Lane Hudson has some beef with Barack Obama. The DC-based blogger believes Obama made a grave, potentially homophobic mistake during last night’s presidential debates. And he calls that mistake the presidential candidate’s “frat boy moment”.
Some of you may recall when Obama and Joe Biden were discussing the HIV/AIDS crisis, a hot topic during last night’s debates. During that discussion, Biden said that both he and Obama had been tested for HIV. A good message for the masses. Hudson, however, thinks Obama ruined the moment when he interjected:
I just got to make clear — I got tested with Michelle. When we were in Kenya in Africa. So I don’t want any confusion here about what’s going on.
Hudson seems to think Obama wanted to make sure the predominantly black crowd didn’t think he did dudes.
The journo writes,
[Obama] reverted back to schoolyard ways and had a complete frat boy moment wherein he felt it necessary to reaffirm his heterosexuality.
…
With one comment, he erased the possibility that he would start a meaningful conversation in the Black community about this serious issue. This seems to reveal not only some level of homophobia, but also a level of immaturity which causes me to question Obama’s ability to go all the way in this campaign.
Interesting idea, but we’re going to have to disagree. True, Obama’s comments came across as a little defensive, but more because of Biden’s tone when he said, “I got tested for AIDS. I know Barack got tested for AIDS been tested.” Judging from Obama’s reaction, he took it as a dig, but not an anti-gay dig.
Obama seems to be reminding people that he’s happily married, not sleeping around with women. Yes, it could be read as a denial of sex with men, but that’s a bit of a stretch. There’s nothing in Obama’s tone, nor Biden’s comment, that even hints at homosexuality. He wanted the world to know he went with his wife, from whom he has nothing to hide.
Perhaps Hudson can’t shake the association between AIDS and gays.
Here’s the video from last night’s debate. You kids judge yourselves and let us know what you think.
BillieXX
Obama also mentioned homophobia in the black community as being a block to why we are so reticent to talk openly about HIV. A straight black man talking about anti-gay attitudes among black folk?!?!?1 Don’t hear that often enough.
A frat moment? Maybe a little but not much to get too funky about.
Leland Frances
I saw it last night, and watched it again through the the clip, and despite his courage a few minutes before in daring call out homophobia in the Black community which is THE main reason the incidence of HIV/AIDS in the community is so huge, this was his “Isaiah Grabs the Microphone” moment and it WAS homophobic, juvenile, and disgusting.
AIDS, Black or any other color is too serious an issue to “joke” about regardless of the motivation. I’ll support him over in Repug running but he proved he AND Biden proved they’re neither free of homophobia nor presidential material.
Leland Frances
Make that, “over any Repug running….”
Jack Jett
Perhaps Lane Hudson has spent too much time at HRC if he pecieved the comment about HIV testing as homophobic in the least.
I think it would be great to read about the falling out between Lane and HRC.
Let’s leave the Obama bashing to my redneck friends here in Texas.
Jack Jett
Eminent Victorian
My partner & I watched that debate last night, and when Obama made his joke I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My interpretation of his statement was that it was homophobic and inappropriate, basically saying, “I got my AIDS test with my wife, NOT with Joe Biden! Joe & I aren’t gay for each other!”
adamblast
My impression from the clip is that it’s not a huge dig, but it’s a dig none the less, and it’s by no means wrong to call Obama on it.
Biden is making an important point that there’s no shame in getting testing, and Obama immediately acts to the contrary, piping up to prove he’s not gay. It is insulting, if not consciously so.
Vinman
Not to change the subject, BUT I have heard that Obama’s ancestry is actually more white than black. As is most “blacks” in this country. Anyway we can stop labeling him as the Black canidate? I know that’s a pipe dream but I do not like being labeled as gay. Yes I am Gay but that’s not who I am. I think Obama can do alot for “minorities” but that’s not all he is.
ProfessorVP
Joe Biden = Tommy Thompson. Old-fashioned Archie Bunker types, praising Jews for making money and Barack Obama for being clean, letting employers fire people for being gay. Obama doesn’t have their repulsiveness, but is he much better, considering what he just said, and that he is not for marriage equality?
Mr. B
Did we all see the same video? Did you not hear the crowd crack up when Biden made his comment about getting tested? And did you not see Barack squirm before he made his joke? I think the atmophere–and Obama’s composure (or lack thereof) make a big difference in how the “joke” went down.
Mr. B
Edited to add–Biden sounded like a giant tool on that platform. He might as well have just said, “I’m trying to help you people” or something equally ignorant.
Paul Raposo
I saw this part of debate on TV as well, (PBS with the brilliant Tavis Smiley as moderator,) and I also thought it was Obama pointing out that it was a *straight* HIV test. What could have been a point scoring moment; “I went to Africa and my wife and I got tested with all the people there”; became a, “Dude! I’m WAY straight. Look at my wife!” moment.
Let’s not forget Biden stated he got tested because he, “could have died,” from a blood transfusion during surgery. They both took what could have been a profound moment in a debate and acted like world class douchebags. But then again, do we expect any less-or more–from this pact of candidates?
Leland Frances
Not clear, Mr. B, if you thought Obama was trying to brush “gay” off himself or not. But, again, I do and it was ALL about the audience, some of whom thought just mentioning getting an AIDS test was funny. THAT’s when it started, and Biden, despite his COURAGEOUS comment about people being IN DENIAL, and Obama drug it down from there.
Eminent Victorian
Somewhere near the Biden comment and Obama’s snide response, the camera showed poet Sonia Sanchez in the audience, sitting next to Al Sharpton. Sanchez’ brother was gay and died of AIDS (she wrote a book of poetry about him called Does Your House Have Lions?). I would love to know how she interpreted Obama’s statement.
Martini-boy
I didn’t find it the least homophobic. In reality, Obama was only reacting to the giggles and hums of the audience after Biden mentioned that both he and Obama got tested. And OBVIOUSLY Obama made the statement with a humorous tone, not a hateful one. No threat there.
Mr. B
Leland, I agree completely. Obama was definitely snide, and he definitely cowed to the audience’s giggle fit over AIDS testing.
Watching that video again, I still think Biden came off as patronizing, but I had missed the gravity of his blood transfusion statement. By then, Obama was baiting the crowd and dismissed Biden’s remarks by way of his comedy routine.
BillieXX
Vinman,
Put the pot down brother. Obama’s mom is white. Dad is black. There is no “actually more white than black” about it. Now if you want to say he’s mixed, fine; however, the blood lines of most American born black folk are mixed.
Leland Frances
If you’re too drunk to understand the homophobia in Obama’s routine which amounted to a “fag joke,” then we suggest you lay off the martinis, Boy!
The appropriate reaction “to the giggles and hums of the audience” was at least silence and at best his saying, “Folks. Wait a minute. Why are you laughing? AIDS is NOT funny! As the question showed, it doesn’t just happen to white ‘funny’ boys. If you take nothing else away tonight it should be our own responsibility in stopping our people from dying of AIDS exacerbated, as I mentioned earlier, by homophobia.”
Instead, despite that earlier noble, incisive, courageous moment, Obama showed his “true color” and it was neither Black nor white.
rock
I found Obama’s comments very homophobic. It proved once again that Irene Marilyn (I think that’s her name) who has been mentioned in Queerty and appeared on “In The Life” is accurate in her statements that Obama is homophobic. I didn’t find his comments humorous at all…and I most definitely see him as a homophobe (he says his religion is such that he sees homosexuality as immoral)
Obama keeps proving his homophobia and I won’t vote him..that’s for sure.
jobradfield
anyone have any idea what Sharpton (30 sec in) was pouting about?
BillieXX
Rock,
Calling Obama homophobiac is a bit of stretch. Does he support same-sex marriage. No (just like every other candidate who has a decent shot at the White House). Does he have a complete grasp of gay/lesbian history. Naw. Is he the late Jerry Falwell smiling in your face as he tells you are going to hell? Nope.
His faults are there but to call him a hater is not intellectually fair. And just for the record: I’m not a Obama groupie.
rock
Bill…read Obama’s own words and Rev. Irene Monroe’s blog article here….Obama has said he believes homosexuality is immoral. His frat boy comments at the Howard University forum help prove that view point…
WWH
Once again, the Dems pay us lip service and then fuck us when it counts. Typical. Yawn. I think I’ll vote to keep my taxes low, since they, by chioce, will be of no help to me.
nycstudman
“I think I’ll vote to keep my taxes low, since they, by chioce, will be of no help to me.” Um, dude, Republicans don’t give a shit about you or your piddly-shit little taxes. But if you want to bury your head up your ass and pretend that you’re being all “free market,” go ahead. Your ass is obviously bigger than your head.
ProfessorVP
Obama and Hillary add fuel to the idea that to be for marriage equality, and not let dumb-ass ol’ time religion trump the Constitution amounts to political suicide. It would be refreshing if just one viable candidate said, “Here is why same-sex marriage won’t ruin opposite-sex marriage, won’t turn your kids gay, and won’t make the sky fall.” We may actually never know what Obama’s real thoughts are. He might be a homophobe, or maybe, “I just play one on TV.”
caz
Oh for goodness sake, would everyone stop getting their panties in a twist over this. If Hillary had been talking in place of Biden, Obama could have made exactly the same joke and it would still have been just as relevant. Just because the man jokes about getting tested with his wife rather than with another presidential candidate, it doesn’t make him homophobic. If anything, Biden’s response was more offensive, as he made it very clear that the only way he could possibly have caught HIV was through a blood transfusion (why did he feel the need to press that point home?). Whether it was an appropriate time for Obama to make the joke is, of course, open to debate…….
Martini-boy
Thank you, Caz. And, might I add, for a number of people (aka chauvinistic men) who believe that getting tested is a threat to their masculinity, Obama sure helped put things into perspective (moreso than not) and let the message hit home.