As a gay parent I’m really not comfortable with this. Even if that eight-year-old kid wanted to do it, even if confronting Michele Bachmann was the kid’s idea, even if the kid was excited about being in a YouTube video, this just isn’t cool. The enemies of LGBT equality use small children as props in their misleading commercials and at their hate rallies all the time. It’s a credit to our side that this sort of thing—a gay parent pushing a child into the face of a hater like Bachmann—is so rare that this video shocks the conscience.”
– Dan Savage expressing disapproval with the 8-year-old who told ex-gay loving Michele Bachmann that his mommy “doesn’t need fixing.” In the video above, comedian Patton Oswald disagrees, saying that no matter whether the kid was fed the line or not, he still made a good point that Bachmann ignored.
bagooka
“a good point that Bachmann”…. WHAT????
Pocket Otter
I think Dan Savage is a media tool, but he’s right about not using kids to push a political agenda: It’s a maneuver used by the highly desperate, and at the end of the day it wasn’t Bachmann who came off as the buffoon, but the kid’s mom for using him when he was obviously coached.
slanty
@Pocket Otter: You didn’t watch the video, did you, genius? His mother was standing right next to him.
Marvin the Malefactor
Awesome! I can always count on Dan to be real.
Eastwood
It’s encouraging to see Dan cut through the red tape, in this case, the propaganda that’s sometimes used.
ousslander
agree with Dan. The mother should have said it herself instead of making her kid do it
Franco
I watched the video yesterday and found it in poor taste. What was that mother thinking, her child was clearly uncomfortable doing what he was TOLD to do.
Mike in Asheville
Come on Queerty, can’t you bother to take a moment to understand what was said?
Per Queerty, “Savage expressing disapproval with the 8-year-old” — NO NO NO.
Savage expressed disapproval of having an 8 year-old thrown into a political event, not that he disapproves of that, or any, 8 year-old.
*******************
I approve of many of Savage’s opinions and actions; in this case, though, I disagree with him. An 8 year-old is not too young to express an opinion, and it is a lesson in standing up when standing up is needed. I applaud both the kid and his mother. Cheers to raising strong and proud kids!
JohnAGJ
Seriously, Daniel? I may not agree with Savage a lot but why are you deliberately misrepresenting what he said? That’s rather deceitful of you. Savage expressed disapproval with PARENTS using children in stunts like this, not with the kid himself. Big difference. I agree with him. What the kid said was great but he should not have used like this.
Wendy's throat sores
Daniel!! Get your head in the game!!!!
Rrrrribbit.
GOD (gay old dude)
@Mike in Asheville: Let me get this straight: You believe an 8-yr-old is NOT too young to express a political opinion goaded by his mother? For real? And what political opinions, exactly, did you possess when you were eight? I hope you never have kids, Mike, because I fear you’d be one of those who hauls your toddlers off to an OWS event or some such sideshow to “show them what’s right,” only to video them getting pepper-sprayed so you can show the world how evil “the man” is. I truly hope that your naivete is due to your being young and not totally clueless.
JAW
WOW… I agree with Dan also… I watched the video and felt sorry for the 8yo… the kid did not know who crazy eyes was and what she stood for. This was the mom trying to create an issue
scott ny'er
i agree with Dan too. As I said in another post about this… I think PR wise it makes LGBT people look really bad. Even if the kid did do this of his own accord. People will see this and jump to conclusions… how LGBT people will do anything to further their cause.
The Gays will make it Bachman2012 (John from England)
Hmmm, 1,2,3 of the anti-dad brigade to come out!
The Gays will make it Bachman2012 (John from England)
@The Gays will make it Bachman2012 (John from England):
Should have added that this makes Daniel V sound full of S…again. When he spoke out about NPH, I was like-I don’t agree with you but good!, but the fact that he has written ANOTHER misleading article…
What IS going on here? I thought you guys said you would change once the Queerty people had left but you would keep the snark? This isn’t snark. Gawker doesn’t do this.
chuck
You need to do a better inquiry about Bachmann’s encounter. Don’t believe everything you think you are seeing! After a lot of negative web comments about the kid’s mom pushing her son to meet Ms Bachmann…the person, who made the video, has explained the situation. She was friends with the mom and the boy. They were going to an ‘Occupy’ event when they found out that Bachmann was there. The boy initiated standing in line to meet Ms Bachmann because he didn’t like Bachmann’s statements about LGBTs…his mom is gay. He was acting like a little kid who really wants to meet Santa but when the moment happens, the kid gets tongue-tied. Even tho’ he is only eight years old he knows what his mom is and what Bachmann has been saying. After the encounter, the mom made clear to her friend that her son would never forgive himself if he had run away at the final moment. He needed her support to tell Ms Bachmann his opinion.
D.B.
Completely agree with Dan — children should not be used to publicly express political opinions. And it doesn’t really matter if the intentions are good, or even if the child wants to be a part of it — it’s inappropriate, especially given the fact that conservatives use this very disturbing tactic all the time.
PitterPartyofOne
@JohnAGJ: +1 What is up with the slander? Savage said that the parents shouldn’t use the kid, not that he doesn’t like the kid.
christopher di spirito
If Dan Savage is such a media slut that he’ll always take the contrary POV just hoping for a chance his comment will make it into the press. I guess it worked.
scott ny'er
@chuck: That’s great BUT unfortunately most people will see the clip and NOT do research on what the story is about. So… that means people will draw conclusions just from the video.
Mike in Asheville
@GOD (gay old dude): You are mightily and intentionally misrepresenting my comment. You act as though I qualified an 8 year-old as a political and/or social public leader. And then you smear my integrity by projecting a made up scenario of how I would raise a child. So, still made I called you out as the asshole you are a few weeks ago? I observe that you remain an asshole.
An 8 year-old is NOT too young express a political opinion — ie., “,,,my mommy doesn’t need fixing.” And in this context, the kid’s statement is a political opinion.
Cam
It’s a shame that Dan SAvage bought into the bigots excuse.
The real truth is that they do not EVER want to be confronted with the people they are trying to harm. THAT is why they are upset that Bachman was confronted with this child.
What Savage can’t do is tell me how this was supposed to harm the child.
Sending a kid to school every day they encounter bullies, mean teachers, bad food, pressure etc… and yet nobody would ever say that we shouldn’t send kids to school. And yet one conversation is supposed to be SO damaging? Oh give me a break. Pathetic.
JohnAGJ
@chuck: You are missing the point. It doesn’t matter if the kid himself initiated this, using children as props like this isn’t right. This wasn’t just a matter of a kid telling a politician what might be on their mind, but also an adult filming the episode and then uploading it to YouTube for the whole world to see to score political points against a unfavorable candidate. That’s what I disagree with and what made this into using a kid as a political prop.
Ricky Rocky
LET KIDS BE KIDS !
(At this age all I had to worry about was taking a bath and being in my pajamas in time to watch “The Jetsons” !)
Cam
@Ricky Rocky: said…
“(At this age all I had to worry about was taking a bath and being in my pajamas in time to watch “The Jetsons” !)”
_____________________________
At his age did you have politicians saying that your parents should not be allowed to raise you and should be in jail?
Derek
I totally agree and think that boy’s mother should feel ashamed for using her child as a pawn or accessory to post on the internet. It was obvious he was terrified and uncomfortable. Nobody should put their child in such an uncomfortable position!
Frank
Having read and seen a lot about this story, the majority opinion seems against the mom using the kid to say what he said. I’ve arrived at a different view. I doubt the kid will even remember this encounter more than a day or two – he’ll be onto the next kid thing. To me, it was worth it to see the horrified look on Bachmann’s face, and her inability to respond other than “OK, bye bye.” Any confrontation with Bachmann about her rabidly antigay views is worth it. Her face needs to be rubbed into it. Her speeches should be interrupted. Her views are archaic, her bigotry unconscionable, and her hubris at thinking she’s qualified to be president insulting and laughable. Bachmann should be embarrassed, humiliated, hounded and scapegoated for her continued insistence that gays are second class citizens undeserving of basic rights, which she refers to as “special rights.” Her husband’s clinic should be picketed.
If anyone has special rights, it’s Christians. Their churches and organizations are tax-exempt. They are allowed days off from work for their holidays. They have their own TV networks and media factories, all still tax-exempt, and they continually violate the separation of church and state by endorsing candidates from the pulpit. They give a pass to footballer Tim Tebow for his continual praising the Lord every time he makes a pass, yet would have a kiniption if a Muslim player did the same. They are hypocritical zealots who insist the world was created for them. Besides, Christians use their kids as props all the time. Sarah Palin made an art of it. Look at any GOP political ad, or Christian ad, and there are the pictures of wholesome mom and dad with the kids. How is that any different?
Bachmann is a stupid, insulting religious fanatic who wants to return the country to the 1950s, and should be held accountable by any means necessary. She needs to be laughed off the public stage. Besides, if she were a real Christian, she would stay at home.
Christopher
@cam at that age you wouldn’t be aware of it if they were. Unless, the parents had specifically exposed the child to said politician. Remember we are talking about a kid in second grade ( guess based on age). There is very
Ittle political awareness in that age group, and zero understanding of politics. Even if the child did want to say what he said to Bachmann, there is no way he did it without being taught about her at home, I doubt the 8 year old was watching the news unsupervised.
Stunts using children should be left to the right wing bigots. This just plays into their hands, and gives them ammo.
Pedro
Dan Savage is a disgusting whore…but I agree with him here, what was that woman thinking? Is she happy that her son is now on YouTube being cursed by right wing nuts…She didn’t have the balls to confront crazy eyes herself?
Ricco
@Mike in Asheville: Agreed. No child, of his own volition, is too young, or should on the merits of age, be prohibited from expressing an opinion. That, clearly, is not what happened here. I thought the mother was detestable to force her son into what was an uncomfortable situation. If she felt she was not broken, then she should have been the one to say it. I believe that kid may grown up one day to realize that his mother is broken, but not because she is a lesbian, rather that she is a control freak who gets children to do her dirty work.
It just goes to show that even lesbians, like their heterosexual counterparts, make terrible mothers.
Scott E.
@bagooka: The right-wing got to him before he could complete the article…
Gorbeh
I’ll be honest. I never thought the mom put the kid up to it and I was shocked to hear that at first. I’d imagine if I was 8 years old and there was this crazy woman with unblinking eyes who wanted to split apart my parents without having even met them, or heard of them, I’d be pretty terrified. I’d imagine she’d be something of a bogeyman to me. How the kid reacted would have been exactly how I’d have felt. I wouldn’t want to talk to her, I wouldn’t want to look at her. I would want to get the hell away from her and hide and do something comforting to me. I give tremendous credit to his bravery for doing that. I never even considered his mother put him up to nor am I cynical enough to believe it (and I am pretty cynical). And in the event I’m wrong then that says less about me and more about the world, but I’d like to give it the benefit of the doubt.
declanto
@Gorbeh: I agree. This 8year old has not just suddenly appeared, complete with a couple of moms. He’s probably had to face mobbing and snide commentary about his family before meeting old dead-eye. Good for him, good for his moms. Nobody but him and his mom knows if he was “forced” to confront the bigot, including @GOD (gay old dude): or, for that matter, Dan Savage.
Xmas Apparel
@Ricky Rocky: With your privilege, I’m sure that IS all you had to worry about!
Cam
@Christopher: said…
“”@cam at that age you wouldn’t be aware of it if they were. Unless, the parents had specifically exposed the child to said politician. Remember we are talking about a kid in second grade ( guess based on age).”
_______________________
You guys have fallen for the FOX News Line. They can’t argue that Bachman isn’t a homophobe seeking to make this kids entire life hell by taking away his mothers so they are trying to deflect you.
Kids have to do things ALL THE TIME that they won’t enjoy but will give them a better life later.
Should we stop vaccinating kids because it hurts them? Should we stop making them eat vegetables because they’d rather eat cake? Should we stop teaching them to swim because they are afraid?
I am AMAZED at how quickly people on here are ready to jump in lock step with the right wing. The thing you all should notice, the same as when a right winger on here can be seen to be lying because they won’t produce a link to back up there story, I haven’t seen evidence of the supposed “Damage” that this incident will do to the child so I can compare it to the damage that would be done if Bachman has her way and he is taken away from his mother.
So again, whats the damage? Should we stop vaccinating kids because it’s unpleasent now but good for them later? etc…
Juke Box
@Cam: Perhaps you’re too believing, Cam. The people commenting on this story and claiming there was “damage” done to the kid don’t actually believe it. They want to make you feel bad for enjoying Michele’s embarrassment. The story of Michele’s speechlessness was so popular that it got into the mainstream news. That bothers them, because they hate to see their favorite anti-gay politician have a bad day.
PretenderNX01
How come we don’t all condemn people who bring their kids to anti-gay rallies?
We’re getting duped into siding with Bachman and that’s all the GOP will here.
I’ve seen countless anti-Obama rallies with kids there and not one word against it has been spoken.
Every member of the black community I have heard who brought their kids to Civil Rights rallies was proud to have their kids there, and their kids grew up proud to have parents actively fighting for them.
This kid’s right as a child of a gay person are at stake and here we have gay people saying he was treated badly? Gee, I wonder how the GOP will slant that?
scott ny'er
@Frank: I agree with all that you said except for the “horrified look” on Bachmann’s face. I think that look, which I would have to, was one of, “yo! WTF are you doing sending a kid to do your dirty work?”
And I don’t think this kid will be damaged. I agree, he’ll just forget it the next day. What’s bad is how the PARENT used the kid as a pawn (or how is seems like the kid was used).
@PretenderNX01: I think you’d see that many people are horrified at any people who use their kids as pawns… be it anti-gay folk, KKK, repubs, etc. For instance, those 2 girl twins who sings terrible songs that are either KKK like or anti-gay. That’s just a crime.
Cam
@scott ny’er: said…
“And I don’t think this kid will be damaged. I agree, he’ll just forget it the next day. What’s bad is how the PARENT used the kid as a pawn (or how is seems like the kid was used).”
_____________________
Why? What is the problem then? By your logic it’s HORRIBLE that parents MAKE their shy kids talk to SAnta to further their “Agenda” of Christmas.
GOD (gay old dude)
@Mike in Asheville: Dude, your perceptions are seriously fucked up if you think it’s OK to use a kid to push a political agenda, REGARDLESS of what that agenda is. Again, glad you’re not in a likely position to sire your own tools of protest.
Cam
@GOD (gay old dude): said… “Dude, your perceptions are seriously fucked up if you think it’s OK to use a kid to push a political agenda, REGARDLESS of what that agenda is. Again, glad you’re not in a likely position to sire your own tools of protest.”
______________________________
What is the difference to the child of doing this, and the parents that push their kids who are shy to talk to Santa when they don’t want to?
You are stating something as fact, but providing no reasons. Obama’s daughters were used in photo Ops, as was Chelsea Clinton, As were McCain’s kids, as were Bush’s kids. Those kids were used to support a political campaign…which is FURTHERING the political agenda of the parents. And I never heard people saying that Palin’s kids shouldn’t be out on the trail with her.
You’ve just drunk the Kool Aide that the Right Wing is trying to feed you.
Caliban
This came up in a discussion with a (gay) friend of mine who is raising a child with his partner. Something similar happened to them when their daughter was this child’s age. They made plans to attend a gay rights event and their daughter, of her own volition, said she’d like to say something to the politicians on the committee. She was excited about it and wrote down what she wanted to say, then practiced it over and over.
But when they got to the event she was intimidated and said she didn’t want to do it. They talked to her, got her calmed down, and encouraged her to do it despite her fears. Her speaking was all her idea in the first place, but at the last minute they had to “push” her a little into doing it. What if your kid wanted to be in the school play, practiced and practiced, was excited about, but on the night of the performance was scared to go onstage? Wouldn’t you push them, pretty much MAKE them go through with it? Isn’t it better in both these situations to PUSH your kid a little instead of letting them give into their fears? I think so, because if a child never faces up to those fears they’ll never do anything and may regret not going through with something they wanted to do.
And don’t forget that the hateful anti-gay rhetoric of the Republicans and Religious Right (same thing really) don’t JUST effect adults. By the time these kids are in elementary school they’re aware their families are “different” and have a basic understanding their parent(s) is/are gay. Unless you keep them locked in a room with no TV they ARE going to hear some of the things homophobes say about gay people and understand that the “awful” people being talked about are their own parents and it upsets them. It’s better they learn to stick up for themselves and their family than let hateful people like Michele Bachmann go unchallenged.
Cam
@Caliban:
Thank you! For some reason people would like us to believe that it is ok for Michelle Bachmann to say that gays shouldn’t be parents or have children or have rights, but for somebody to respond to her is somehow wrong.
B
The question is simply whether the kid was rehearsed and used as a prop versus it being a case of “kids saying the darnedest things.” It’s possible that the kid just blurted it out and was there because his parents couldn’t get a baby sitter. Also, maybe they wanted to tell Michelle Bachmann a thing or two and the kid beat them too it.
The kid didn’t have to be into politics – maybe he saw Bachmann ranting on TV, thought she was being “mean” to his parents, and told her off because he didn’t like that.
I don’t think any of us know for sure unless someone stated that they rehearsed the kid.
Mike in Asheville
@GOD (gay old dude): Perhaps you should change your ego-laden moniker to one that is a bit more descriptive: SOD — senile old man.
Certainly there are justifiable limitations on children abridging the free rights of adults. NONETHELESS, an uncoerced child has just a much privilege to state his opinion as everyone else. The video clearly shows that the parent, while very supportive, was not coercive, demanding, nor even chiding her son.
Now, dipshit, what is the difference between encouraging an 8 year-old to tell a politician that his “mommy doesn’t need fixing” and taking an 8 year-old to watch political speeches and fireworks on the Fourth of July?
Mike in Asheville
@GOD (gay old dude): Perhaps you should change your ego-laden moniker to one that is a bit more descriptive: SOD — senile old dude.
Certainly there are justifiable limitations on children abridging the free rights of adults. NONETHELESS, an uncoerced child has just a much privilege to state his opinion as everyone else. The video clearly shows that the parent, while very supportive, was not coercive, demanding, nor even chiding her son.
Now, dipshit, what is the difference between encouraging an 8 year-old to tell a politician that his “mommy doesn’t need fixing” and taking an 8 year-old to watch political speeches and fireworks on the Fourth of July?
Malwyn
@Jeff: Thank you for explaining yourself in your comment, you big chump.
Michael
If you need further proof that Dan Savage is a complete and total asshole, utterly indifferent (except feeding his own ego) to the gay community-then this is it. What a jerk!