Friends of Elena Kagan, on the record, insisting she is straight? That should put the story to bed! Especially when those friends are Eliot Spitzer.
“I did not go out with her, but other guys did,” says the former New York governor. “I don’t think it is my place to say more.” But wait, there’s more!
“I’ve known her for most of her adult life and I know she’s straight,” said Sarah Walzer, Kagan’s roommate in law school and a close friend since then. “She dated men when we were in law school, we talked about men — who in our class was cute, who she would like to date, all of those things. She definitely dated when she was in D.C. after law school, when she was in Chicago – and she just didn’t find the right person.”
Walzer, half amused and half appalled to be discussing her friend’s sexual orientation, agreed to be interviewed after Kagan’s supporters decided they should tactfully put an end to the rumor, which White House officials had already tried to squelch in background interviews with reporters. She said she decided to talk to POLITICO because the discussion of Kagan’s personal life has become a “distraction.”
But you know what they say: Whatever experimenting one does at Harvard, stays at Harvard.
So how come Kagan didn’t end up in a serious relationship? It wasn’t that she’s too dykey. It’s that she’s too smart.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Walzer recalled “discussion about who she might be interested in – the usual girl talk stuff– talk about how to get his attention.”
This was “less along the lines of how to wear your hair,” Walzer said, than how to avoid intimidating men with an intellect and confidence that weren’t always seen as attractive traits. “It’s an ongoing challenge for very smart women – there are not very many men who would choose women who are smarter than they are,” said Walzer .
And yet, so many always do.
[Politico; photo via WSJ, which had no idea a photo of Kagan playing softball would push a rumor]
Lanjier
Lesbian. I know a woman: dates men, talks about loving men. A serial dater, always dating only a few times. Still single. Friends all think she is straight because she dates and says she likes men. Passes up perfect guys. I met one of her boyfriends who was perfect! Tall, muscular, successful, charming. I loved that guy! Of course, my friend had to find fault with him. “Oh, I found out he was a slut. He slept around with girls.”
hephaestion
She still looks just like Julie Goldman of “Big Gay Sketch Show.” Julie should be able to play Kagan as well as Tina Fey played Sarah Palin.
Mike in Asheville, nee "in Brooklyn"
@No. 1 Lanjier
So, let me see if I understand your point: You know 1 woman who is a serial dater, and now that qualifies you to judge the sexuality of all single women? You are a moron.
We of the LGBT community fight for our right to be ourselves; so what is wrong with whatever sexual identity/personal relationship Kagan or any other single woman (or single man) wishes for their own lives?
What we do know about Ms. Kagan is that she is an unabashed supporter of equal rights for all Americans irrespective of, among other distinguishing groupings, one’s own sexual identity. And not just unabashed supporter, but a fierce advocate.
Mike in Asheville, nee "in Brooklyn"
Oh, forgot to add, if there is any man able to judge a woman’s straightness, it would have to be Eliot Spitzer.
Anyway
Oh, see, took that 1906 sketch from Betty White on SNL to be a direct stAtement about Kagan. As Betty says, “Youre barking up the wrong lesbian!”
Cam
Oh YEAH, because in college 30 years ago she talked about men. Yeah, because NO lesbians I know used to date men. Notice how nobody says anything about her recent history?
Daniel
Oh yeah, Mike, such an unabashed supporter of equal rights that she doesn’t think there’s a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. Spot on.
Lanjier
@Mike in Ashville:
Lesbian.
jeffree
@Daniel: That was *not* a value judgement on Kagan’s part. Her point was there isn’t any US constututional right to same-sex marrage e.g. that it’s not IN the US Constitution. She was +not+ saying that samesex marriage violates the constitution.
That lack of explicit constitutional support for SSM is why DOMA got passed.
And why Prop 8 will likely get booted to SCOTUS.
Robert, NYC
No. 9 Jeffree, straight marriage isn’t mentioned in the constitution either. Under the 14th amendment the rights of a minority are guaranteed and protected, which backs up the contention that banning us exclusively from marriage is unconstitutional.
The Loving vs. Virginia case illustrates a brilliant example of why its wrong to ban anyone regardless of gender from marriage. On June 12, 1967, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that, “The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men,” a “basic civil right.” We have been denied that freedom exclusively.
greenluv1322
I have two words for you dumb fucks…Portia De Rossi! She is a LESBIAN and she is clearly one of the most attractive white ladies that I have ever seen. So please please stop with this dumb ass fuckery that only butt ugly women like Kagan are lesbians. We lesbians are not lesbians because men find us “unattractive.” We are lesbians because we love pussy, you dumb fucks!
Cam
My friend just asked me, when he saw this article “Oh does she have a crush on Tom Cruise too?”
tjr101
Eliot Spitzer is certainly a guy who has been around town and knows who’s available and who’s not.
Bill Perdue
The right is going to bait Kagan mercilessly. But what the right wing thinks about Kagan is unimportant. What we think is all important.
The only reason Obama nominated Kagan is because she’s a loyal lapdog of big business and militarism, just as he is.
For instance a new article in AlterNet says she “helped protect the Saudi royal family from lawsuits that sought to hold al Qaeda financiers responsible in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
The suits were filed by thousands family members and others affected by the Sept. 11 attacks. … But Kagan, acting as President Obama’s Solicitor General, argued that the case should not be heard even if evidence proved that the Saudis helped underwrite al Qaeda, because it would interfere with US foreign policy with the oil-rich nation.” http://www.alternet.org/rights/146826/kagan_helped_shield_saudi_royal_family_from_9_11_lawsuits/
Her sexuality is her business and hers alone. But if she’s closeted she’s a danger to us all. The Democrat Party is the last closet, the political closet. It warps those who tarry too long. It’s a closet that teaches them first to compromise and then to betray.
Barney Frank is a case in point. He did some service introducing legislation before but now he’s a consistent roadblock to struggle, opposing mass action and direct action, gutting legislation like ENDA to appease big business and rightists in both parties. He’s endlessly self promoting in Congress, most of whom are bigots or pander to bigots. That self promotion leads to sellout compromises that cut across promoting the struggle for equality. His deliberate attempt to split our movement with vile attacks on transfolk is nothing less than treason.
DOMA and DADT continue to define the Democrat Party.
What we want to know from Kagan is not who she goes to bed with. We want to know what she’ll do about DOMA, DADT, ENDA and etc. She’s not saying. Perhaps that’s a good career move but if she won’t clear up the mystery she can’t be counted on.
Andy
“The only reason Obama nominated Kagan is because she’s a loyal lapdog of big business and militarism, just as he is.”
Finally, someone who doesn’t wear crazy-tinted glasses. You people voted for a guy who said he believed that marriage was between a man and a woman, war should be expanded, and Wall Street should be bailed out. So what’s the complaint? He was honest?
Cam
No. 14 · Andy
“The only reason Obama nominated Kagan is because she’s a loyal lapdog of big business and militarism, just as he is.”
Finally, someone who doesn’t wear crazy-tinted glasses. You people voted for a guy who said he believed that marriage was between a man and a woman, war should be expanded, and Wall Street should be bailed out. So what’s the complaint? He was honest?
__________
Yeah, as opposed to voting for a guy who said that gays shouldn’t be allowed to adopt and who couldn’t remember how many houses he owned.
Andy
@Cam: Ralph Nader was against all three I mentioned. Or Mike Gravel in the Democratic primaries. But I know, neither has a chance of winning. Let’s laugh at them, like virtually every gay guy I’ve talked to. Let’s laugh at the only people who aren’t afraid of fully supporting us. Hey, let’s vote for “serious” politicians who “seriously” don’t give a shit and just use use like dirty whores every two/four years.
If you vote for someone who doesn’t represent you, then don’t be surprised you get someone who doesn’t represent you.
Bill Perdue
@Cam: The Democrat Party and the Republican aprty are equally bankrupt. Obama is Bush Lite and those who voted for him bludndered badly. They gave us war, union busting and handouts to the rich just and McCain would have.
There are only cosmetic differences between the two parties and the word is getting out.
From todays NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, “more than 80% of Americans see problems with the two-party system — with 31% believing it’s seriously broken and that America needs a third party, and with another 52% saying that it has real problems but that it can still work with some improvements.”
Voting for Republicans and Democrats is unprincipled – its a betrayal of the trade union, GLBT and antiwar movements. As E.V. Debs said, It is better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don’t want and get it.”
Kieran
You didn’t actually believe that Americans had matured enough to actually accept a real live openly gay person on the US Supreme Court did you? Rest assured, had there been a shred of evidence out there that Kagan was gay, she’d never have been nominated by Obama in the first place.
Markie-Mark
One thing we can all be sure of: Any gay person who denies being gay is NOT our friend. The examples of hypocrites in Congress and in hate organizations are endless. Kagan will stab us in the back.
jeffree
@Robert, NYC: Thank you for making that point much more eloquently than I could.
The comment I read that I responded to implied–maybe that was a bad assumption that Kagan was against same-sex marriage because she had said that right wasn’t specified in the constitution.
I think what the issue/ arguement boils down 2 betwween me & that commentor is between what Kagan believes is *specified in* Constitution versus what we interpret that she believes *ought to* be in part of Federal law.
My viewpoint: that it wasn’t a value judgement that she’s against same sex marriage, but her *interpretation* of what the Constitution says.
maybe thats an overreaction to hearing about 10 times in the last few days that she is “against” gay marriage. I dont see evidence of that bias. If I am wrong, i don’t mind a correction.
shea
Quite frankly, her sexual orientation has absolutely nothing to do with her ability to interpret constitutional law, or to serve as a Supreme Court justice.
She may be gay, straight, or bi. I have no idea. That said, my reaction to this “argument for straightness” is simple:
RIGHT, because there’s NEVER been a gay/lesbian who’s stayed in the closet and dated the opposite gender. I’ve never once heard of that happening…
:-/
shea
P.S. The fact that being gay is seen as a liability by BOTH the right and the left is something we should be far more concerned about. You think we’re represented by our elected officials? Think again. They want nothing to do with us, and these are the people we’re hoping will repeal DADT and DOMA.
Give me a break.
Bill Perdue
@shea: The Republicans are rightists. The Democrats are not leftists, they’re right centrists.
Robert, NYC
#21 Shea…..”RIGHT, because there’s NEVER been a gay/lesbian who’s stayed in the closet and dated the opposite gender. I’ve never once heard of that happening…”
What about Charlie Crist of Florida?
Robert, NYC
No. 20, Jeffree….its quite possible she is not against same-sex marriage, but if she is, then that’s a huge issue indeed. We can’t lose sight of the fact that there are many conservadems in the democratic party as evidenced by our defeat in NYS last December and in New Jersey this year. In NYS, no fewer than 8 conservadems voted away our rights, a huge margin. The democratic party is full of them, its not as progressive as some seem to think starting with the President who is a moderate republican in centrist democratic clothing. He is no progressive. There were other female candidates far better than Kagan he could have picked, but he didn’t in order to avoid a republican filibuster which he may get anyway but the chances of that are pretty slim with Kagan’s selection. Its interesting to note that nobody has asked her for her views on same-sex marriage and I wonder if that question will arise during confirmation hearings?? I’d be surprised if the republicans didn’t pose that question to her and I suspect she’d would provide the same answer that same-sex marriage is not a constitutional right unless of course they ask her for her personal opinion.
Bill Perdue
@Robert, NYC: I agree Robert.
If she won’t tell us if she’s for or against SSM then she’s untrustworth.
In any case I think the way to sway the Supremes is to build a massive and politically independent movement, take it to the streets and then make tehm an offer they can’t refuse.