison, and cultural relativism has become the canon of anthropological inquiry. I am a Cultural Anthropologist with a minor in Biological Anthropology. In other words I study people and old bones. I suppose I am a scientist of sorts. I am aware of Ms. Nicksons body of work she a reputable journalist who has discovered a very real problem but your generalizations are focused on typical bureaucratic bullshit. There are no easy answers but to blame scientists for the economy and conservation is ridiculous. You over simplify a complex issue to justify your tirade.
Dumdum
@brent: If you are so concerned about rural america you should watch this.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqoU9l0PVdE
ChiChi Man
@brent: You’re still pulling up old numbers. Why not go all the way back to Prohibition, Brent? All you’re doing is PROVING your irrelevance.
But once again, you’ve given me another excuse to spout my favorite RECENT statistics and to put them in the context of your facile response. When was the North Carolina vote, Brent? I remember. BEFORE the President (your President too, honey) came out in support of marriage equality. But after DADT was repealed. After your saintly Log Cabins toiled tirelessly to repeal DADT and yet discrimination was voted into North Carolina’s constitution — and yes, by a large number of African Americans.
But what happened after Obama came out in support, Brent? By November, just 6 months later, 51% of African American voters support marriage equality and 59% of Latinos. That’s amazing! Great job, Mr. President! Unfortunately, a majority of Whites still are against marriage equality. But thankfully, a small majority. So again, Brent, the work HAS been done by Obama and the Democrats. All of those old statistics you love to drag out to slam minorities — THOSE numbers have been reversed. But there’s still work to be done among Whites and especially among Republicans — those people still hate you. But it can be done if people keep reaching out the way our President has.
ChiChi Man
@Dumdum: Thank you for your detailed response. You remind me that there’s so much more that I can be doing in my every day life for the environment.
brent
@ChiChi Man: You seem to be saying that the lawsuit that the log cabin’s fought for was in vain, or a waste of time. I’m not clear where you give credit for the repeal of DADT. The news reports that i have seen from the Nov. election showed that there was an increase of support for gay marriage all around, not just minorities. The same news reports pointed out that in areas where support for Romney was high, there had also been more pro-gay marriage support than in the past. Which means more republicans were also voting that way. Does Obama get credit for that? The good news from November is that all groups including minorities and republicans did not increas their opposition to gay marriage. The reason i bring up minorities is because you are the one accusing me of ignoring homophobia in the republican party, is seems fair that i should defend myself by pointing out that gay democrats can be guilty of that as well.
brent
@ChiChi Man: the environment, the religion of liberals.
brent
@Dumdum: I loved this video, i watched it a couple of times to get the full flavor of it. I am not sure if you showed it too me to change my mind or it confirm what i believe. It has confirmed for me what i knew, that the fed.’s are sending these old soviet style bureacrats from Washington to dictate to farmers and ranchers how best to run their lives. TYPICAL BUREAUCRATIC BULLSHIT… The bullshit comes from Washington allowing some professor at Harvard to have the authority to order people in Wyoming around, how they can best protect the environment. Families who have spent generations ranching and farming need a bureaucrat from Washington to tell them how to protect the enviroment. Is this the kind of bullshit you believe? I would hope not.
Dumdum
@brent: Even I understand the problems facing peoples from ALL walks of life. As a Cultural Anthropologist I would be remiss if I did not. People such as yourself focus on one thing and then harp on it, play it like a battle cry. I ask you, WHAT ARE YOU DOING to make a difference? Do you volunteer anything other than your plaintive voice? Pissing in the wind as it were. I hope so, but I think not. Just another whiner trying to sound important or relevant which you will never be. I try to make a difference in some small way and I sleep very well thank you.
ChiChi Man
@brent: Ah Brent… More vagueness. Why can’t you list exact, RECENT statistics? Exact numbers? Because they don’t support your argument. I CAN list exact recent statistics (and I will again thank you) — because they do support my argument.
But first, this began with your false statement that Democrats need to take responsibility for the homophobia in minority communities — and we HAVE and we’ve changed opinions. I responded to your false statement with exact RECENT statistics that prove that a majority of minorities support marriage equality and a majority of Whites do not. I’m not passing judgement on White people (as you have against minorities over and over and over and over and over and over and over again). I honestly find this entire argument to be beneath me, but I refuse to let you continue to spread lies about minorities and divide these communities. Whether you like it or not, minorities and LGBT people of all races face many of the same struggles and have many of the same enemies.
In any event, Democrats and the President have worked hard to increase the support for marriage equality and WE have. While you’ve been blaming minorities for your problems, we’ve been working and changing. If you want to have any credibility in this debate, get a Republican majority to support marriage equality. We did among minorities. 51% of African Americans and 59% of Latinos. I’m extremely confident that we’ll get a majority of Whites in the next year, but it will be YEARS before we see high numbers among Republicans.
You mention a rise is support among Republicans but you present no numbers — because you know that while the shift has been significant, it’s nowhere near as dramatic as the shift in minority communities (I can list those numbers again if you’d like) — and that’s a direct result of President Obama’s support of marriage equality. The repeal of DADT was a wonderful thing, long fought for by Democrats and Log Cabin Republicans. But the President’s support for marriage equality brought this debate front and center and you have NEVER given him credit. Not that it matters what you think. The statistics tell the story.
Finally, EVERY TIME you respond to ANYTHING I write, I’m going to mention the statistics in that Pew poll. So thank you for helping me spread the good news about the good work that the President has done and the dramatic rise in support for marriage equality among minorities. Everyone should know.
brent
@Dumdum: It’s great that you are doing useful things with you’re life, don’t get me wrong about that. I just don’t understand what you are trying to tell me. You say i harp on one thing, but that video you showed me was prety much about the thing you say i harp on, which is that the fed.’s are arrogant. I dont see it as harping on a small thing when it is the central problem. Just leave the farmers and ranchers alone to do what they have been doing for centuries. Believe it or not they know what they are doing.
brent
@<a href="#comment-Why do i bother giving you stats when i know you will find some reason to belittle them. But here are a few from the CATO institute. 11 of 18 counties in Maryland went for Romney gay marriage was supported by more voters than Obama got, which means crossover support.Other MAryland precients saw differences of 10,15 and 20 points. In Minnesota 47 towns around the twin cities voted for Romney and also for gay marriage.You want me to give Obama credit, if it's important too you id give him credit. I'm curious to know if you give Dick Cheney credit for diagreeing with Bush in the 2004 campaign. Gay people and other minorities face the same enemy. What does that mean? You say you don't hate white people, but what do you expect people to conclude with a statement like that? Who are the common enemies? The Koreans?
ChiChi Man
@brent: Brent Brent Brent… Please! If you could see beyond race for even a second! That you could write that people can only conclude that I was making a comment about race reveals your own obsession with race. When I mentioned common enemies, I was talking about RELIGION, the poorly educated, the conservative media and the super rich. The conservative media and super rich are the most dangerous, in my opinion since they use LGBT issues and race issues to distract people (like yourself) while they enslave them and take away their rights. To me, THIS is the debate we should be having — how to undo the damage of corporate media.
RE giving credit where credit is due, I’m more than willing to give credit to moderate Republicans who see that your party is on the wrong side of LGBT issues. I think Log Cabin Republicans are insane and self-hating, but I have already indicated that they helped to repeal DADT. But to suggest that Democrats haven’t been working on this for years is ridiculous and to suggest that the President hasn’t been instrumental in putting our issues before the public is a flat out lie.
But the biggest lie is the one that you started with — that the Democrats haven’t done anything about homophobia within minority communities. We have and minority communities are responding. The NAACP fully supports marriage equality and its leaders have stated that marriage equality is a Civil Rights issue. Traditional African American magazines like Ebony and Jet are showcasing same sex couples. Artist like Frank Ocean are forcing people to talk about LGBT issues. And most important of all, President Barak Obama became the first U.S. President to publicly support marriage equality. The numbers (I warned you I’d do this) are changing dramatically. According to Pew, 59% or Latino and 51% of African American voters support marriage equality. Of course, there is still a lot of work to be done (another poll puts African Americans as opposing marriage equality by a small majority). But we’re doing the work. You should worry about your party.