What do Ann Coulter and GOProud’s Christopher Barron have in common? As evidenced by Barron’s exchange on MSNBC today — where Cenk Uygur confronted him about all the conservative groups ditching CPAC over GOProud’s repeat sponsorship — it is this: the more you attempt to antagonize them, the stronger they become. (Barron tweeted after the interview that he “pwned that clown on MSNBC.”) “The fact is, the conservative movement is united. We’re winning, and we’re united. … The conservative movement is absolutely welcoming to gay people.” Responds Cenk: Uh, you’re a dumbass. And then he laughs. And so should you.
he can dream
Everyone Laugh At Christopher Barron’s Claim That Conservatives Are Embracing Gays
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Connor
Oh dear, someone spent a little too much time in Dupont Circle before their interview…
christopher di spirito
I don’t buy GOProud’s Christopher Barron. He’s too scripted and I suspect he’s a tool. The cat refuses to listen to logic and reason.
Kev C
A year ago I might have been agreeing with Cenk Uygur, but frankly, both parties are majority anti-gay and Cenk comes off as a bully.
a
THEY RAN A WHOLE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST HATING YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
ewe
Why am i not feelin the love yet if conservatives are so keen on me now?
Jim Hlavac
Well, I shall not laugh at the assertion. Neither should anyone else.
It’s true that there are some Christian Conservatives that backed out of CPAC because of GOProud, on the other hand some 70 other Conservative groups have not. It’s true that some Republican Evangelist types are just as anti-gay as some Democratic Baptists. It’s true some Republican politicians have expressed grave reservations about various aspects of the gay issues.
But I present to you this:
If one goes to TEA Party websites, like I do, you will find that many link to gaypatriot.net, hillbuzz.org and conservativelesian.com — and also refer to them, quote them and link within articles to them. And to other gay conservative websites, of which there are far more than you might think. My own blog has been a “guest blog” or a “blog of the day” or some other direct mention on many TEA party websites. I’ve been a guest blogger on more than one major TEA party website — including one post entitled “And Jesus loves all the gay children too” — and I’m a frequent commenter on all things gay on more than two dozen conservative, TEA party, Republican, even Christian Right websites — and have had vigorous and eye opening (for them) conversations with many people. And I mean near daily. And I’d say roughly 50 to 60 percent of the fellow commenters are definitely welcoming to gay people, and more come round all the time. I’d say most of these sites are actually not obsessed with us — they’re gay perplexed perhaps, or gay confused, but they’re not anti-gay. I could go on — this is not the place.
However, your command that we all laugh at what I know to be true from personal experience, which I’d be glad to back up to anyone — is patently wrong. And from what I can discern, the trend is towards accepting gay people — not with a hop, skip and a jump, no, but with reason and quite a bit of a learning curve. And the more “conservatives” like Tony Perkins opens his mouth, the more doubt he sows about what he says among conservatives seeking both liberty for all and fiscal sanity.
Happy New Year.
And let us not forget Barry Goldwater said — Mr. Conservative himself — “You might not like it, but gays deserve full constitutional rights including marriage and military service.” He said it in 1994. I’ve been spreading that word, and his words still carry weight in conservative circles. 2011 might well see changes that are nothing short of amazing.
Shaun
Has anyone else noticed that a lot of gay conservatives (especially the most politically vocal ones, like Chris Barron of GOProud) choose to live in liberal, trendy neighborhoods like West Hollywood in L.A., Georgetown in DC, or Manhattan in NYC.
Wouldn’t gay conservatives feel more comfortable in suburban or rural Red State America?
Then they can see what their Republican-voting friends REALLY think about gay men.
Gay conservatives talk the talk, but they don’t always walk the walk.
I know a gay Republican who frequently talks about economic freedom and the virtues of the free market, but he chooses to live in a rent-controlled apartment in West Hollywood.
And I know another gay Republican who criticizes “wasteful government spending” and any stimulus program supported by Obama or the Democrats, but he made sure that he took advantage of the “Cash for Clunkers” program last year.
Shaun
@Jim Hlavac: I went through your blog. That’s perfectly fine if you are a fiscal conservative. Many gay people are.
But the Tea Party is not some kind of bipartisan, diverse uprising as what Fox News tries to portray. The Tea Party IS the Republican Party. And if it wasn’t before, it certainly will be now, with the new Congress coming into session.
And the Tea Party is ANTI-GAY & not very diverse. Professionally conducted polls of self-identified Tea Partiers show that over 80% of them are White, the overwhelming majority identified themselves as Republican, and over 75% of Tea Partiers DO NOT support gay marriage. Furthermore, when self-identified Tea Partiers were asked if “do gays have too much political power?”, over 55% answered yes.
You say that 50-60% of the Tea Party people you talk to are supportive of gays. I highly doubt that. They might be in that “gay perplexed” category you mentioned.
Are there some Tea Partiers (especially in urban areas that vote overwhelmingly Democratic anyway) who might be supportive of gays? Yes, there are.
But even to those “gay supportive” Tea Partiers, gays are only important as that they possibly shift votes from a Democrat and give them to a Republican.
Do you think, once a Republican with strong “Tea Party credentials” gets into office that he or she will be strongly supportive of gay issues, and not bow down to the demands of social conservatives?
Get real.
Goodnight Moon
@Jim Hlavac: if any bit of this elaborate defense you’ve erected here is true, it’s all “too little, too late”.
i will not spend the rest of my life trying to woo a teabagger into loving or accepting me.
these people are dinosaurs and will soon be left drowned by the tides of changes.
Goodnight Moon
@Kev C: get real. and cenk is hot.
Kev C
@Goodnight Moon: You get real. Republicans may be more anti-gay than dems, but both are majority anti-gay.
What do you think would have happened if the vote to repeal DADT happened before the mid-term elections? A lot more dems would have lost their seats. You can be sure that the vote was carefully planned for Dec. 2010, months or years in advance.
tjr101
This guy can’t possibly be more deluded. Gay conservatives continue to ride the coattails of liberal activism in gaining equal rights while at the same time voting for a party that wants to turn back the clock.
Republicans are no more fiscally conservative than Democrats, so that reasoning by gay Republicans is hogwash. Tax cuts are more important to them than gay rights.
Matt
He says he believes in a strong national defense, but supports a party that insists on a strong offense that makes us less secure. He says he believes in free markets, yet the free market is exactly what tanked our economy and sent all our manufacturing jobs (middle class) overseas. Today’s Republicans are NOTHING like Barry Goldwater or Dwight Eisenhower. Today’s Democrats are to the right of Eisenhower, and quickly closing in on Goldwater.
The truth is the middle class grew at the fastest rates under Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson. The people who PRODUCE America’s wealth shared in it to a much greater extent before the current “conservative” movement of Reagan and “deregulation”. If this privileged elitist hack took his head out of it and looked at reality instead of just what’s in it for himself, he’d sing a much different tune.
Jim in St Louis
TJR101-
I’m with you that neither party is truly fiscally conservative, but don’t pretend that liberal activism has actually done anything- “More harm than good” is about the best you can say about activism. Every state (like mine and like CA and a dozen others) that was quietly convincing our fellow voters that civil unions were a good idea had the rug pulled out from under us by the activists. Now these states all have constitutional amendments that forbid same sex marriage- thanks for nothing.
Keep your phony-baloney activism to yourself.
p.s. (tax cuts ARE more important than gay rights)
tjr101
@Jim in St Louis: I see you’re just as deluded as Chris Barron.”Tax cuts ARE more important than gay rights,” thanks for proving my point!
“Every state (like mine and like CA and a dozen others) that was quietly convincing our fellow voters that civil unions were a good idea had the rug pulled out from under us by the activists.” So you are comfortable with being a second class citizen which is what you get with Civil Unions.
Liberal activism is not the reason for the numerous constitutional amendments against same-sex marriage in the states, the Republican party’s play on the ignorance of the masses is the reason for it. Get your head out of Chris Barron’s ass!
mark c
@Shaun:
Jim in St Louis
@tjr101: Neither myself nor my partner are second class citizens. I don’t think there are classes of citizens- either you are one, or your not. The way you repeat things that are just slogans is just silly- if you have a point then make it- don’t just be a bumper sticker.
The whole notion of “gay rights” in quotes is phony. Like “black rights” or “women’s rights”. People are born with rights, and in the USA all people have the same rights. Your problem is a misunderstanding of what a right really is. You think it is a benefit or a privilage that you were told that you are being cheated out of. So like a 14 year old girl you scream out: “But that is not FAIR!!” Well I’m sorry darlin’ , but life is not fair.
Yes I still think that the US needs to get its financial house in order and that should be a much bigger issue than any HRC fund-raising made up issue of the week.
FreddyMertz
I wouldn’t exactly say that conservs are embracing gays…well maybe in closed quarters like bathroom stalls, “adult” bookstores and if you’re young enough and a page on Capitol Hill, yes. But it’s a whole different kind of “embrace”.
kayla
The next rounds of Republican presidential primaries will set any disabused person straight…pun intended. When the likes of Palin and Huckabee will have to pander to the rabid base, no arguments will be needed, just watch that show unfold.
I think if there are persons who value their finances above their constitutional rights, they certainly have a right to vote for who they believe will benefit that aspect of their life. But just be upfront about it…
mark c
Shaun:
You are so right. I know some grifters who want to take, take, take, and never give back w/any taxes. They think not paying taxes is supercooooooool.
I pay my taxes because i like roads, cops, parks, bridges, a military to protect me.
I like bridges alot.
Trust me, when you go over the Mississipee River, you want a good federal govt. that has inspected that big ass bridge.
Go ahead, go half way across that monster bridge, and then tell me you want only State govt. inspector to have checked it.
Yeah, I thought not.
Jim in St Louis
@FreddyMertz: *snicker* Tell me something Freddy- why is it that the first slur that lefties throw at their opponents is that they are gay? Preze Hilton thinks faggot is the most hateful name he could call someone. Dan Savage calls Scalia a cocksucker, and why do you still hear Larry Craig jokes? Kathy Griffin gives sermons about how cruel insults can hurt feelings (wtf?). Where is the respect for someone’s privacy? That twit Signoreli has a regular feature where he ‘outs’ the children and family members of any pol or especially preacher that he hates. What did those people do to deserve being outed- shouldn’t we be fighting to let each person decide for themselves what kind of life they want to lead? and if they want to live in the closet- well that is not the life that I would choose, but its not my life so I should respect their decision.
If ever you want to see true evidence of hatred and gay slurs thrown at someone- just read above what the lefties think about one gay conservative.
scott ny'er
@a: LOL. Needs repeating. But, yeah, go kiss the ass of those who’d spit on you.
“THEY RAN A WHOLE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST HATING YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!”
justiceontherocks
Why does anyone pay attention to this guy or his organization, which includes about two people? When asked why he’s a republican, he tells you why he’s a conservative. he never answers the question because there is no answer, even for that delusional fool.
Being a conservative is one thing, proudly aligning yourself with the party that denies your right to American rights is entirely different.
Can we all just move on and leave this idiot to rant . . .
Atomicrob
Oh well, he’s making money at the game, right? I suppose free market capitalism trumps civil rights, as long as you get invited to a Washington cocktail party.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
@Jim in St Louis:
Jim, Freddy didn’t call conservatives gay–he called them sexual predators. There’s a difference.
If homocons don’t want to be labeled sexual predators, then they should stop being predators. Stop trolling bathrooms; stop picking up rentboys; stop sexually assaulting your straight roommates as they sleep.
don’t pretend that liberal activism has actually done anything
Liberal activism gave you the freedom you have today to be an out, or closeted, gay man. Please tell the readers of Queerty what exactly GOProud has done to advance equality for queer Americans.
Your problem is a misunderstanding of what a right really is. You think it is a benefit or a privilage that you were told that you are being cheated out of.
You’re confusing privilege with equality, Jim. That’s what a right is–a level of equality which includes all Americans. I appreciate that homocons prefer inequality, since you seem to feel a superiority over and above other queer American. But that only stems from the fact that you have done nothing–nothing–to advance equality for an American, gay or straight. The only way to feel good about yoruself, is to disparage the gains that others have achieved.
If we all waited for the Christopher Barrons, and Bruce Carrols, and Dan Blatts of the world to actually do something to make America better, then all American queers would look like the Larry Craigs, and George Alan Rekers of America.
and if they want to live in the closet- well that is not the life that I would choose, but its not my life so I should respect their decision.
And the right to choose was brought to you by gay activism. You’re quite welcome, Jim.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
@Jim Hlavac:
If one goes to TEA Party websites, like I do, you will find that many link to gaypatriot.net, hillbuzz.org and conservativelesian.com — and also refer to them, quote them and link within articles to them. And to other gay conservative websites, of which there are far more than you might think.
That’s because many of those blogs trash gay people, Jim.
I saw a conservative site that posted a comment form North Dallas Thirty, where he stated–as fact–that all gay men molest boys. That’s why rightwing sites like homocon blogs–because they can disguise their anti-gay bias, by hat tipping anti-gay homocon blogs as their source of “facts”.
Devon
Gay conservatives? Fine. I’m gonna disagree with you, but fine.
Gay Republicans? Delusional, self-defeating quislings.
The one and only thing gay Rethugs are good for is weirding out the FRC enough to make them drop out of conferences.
Screaming Queen
Read all of these comments, and if you haven’t hurled from the tension, you’ll probably know why Democrats have been able to exploit the gays for 40 years without having to give us anything. The contempt towards are fellow gays from the lefties is worse than some homophobes whoopin our asses on the street, we shouldn’t be fighting with each other…..are you bitter queens really that upset that a few of the runaway slaves have infiltrated the other side, or are you just pissed they don’t agree with your narrow views of the LGBT’s? Seems like if you were for equality, you wouldn’t care what label a person wore as long as they were saying what they mean, and doing what they say, all this huffin’ & puffin’ is painfully transparent. Get yer big girl panties on and go talk them out of being republican if you think they’re misguided, insulting them and being mean isn’t getting them back on the plantation.
I’m sorry some of you are terrified that the Democrats won’t have a stranglehold on the LGBT’s, I’m even sorrier that you queens think you’re better than the gay republicans, it doesn’t bode well for the future if we can’t even be united.
I might not understand these gay republicans (pro-life?!?), but I freakin detest the Democrats that have dangled carrots for 40 years with no intention of letting us have it……and don’t even start flaming me about DADT repeal, that was fluke, Harry Reid expected it to fail, again, and those eight very clever republicans forced his and Obama’s hand. Verrrrrrry clever indeed! Don’t believe, go check out the eight senators, some weren’t even approached by gay activists….what’s up with that? Shouldn’t gay activists have been ragging at everybody with a vote?
I don’t know how gays vote republican, and I don’t care, they haven’t exploited us for 40 years. I’m too busy being spiteful toward the democratic quislings that have done almost nothing for gay rights while demanding we always vote for them because republicans are so much worse. F*ck That! I like myself too much to continue a relationship with democrats, and they only have themselves to blame.
Patti Smith for President!
Mr. Enemabag Jones
@Screaming Queen:
And what exactly have you done to advance queer equality, Screaming Queen?
Mr. Enemabag Jones
@Screaming Queen
And what exactly have you done to advance queer equality, Screaming Queen?
Owen
Wow..Jim in St Louis is a real life gay Nazi…
Owen
Wow..Jim in St Louis is apparently a real life gay Nazi…
D.R.A.
@Jim Hlavac: Tea party websites link to gay conservative websites…so? How the hell does that translate into them being accepting or tolerant? Besides, those gay conservative websites are pretty awful. They can be just as anti gay as non-gay conservative sites.
50 to 60 percent of them are accepting. Mmm hmm. Then, why do around 80 percent of self professed ‘tea partiers’ oppose gay marriage?
The claim that they’re “gay perplexed” or “gay confused” and not anti gay does not jive with what I’ve seen. Pretty much every single self-identified conservative blogger I have seen is rabidly anti gay. Yeah, they may or may not mention gays issues that often…but that doesn’t detract from their dislike of gay people. Hell, gay conservative websites can be anti gay. And even the most ‘accepting’ of conservatives are usually just begrudgingly accepting.
Jim in St Louis
@Owen: @Owen@Mr. Enemabag Jones: Well you are now a thief and a liar.
A thief because you are stealing credit for things that you had nothing to do with, and a liar since you know that your brand of screaching in the streets has only alienated the rest of America.
Don’t do me any more favors, I don’t think I could stand it.
Screaming Queen
@Mr. Enemabag Jones:
Well I might not display the narcissistic gene that allows people like Reichen and Dan Savage to shamelessly take credit for every gay advancement we make, but I actually help my community without being a political harpie pushing the progressive agenda that’s become so popular with the LGBT’s lately. If you’re in Seattle you’ve seen me at Gay Bingo, I volunteer at Northwest Harvest (yeah, I know, not really “Gay”, but it helps our community), and I shamelessly push all forms of angry lesbian music on my gay male friends who hate me for it (LOL)
So, I wasn’t aware we had to “Do Something” in order to have an opinion, but I hope that satisfies your nosiness. If you give me advanced notice next time I’ll submit some canceled checks. Please note I’m not asking what YOU’VE done to help, because of course, your opinion isn’t any more or less valid regardless of your efforts in the LGBT community. Sorry that my little opinion upset you sooooooo much that you rattled off such a well thought out and coherent rebuttal. Have a super groooooovey day!
D.R.A.
“[B]ut I actually help my community without being a political harpie pushing the progressive agenda that’s become so popular with the LGBT’s lately.”
What’s wrong with the progressive agenda?
Mr. Enemabag Jones
@Jim in St Louis:
Well you are now a thief and a liar.
Wow. A rightwinger who uses name calling rather than a logical argument. Shocking!
A thief because you are stealing credit for things that you had nothing to do with,
Me personally, or queers in general?
and a liar since you know that your brand of screaching in the streets has only alienated the rest of America.
Yes, because American queers have not seen any advancement over the past 50 years. We should all do like Jim, and post rants on Queerty and watch the equality come rolling in!
Don’t do me any more favors, I don’t think I could stand it.
“There is no such thing as gratitude unexpressed. If it is unexpressed, it is plain, old-fashioned ingratitude.”
–Robert Brault
Mr. Enemabag Jones
@Screaming Queen:
I might not display the narcissistic gene that allows people like Reichen and Dan Savage to shamelessly take credit for every gay advancement we make,
No. But you clearly poses the self-importance gene which allows you to disparage any and all work done by queer groups, that you do not personally participate in, or agree with.
but I actually help my community without being a political harpie pushing the progressive agenda that’s become so popular with the LGBT’s lately.
I’m sure the irony regarding the comments you’ve made here, and the above statement is lost on you.
I shamelessly push all forms of angry lesbian music on my gay male friends who hate me for it
I’d think they’d hate you for other reasons.
So, I wasn’t aware we had to “Do Something” in order to have an opinion,
It’s not sacrosanct, but it helps. Part of the solution, and all that.
Please note I’m not asking what YOU’VE done to help,
Because I’m not ranting against the work that past generations of American queers have done to help all of us be equal.
Sorry that my little opinion upset you sooooooo much
If it were only an opinion, that would be fine. Your comment was an indictment against people who have literally, given their lives for your equality and freedom. That you can’t, or won’t acknowledge that is either to be blamed on your wanton ignorance, or your conceit. Either way, being an arm chair general saves you your limbs, but costs other’s lives.
that you rattled off such a well thought out and coherent rebuttal.
Simplistic ideas deserve simplistic rebuttals.
Have a super groooooovey day!
I’d tell you to choke on it, but considering…
tjr101
@Jim in St Louis:
“People are born with rights, and in the USA all people have the same rights.” Yet many of the groups you cited (black, women)where denied these rights in American history. The only reason we’ve made progress in this is because of liberal activism and no thanks to conservatives who vote to deny people access to these rights.
“Yes I still think that the US needs to get its financial house in order and that should be a much bigger issue than any HRC fund-raising made up issue of the week.” Yea like that’s going to happen under Republican control.
Danny
Since Christianity and Islam were founded by polygamists (Moses, Abraham, David, etc.), conservative leaders better start disavowing any membership in Christianity and Islam, otherwise they are pro-polygamy.
PatrickB
RE: Gay Republicans
“They’re just not that into you” – Cenk
Gays *ARE* second class citizens, socially and legally, and will be _forever_ if Republicans remain in power. We’re not treated equally under the law, and in most places, LGBT people need to worry about being “too open” less personal or professional consequences. Is there even a concept of heterosexuals being “too open”? If Republicans control any branch of the government, no legislation to address these issues is even considered.
So maybe you hate protections against destitution in old age and protections from crushing financial burdens from illness/injury. Maybe you like a bloated financial sector and military. Maybe you don’t want workers to have any leverage to protect themselves from multinationals. And you’re not too keen on people speaking Spanish, or brown people in general. Gay conservatives should *still* vote against Republicans, at least until we have done everything legislatively to achieve equality.
OrchidIslander
I don’t think Chris Barron believes everything he says, but he is saying it all the way to the bank.
C’mon, the guy is the President of CapSouth Consulting. A political consulting firm in DC. He and CapSouth have worked on many – and exclusively – Republican campaigns.
Brilliant move on his part. With gay political consultants toiling for the Democrats being a dime a dozen, why not work for the other side where there is virtually no gay associated consulting competition?
Business for Entrepreneurs 101 – find a niche and exploit it.
Too bad that he pretty much has to sell his soul in exchange for those GOP dollars.
robert in NYC
No. 6, Jim Hlavac….2011 might well see changes that are nothing short of amazing? Really?
Do you really believe the GOP will support enactment of ENDA and the repeal of DOMA? Your tea partyer friends in Iowa are now going to try to impeach the judges there who voted for marriage equality. The majority of the GOP which includes tea partyers voted against DADT repeal, conservatives I might add. Name one piece of legislation they’ve authored or intend to introduce, then credence might be given to your statement. I just don’t see it happening. Its delusional to even believe it just as the Log Cabiners are convinced that they can change the party from within. I’ve seen absolutely NO evidence of that. Where does it stand on marriage equality? You can be sure you’ll see more of them resurrecting this wedge issue to polarize the party even further to the right in the new year and definitely in 2012, mark my words.
PatrickB
Republicans have done everything in their power to set gays back, from campaigning on marriage discrimination in 2004 and 1996, the DADT survey/filibuster (McCain crying, ect.), and demonizing or trivializing gays in the media. President Bush threatened to veto Hate Crimes, and would have vetoed any other pro-gay legislation. McConnell even tried to poison DADT repeal at the last minute.
Does anyone think this is going to change under Speaker Boehner, a leader McConnell, or President Palin?
robert in NYC
No. 44, PatrickB, exactly right! Orangeman Boehner is a vociferous foe of equality for LGBT people along with the majority of their party. They have no intellectual curiosity, they all vote in lockstep with one another to thwart anything that benefits society and all they’re obsessed with are tax cuts that they think resolve society’s economic woes. It did NOTHING during the eight years of Bush. All the manufacturing jobs went overseas to China, India and elsewhere and in the last ten years, more than 42,000 U.S. factories closed as a result of that and will probably never come back. We make practically nothing which means we don’t export much to the rest of the world as we once did. Pick up anything you buy lately and look at the country of origin. 9 times out of 10 it will say “China”.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
GOProud reminds me of the kids in grammer school who tried so hard to be friends with the “cool kids” they would invite them to their extravagant birthday parties and on Monday morning would be teased and ignored again…………..
The heart and oh so very dark soul of the repugnatican party still pines for the days when they could exclude Blacks and even women. If GOProud ever thinks they are gonna get a serious hug-it-out moment from the repugnatican leadership they are truly delusional……..
Jim in St Louis
@Mr. Enemabag Jones:
Yeah, that was kind of the point that I was making, you *almost* got it. Why not trying to go back and actually read it again.
Jim in St Louis
@PatrickB: That a bunch of Crap and you know its crap. Name me one right–ONE that YOU are denied. And I am talking about YOU, not some made up issue like gay marriage cause its pretty clear that YOU could not sustain a long term relationship (with or without legal sanction). And don’t bother mentioning DADT cause YOU would never have the nuts to serve. And please spare me some horror story of being snubbed in the Borders bookstore because you were buying a Lady Gaga calender. I’m talking about YOU- name me one right that YOU have been denied.
Kat
I’m a conservative but I support the gay movement… I wish there was a separate party for those of us who would like to be socially progressive without losing fiscal conservation…
Jim in St Louis
@Kat: Yo! I’m with you there- start one up and I’m in.
Goodnight Moon
@Kev C: i wholeheartedly concur that dems are no heros to the movement, but the suggestion that the republicans, who trade on overt hate-mongering and bigotry, represent some sort of moral equivalent is utterly preposterous.
Sceth
I cannot be a Democrat because I despise animal rights, entitlements and labor unions. But even if that puts me under the gay Libertarian category, it would be foolish to call myself a gay Republican. They’re just too hell-bent on moral legislation to bother with.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
@Jim in St Louis:
Jim, the only point you have is on top of your head.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
@Jim in St Louis
Jim, the only point you have is on top of your head.
Now, please tell us one thing Republicans, or conservatives have done to advance equality for queer Americans.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
@Jim in St Louis:
Name me one right–ONE that YOU are denied.
Patrick is an adult, capable of answering himself. I don’t mean to step on his toes, but I think I will step up and answer.
You wanted one right we’re denied, Jim? Here’s several:
Protection from Discrimination: In many states, you do not have the right to protection from harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Joint Taxes: GLBT couples cannot file taxes jointly; as a result, taxes for a GLBT couple can be significantly higher.
Hospital Visitation: GLBT couples have no legal right to visit a spouse in the hospital and can be barred from entering the room by medical personnel.
Estate Taxes: GLBT couples cannot pass their estate to a spouse tax-free, which creates a huge tax burden that can result in the loss of a spouse’s home or business.
Job Security: In a majority of states, employees can be fired just for being gay.
Immigration: GLBT partners are denied special consideration for the immigration of a spouse, often resulting in a painful separation when a loved one is from a foreign country.
Property Taxes: GLBT partners must pay property tax when transferring property between spouses.
Social Security: GLBT partners are not eligible to receive a spouse’s Social Security pension or many other government benefits.
Medical Decisions: During a medical crisis, GLBT couples cannot legally make treatment decisions for their partners.
Domestic Violence: GLBT people cannot get domestic violence protection orders against a partner or former partner.
Now get back to the public toilet that you usually troll, Jim, and ask the homocons you meet there what they plan to do to rectify this.
Kieran
People like Christopher Barron who would like to see Democrats and Republicans compete for gay voters are just plain stupid. When Christopher Barron says that DADT would NEVER have passed without the 8 Republican Senators who voted to repeal it, he’s technically right ofcourse, but he’s still stupid because gay people should have no other recourse but to vote democrat. The concept of having politicians, regardless of political party, competing for gay voters is just plain stupid.
FreddyMertz
@Mr. Enemabag Jones: Thanks, forgot that they will embrace us when we lift their luggage. teehee.
Jonathan
@Jim in St Louis: Jim- whether I agree with Chris Barron or not, and I don’t, I prefer that gay people have a presence in conservative circles no matter how distasteful I personally find the ideology. My opinions are my own.
What exhausts me is the fact that we all, as gay people, have a vested interest in achieving progress. You yourself sneer at “Lefties” so get off your high horse. Your example is no better.
The only thing that will advance our position is to unite behind what we have in common, not resorting to arguing about details and further distancing ourselves from what is in our common interest.
We all need to grow up and stop fighting amongst ourselves. I don’t care if someone is conservative or liberal, what are you doing that will improve the lives of ALL of us?
We are all gay Americans. Liberal or conservative.
Shaun
@Mr. Enemabag Jones:
You can list over 1,000 rights and protections that straight people, or people in heterosexual marriages are given, but it will make NO difference to gay conservatives.
Why?
Because most of them are in the closet (AND prefer it that way). Gay conservatives are proud to be Republicans, but they hate the fact that they’re gay. If there was a pill to cure homosexuality, gay conservatives would be first in line to try it.
The few gay conservatives who are out & vocal (like Chris Barron or Ken Mehlman) are wealthy enough that they are willing to pay extra for the specific “rights” they wish, a la carte.
I have dated a couple gay conservatives before. They were both kooky & strange. The first one was from a really right-wing Christian family from the Midwest. He was a big George W. Bush fan. He went through “ex-gay” therapy, but was disappointed it didn’t work. Even though he now accepts that he’s gay, he still wants to produce & perform in plays for a right-wing evangelical church.
The other gay conservative I dated was completely in the closet. Another card-carrying (NRA card, in fact) Republican. He felt uncomfortable even holding my hand in public, or giving me a hug. When I asked him if he would ever come out of the closet, he got upset and told me, “Why does anyone have to know that I’m gay? There’s so much more to me than that!”
I dumped him the next day.
Kev C
@Goodnight Moon: Thank you G. Moon. We value your patronage while we are working together with you to gain full human rights for GLBTs. We understand your pain and frustration with the delay, but these things take time and money. Your financial support will greatly help us to achieve these important goals. Sincerely, Democrats.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
@Shaun:
I have dated a couple gay conservatives before.
You’re more open minded than I am, Shaun!
“Why does anyone have to know that I’m gay? There’s so much more to me than that!”
See, now that’s the thing I don’t get about homocons; I agree that we’re all more than “just” gay. But most of us also understand that our sexuality is an intricate part of us, that made us what we are today.
I mean, everything we’ve gone through–figuring out what we are, being closeted about it, trying to appear “normal”, growing to accept our sexuality, and eventually either coming around to, or coming out about our sexuality, has coloured our lives, and made the personalities we have today.
Homocons however, seen to think that the only way to blend in is to cover up their sexuality as much as possible. It’s like they think the only way they can be accepted by the rest of society, is to be less than the rest of society. If you read some homocon blogs, they seem to defend second class status for queers, as if we deserve it just for being gay. That straights are better than us for being straight.
The experiences you had with the two conservatives you dated is demonstrative of that. Clearly their authoritarian upbringing–daddy is the boss, no doubt the women of the family were viewed maybe not tacitly, but through unspoken rules, as being less than the men in the family, and especially less than the father; has tainted their views about being out. Homocons thrive on authoritarian rule, and the idea of bucking the norm–being openly gay–either frightens them, or pisses them off.
And I think that’s what homocons really hate about non-conservative queers, how out and open we are. It shines a light on their own sexuality, and at the same time, their own closet.
D.R.A.
@Shaun: Hear, hear! I’ve browsed several gay conservative websites and I have the distinct impression that most of them desperately wish they were straight. They seem to absolutely despise being a minority and try their best to downplay their minority status.
Not all gay conservatives are this way, of course. In fact, it’s possible most aren’t. People like Chris Barron, Tammy Bruce, and the folks behind Gay Patriot may simply be an obnoxiously loud minority. And if that is the case – I hope it is – all the sane gay conservatives need to come out and differentiate themselves from these lunatics. Yeah, Chris Barron et al. are attacking liberals, not conservatives, but he’s making good gay conservatives look bad.
Shaun
@Mr. Enemabag Jones:
Well said! I also agree with you completely that gay conservatives (or homocons) frequently defend second-class status for gays (and particularly gay men). They do believe there is something inherently superior about heterosexuals that entitles them to more rights & legal benefits. If you ever have the stomach to go through gay conservative blogs such as “GayPatriot,” it is recurring theme, in the posts as well as the comments.
Furthermore, gay conservatives have a motto of “Blame gays first.” They pinpoint the actions of one gay person and extrapolate or blame the whole LGBT community for that one person.
When the story came out about US Dept. of Education official Kevin Jennings and the advice he gave to a teenage boy long time ago, gay conservatives not only parroted Fox News & demanded his removal, but made comments like “All gay men are pedophiles!”
When Army private Bradley Manning (who is suspected to be gay) leaked those files to Wikileaks, gay conservatives insisted that “…Liberals and gays hate & want to destroy the military, and that’s why DADT should not be repealed….”
When Elton John made a comment that he was okay with a (British) civil union and didn’t need a “marriage” to his partner, gay conservatives seized that statement as “proof” that gay marriage shouldn’t be relevant or important to gay people.
PatrickB
@Jim in St Louis: Contrary to the credo of libertarians, I am allowed to give a shit about others. Inequality under the law is unjust (and unconstitutional, to boot). DADT is unjust. Statistics show that it’s implementation is racist, classist, AND sexist. I vote for candidates who fight for justice. I’m not ashamed to want to live in a decent society. I’m not ashamed to be a leftist.
Also, gay libertarians, there’s a reason that you will NEVER have a viable socially progressive/ fiscally conservative party. You can’t keep exploiting the people without giving them a bone. It’s your choice: you can boost their esteem by putting down sexual and racial minorities (gay racists: note the symmetry), or actually raise their standard of living by providing something like health insurance or (gasp!) dignity in retirement. This is true especially now, after Reagan and Bush’s trickledown economics, when inequality is approaching levels unseen since 1929.
(Snaps to Enemabag for enumerating some of the specifics about LGBT inequality. Apparently, I made someone so mad he forgot about them.)
David Ehrenstein
I was going to post a reply to the gay Republicans in here but I find it hard to discuss anything with pseudonyms.
Get a pair, print your name and we’ll talk OK?
justiceontherocks
Gay republican makes as much sense to me as gay catholic: NONE.
Happy and prosperous new year to everyone!
D.R.A.
@D.R.A.: Whoops! Should have put “they’re” instead of “he’s” in the last sentence. My mistake.
Mysanthropic Destiny
Gay Conservative Republicans always confused me. I won’t tout that Iam some out and proud activist, because I am not, I am the contrary. I’m someone who lives in the closet and is in a situation where coming out would most likely cost me my job (or at the very least alienate me from my bosses) and I just plain don’t feel safe living a life as an out and proud gay man, something I wish to remedy someday.
But I digress. gay conservative republicans always seemed to me as either people who have internalized homophobia in some way or as people who feel that the Republican Party will accept them as equal because of the Republican parties need for support to not seem like the party of old that didn’t want equal rights for minorities, women, and gays.
It just seems counter-intuitive to blind one’s self to the past actions of a political party that even nos seems to have a dichotomous view of grudging and unstable tolerance and out right vilification. The latter being the majority if one is to go by the republican media spokespersons and their political intents and actions.
Jim in St Louis
@Mr. Enemabag Jones: Did you cut and paste that list from HRC ? Why can’t you do one simple task? I asked for a right that YOU were denied. Not a cut and paste job from HRC. Can YOU name me one time that YOU were denied a right? YOU in YOUR actual life?
Since you haven’t been able to do that lets start with the list-and since you put no effort or thought into creating the list then I get to condense it down.
The b.s. ones about GLBT partners and couples could all be taken care of by a quick trip to the lawyer. Power of attorney, living will, advance directive. But once again if we were talking about actual real couples (like me and my partner) who actually love each other, this was something we did years ago- because we care for one another. YOUR made up phony hypothetical couples don’t seem to have very much affection for each other. So yes I call b.s. on any gay guy who wants to tell a story about how he could not visit his boyfriend in hospital, or how he could not inherit after someone’s death- well I wonder why not???
Then a bunch of crybaby points that don’t really mean anything-“being fired for being gay” I call b.s. on this one too. I think that some twit who gets fired needs to have a quick excuse as to why he is a twit that no one would hire- and gay works just as well as anything. But lets take it at face value- Why would you go work for that place? If they have a stupid policy like that, then don’t work there. Tell you friends (ooops sorry- Jones- you can tell the internet) and that stupid business will deprive itself of a decent employee base. Why do you think ATT added domestic partnership benefits? Because of some law? some union threat? some drag queens holding picket signs? some pointless awareness campaign? some candle light vigil? NO None of these things happend because ATT beat the activists to the punch and wanted to keep and retain good employees.
And for all the taxes type points- you fucking nut case – you just proved how the Democratic party manipulates the gays into voting like sheep- Should I take this to mean that you are PRO reducing the death tax? That you are PRO getting rid of the marriage penealty tax? And Social Security ? Please- that will be gone in 10 years- not in need of reform-but GONE. Well if that is the case and you want to promote a more sensible tax policy- then why do you vote Dem year after year?
The Reps are no angels, but the blind support that non-thinking gays like you give to the Dems is worse, because basically you are getting fucked and you are not even getting kissed. But enough about your social life.
Patrick: Still waiting to hear from you……where is that right that YOU (personally) were denied?
robert in NYC
No. 69, Jim in St. Louis…..straight married couples don’t have to take a trip to a lawyer to draw up documents protecting what they have, nor do they have to pay to do it. There are more than 1100 federal rights and over 400 state rights inherent in marriage. Right now, same-sex married couples only enjoy the state rights while straights are entitled in addition to the rights conferred at the federal level. Gay people can be fired for many reasons just like any straight who isn’t fired because of his or her sexual orientation. An homophobic employer has the right to fire a gay person just because he or she doesn’t agree with the way we live or what we do in the privacy of our bedrooms or because of religious reasons and they will some times lie about the reason by saying that the employee’s job peformance was not up to snuff. Liars always deny the truth when confronted. You’re fortunate to not have suffered any discrimination, lucky for you. I was fired from a job in my early thirties during the 80s when it was discovered I was gay and I had no recourse because at the time in NYC where I live, there was no job protection for gays. So don’t assume that no gays have been denied rights or recourse in certain areas, they most certainly have and continue to be. I assume then that since there is no denial of rights, you think its ok to fire someone because of who they are? It wouldn’t bother you if your employer told you I don’t like you, I don’t want gays working for my company?
While I finish, I’m not exactly thrilled with the performance of the Democrats over the past few years but can you or any conservative name one piece of legislation the GOP has drafted in favor or LGBT equality and if not, which ones are they going to support? As far as I know and I may be wrong, the civil libertarians have nothing on their agenda either.
Jim in St Louis
@robert in NYC: Why did you work for an asshole company like that? Why would you give your time and support to that type of company? Was it the only job in the tiny town of NYC ? There has to be more to that story than just “it was discovered I was gay”. (?) Really (?)
And I LOVE the line about “I had no recourse” of course you have recourse- you can get a job somewhere else! go to school, improve your skills, work for some other employer that is not a dickhead. When you say “recourse” what you really mean is that you couldn’t find a way to sue the bastard- that is what you are really talking about here- getting some shytster (sp?) lawyer and holding out your hands for a fat settlement. And since you could not /did not sue I think that there has to be more to the story other than you just walked in one day and they said- “Gay guy- You are fired”
And Hey- I want the name of this mysterious company that fired you in the 80s- so I don’t ever give them any of my business.
justiceontherocks
@Jim in St. Louis – so much animosity for so early in the morning. Personal attacks such as the ones you make are the last resorts of people with no valid point.
If it makes you feel good to be an anonymous internet bully, fine, but I’d suggest you make a new year’s resolution to be a little less of an asshole. You might get your points across a little better that way.
robert in NYC
No. 71, I’m sorry but your rants and insinuations are really not conducive to having any rational discussion. You find an excuse to thwart anyone’s personal experience with discrimination as if it doesn’t exist, obviously it doesn’t in your world where everything is hunky dory and gays have full equality. You’re bordering on the delusional just like the Log Cabiners. I’m done, absolutely no sense in continuing this discussion.
Jim in St Louis
@justiceontherocks: Playing victim a little early in the day aren’t you? But then that does seem to be the liberal mindset: claim how awful the big bad mean world is to you- Boo-fucking Hoo!
And don’t EVEN try to play that I’m the bad guy here. Read above where the hate and where the personal bully statements are coming from. You can sure dish it out- but you can’t take it.
The most frustrating thing to me is where you say you don’t see my point- Sure the comments can get distracting and if the tone turns bitchy then that should indicate that there is true passion and feeling behind the statements. But I’ve tried again and again to express that the Dems and the “professional gay inc.” activists have played you again and again. That they do more harm than good. That they have no idea of what real equality is all about. But like an abused girlfriend you still defend them and still can’t see what damage they are doing to you.
So Dammit c’mon! I’m stuck in the house for another couple of hours- any of you fat ass bitches want to actually fight this out? Actually want to answer any of the challenges that I listed out above? And I’m willing to go P.C. and be extra careful of yur pwecious wittle feelings since you don’t seem to be able to take the heat.
justiceontherocks
@ Idiot in St. Louis. I’m not a liberal at all. Just not a fan of ad hominem attacks (look it up) by self-loathing people.
Have a good year. Grow up. As it stands you’re not worth another second of anyone’s time.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
@Jim in St Louis:
Oh, Jim. I didn’t realize you get off on gettin’ slapped around this much. Since you clearly do, I will oblige.
Did you cut and paste that list from HRC ?
No. I did something you’re incapable of–I thought for myself.
I asked for a right that YOU were denied. Not a cut and paste job from HRC. Can YOU name me one time that YOU were denied a right? YOU in YOUR actual life?
Read the list, Simple Simon, every queer in America, is denied those rights. You want one particular right I’m denied, not because you are curious, or concerned, but because you have no other argument, or line of logic to fall back on, so you stay on one tact. No matter what evidence is presented, it will never be enough for you.
Now, I’m not American. I am Canadian. And I can enumerate, using that list above, what rights I was denied by the Canadian government, because I’m gay. But you don’t really care, Jim.
and since you put no effort or thought into creating the list then I get to condense it down.
No you will skim over any part of my reply that does not jibe with your belief, or argument. There is a difference.
The b.s. ones about GLBT partners and couples could all be taken care of by a quick trip to the lawyer. Power of attorney, living will, advance directive.
Why? Where is the equality in queer couples paying a lawyer for a legal document, when straight couples handle that with a marriage license? You and every anti-equality conservative believe in reducing queer relationships to that of “contract”.
But once again if we were talking about actual real couples (like me and my partner)
Who in their right mind would date, screw, or live with you? I think you’re lying, Jim. No self respecting man would be involved with such a loathsome, self-hating person such as you.
who actually love each other,
He might tolerate you, but I doubt any human being is capable of loving something as hateful as you.
this was something we did years ago- because we care for one another.
And because you had no equality under the eyes of any state, or the federal government. However if you were a straight couple, you would have simply gone to the clerks’ office, or the JP and gotten married, and all that would have been enshrined with your marriage certificate. That you had to pay a lawyer for the same rights, and equality that the rest of America has, demonstrates clearly that you are unequal under the eyes of the law.
YOUR made up phony hypothetical couples don’t seem to have very much affection for each other.
How about money, Jim? I understand you’re a privileged white male, who no doubt had everything handed to you. However, what about other queer couples who do indeed love each other, but can’t afford to have a lawyer charge thousands for a contract–not a marriage license, or certificate–to say they are a couple? What do they do, Jim? A simple trip to the clerk, or JP, $45 and they could have their relationship and finances protected with a marriage license, or certificate.
So yes I call b.s. on any gay guy who wants to tell a story about how he could not visit his boyfriend in hospital, or how he could not inherit after someone’s death- well I wonder why not???
Because you don’t give a shit about any one other than yourself. While our queer brothers ans sisters were fighting for all our equality, you were sitting at home, watching out for yourself. You got yours, screw everyone else, right, Jim?
Then a bunch of crybaby points that don’t really mean anything…
I had to snip most of that because it’s the same rightwing tripe that does not advance a debate, but is a cover for the fact that homocons only care about themselves.
Should I take this to mean that you are PRO reducing the death tax? That you are PRO getting rid of the marriage penealty tax?
Everyone is. Except the Republicans. They had eight years to do so, and never did.
And Social Security ?
Once again proving you only care about yourself. America’s seniors made America what it is today. That you would punish them by taking away what little money they receive each month shows you are trash, Jim.
then why do you vote Dem year after year?
You’re making a lot of assumptions, sunshine.
The Reps are no angels, but the blind support that non-thinking gays like you give to the Dems is worse,
Please tell me what exactly the Republicans have done to advance equality for American queers, Jim. ONE THING!
because basically you are getting fucked and you are not even getting kissed. But enough about your social life.
Same thing happens to you, when you go trolling around public toilets, Jim.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
@Jim in St Louis:
I don’t know about Justice, but I’m still waiting for you to tell Queerty readers ONE THING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS DONE TO ADVANCE EQUALITY FOR GAYS!
There. Was that loud enough, Jim? Did you hear it all the way down in your basement, troll?
I’ll make it easier for you. Tell us one thing homocons have done to make America more equal for American queers.
Here’s even easier, Jim. What the fuck have you ever done in your miserable, disparaging, pathetic, existence, to make the lives of your fellow queer Americans one iota better?
I know your partner has done a wonderful thing for us–he took you out of the dating pool, so none of us have to out up with your childishness. For that he deserves the Congressional Medal of Hounour.
Jim in St Louis
@Mr. Enemabag Jones: Lies and assumptions. and not even very good lies or assumptions.
I don’t feel a need to defend the Rep party-cause I am not a member or even a supporter of them. Can’t you even understand someone who is independent? But if I had to point to one item that I agreeded with I would say that at least the Rep party does not put me in some group and then pretend that the groups needs are the same as mine. Identity politics are the most offensive form of bigotry I can think of. The idea that a policy or a law is “good for the gays” is totally bogus. It might be good for some, but bad for others. Treat me as an individual not as a some demographic.
“What the fuck have you ever done….”
Fair enough–if I made it personal..here goes:
I feel pretty good that I have set a decent example of what a strong gay man can do with his life. I don’t take handouts (government or otherwise) from anyone and I have given the next generation of gays a role model that they are not embarressed by.
The medium sized company that I work for now includes sex orientation in our anti-discrimination policy because I wrote a letter to the CEO and the Directors asking for it. (that sounds too grand- there are only about 500 people at the place where I work so I already knew the CEO and directors–but still)
I own my own home and pay my taxes (even if I hate how high they are) I vote nearly every election. and more than once I have had people tell me that they have a new respect for gays after they met me since they had only heard from the loud sterotype obnoxious fags before, and they saw that my needs in my life, my love for my partner, my hopes for my country were just the same as theirs, and that built understanding.
Not trying to be perfect here—but I stand by my view that the professional activist type gay spokesperson who was never elected to anything are doing more harm to more gay people and sucking up more dollars that any right-wing white southern baptist.
p.s. You are a fuckwad shit-for-brains asswipe stain on the underwear of humanity.
robert in NYC
Nos. 76 & 77, I totally concur, you’ve made the same argument as I did, but its no use bothering with him. He’s beyond any rational dialog. He’s wrapped up in his own selfish, conservative world in which almost all republicans and civil libertarians reside. He also avoids the questions regarding any piece of legislation that the republicans have authored, co-authored or supported on the issue of equality. There hasn’t been one. If you ever get to tune in to the GOP conventions, you won’t find one Log Cabiner allowed a place on the platform to address LGBT issues and not one key republican would acknowledge them let alone raise it or lend support. In Jim’s distorted view, we already have equality and face no discrimination.
Jim in St Louis
@robert in NYC: Good Heavens! Robert! Is that you coming back to the comment thread? I though you were doing your dowager duchess impression again and had marched off in a huff.
Well I never! In all my born days! Gracious! cluck cluck cluck cluck
Ya got anything to add about the story you told about being fired for being gay? Something about ‘poor performance’ wasn’t it? Of course it was all a lie–they tell such awful lies about us gays don’t they.
wills
@Jim in St Louis: You really are a total douche-bag. I hope everybody just ignores you, as you are very obnoxious.
Nick
Christopher Barron is hot, too bad he’s conservative
paulD
@Nick: I agree. He’s totally hot until he opens his mouth to speak.
Zach
@Jim in St Louis:
I think it’s a safe assumption you would take the blue pill.
In all seriousness – why not marry a woman and simply troll the bathrooms on the side? It’s obvious that you hate being gay – you hang out with people who only respect you because you fit their version of normalcy, and you hate gays who don’t deviate from normalcy. You obviously don’t give a shit about the economically disadvantaged gays who can’t afford the trip to the lawyer, and you’ve ignored the fact that not all rights and benefits can be conferred to a partner through contract. Since you don’t care about anyone else but yourself, why not marry a woman for the myriad economic advantages while satisfying your urges on the side? It would certainly be more productive.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
@Jim in St Louis:
and not even very good lies or assumptions.
Well, you’re not a good person, Jim.
I don’t feel a need to defend the Rep party-cause I am not a member or even a supporter of them.
You’re an advocate, and an apologist for them, Jim. At least if you were a member of the Republican party, you would have reason to defend them, as you may be trying to move the party to the center.
That you are not a member, yet parrot their absurd claims, and defenses, demonstrates you simply don’t like the idea that progressive, or as you call them, activist queers, have worked hard to move our equality forward.
But if I had to point to one item that I agreeded with I would say that at least the Rep party does not put me in some group and then pretend that the groups needs are the same as mine.
Uh…Yeah, the Republican does do this, Jim. Every time they claim we want “special” rights, they are putting straight Americans into a group, and turning them against us. They do it to you, every time they put gays into a group and throw every slur, slight, and prejudice they can think of, at us. Whether you like it or not, Jim, every time an anti-gay politician slurs us as a whole, you are included in that slur.
Identity politics are the most offensive form of bigotry I can think of.
Identity politics have been around since 1776, Jim. The fact that you would use such a phrase demonstrates you’re complete, and total lack of coherent, or independent thought. Identify politics was a bit of absurdity coined to dismiss the desire of American minorities to have full equality. Oddly enough, the Tea party has achieved success because of identity politics.
The idea that a policy or a law is “good for the gays” is totally bogus.
Would you agree that there have been laws that are bad for American queers, Jim? If yes, than does it not stand to reason that laws, or political policies would be good for American gays?
It might be good for some, but bad for others. Treat me as an individual not as a some demographic.
So in other words, you support that which will enrich you, and denounce that which dill not benefit you directly? I guess that’s why you don’t care about DADT, because your sorry ass has never had to defend your country, while hiding your sexuality.
I feel pretty good that I have set a decent example of what a strong gay man can do with his life.
Where? Certainly not here.
I don’t take handouts (government or otherwise) from anyone
So your parents paid for you to go to private school then? You only use toll roads when driving? You have a private body guard, and have never needed to call for the police? You’ve never checked out a book from a public library? Never walked in a park?
and I have given the next generation of gays a role model that they are not embarressed by.
Oh, I think you’d lose that bet, Jim.
The medium sized company that I work for now includes sex orientation in our anti-discrimination policy because I wrote a letter to the CEO and the Directors asking for it.
You activist son of a bitch! How dare you protest your companies policies, in order to change them to suit your desire.
I own my own home and pay my taxes
Everyone reading this pays taxes, Jim. You are not alone, nor special in that regard.
and more than once I have had people tell me that they have a new respect for gays after they met me since they had only heard from the loud sterotype obnoxious fags before,
So in other words–activist queers who came before you fought for your right to be out and open. You engaged in that bit of equality, and have personally benefited from the work of others. And not only that, but you did it as yourself. The ability to be yourself–the option, or choice–that you would not have had even 25 years ago.
Now, if you’re hanging around the kind of people who call us fags, that would explain your rage towards gays.
and they saw that my needs in my life, my love for my partner, my hopes for my country were just the same as theirs, and that built understanding.
So in other words, you told them you hate liberal gays too, and they love you for that.
Not trying to be perfect here
No worries there, Jim.
—but I stand by my view that the professional activist type gay spokesperson who was never elected to anything are doing more harm to more gay people and sucking up more dollars that any right-wing white southern baptist.
Oh, Jim. The fact that you can’t see that you have personally benefited from the work of any “activist type gay spokesperson” shows that you are either purposefully ignorant, or just so bitter at having achieved no real equality for your fellow American queers, that you allow yourself to be blinded by your own hubris.
p.s. You are a fuckwad shit-for-brains asswipe stain on the underwear of humanity.
To be cursed by the devil, is to be truly blessed.
Jim in St Louis
@Zach: Bonehead stupidity is the only description of what you wrote. I have no desire to be with a woman and am very comfortable in my sexuality. You just make up shit about me and then pretend to be against that shit that you just made up!
I don’t think I hate any gays- I do hate stupid, fuzzy thinking- (show of hands please). There are a lots of gay lawyers in the every town who do pro-bono work if that really was the case here- but that is not the real situation. You just made something up again- So I’m supposed to feel bad because you just dreamed up a fake gay guy who is too poor to pay a lawyer. Ok hotshot- what would being married do for him? You already said he has no assets, or at least could not pay for a lawyer, so what is his benefit of being married? What a great imagination you have, you can’t even come up with a hypothetical that supports your own position. Even straights have to do paperwork and even straights need to visit the lawyer to take care of legal business.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
@robert in NYC:
Everything you’ve written is true, Robert. But I just love slapping guys like Jim around. They’re so wrapped up in their self-importance, that they either cannot, or refuse to see that they have personally benefited from the work of “activist” gays.
Plus it’s fun to watch them become unhinged.
@Zach:
It’s obvious that you hate being gay – you hang out with people who only respect you because you fit their version of normalcy, and you hate gays who don’t deviate from normalcy.
Bingo!
Mr. Enemabag Jones
@Jim in St Louis:
Zach is clearly an intelligent man, so I won’t answer for him. But I will interject because of this bit of outlandishness on your part, Jim:
There are a lots of gay lawyers in the every town who do pro-bono work if that really was the case here
Every town, Jim? Really? You know this for a fact, do you?
Ok hotshot- what would being married do for him? You already said he has no assets, or at least could not pay for a lawyer, so what is his benefit of being married?
So now you’re saying only wealthy gays should be permitted to get married? First you say they don’t really love each other if they don’t hire a lawyer to arrange a partnership contract, now you’re saying gays without money should not be together.
Did your boyfriends father give your father 40 goats for you, Jim?
Even straights have to do paperwork and even straights need to visit the lawyer to take care of legal business.
Straights don’t have to visit a lawyer to get married, Jim.
REALITY CHECK
@ewe: You aren’t feeling the love because Conservatives AREN’T loving you — but it’s because you’re a left wing Statist “progressive”, not because of your sexuality. I am also a conservative gay, and I have been very warmly and enthusiastically welcomed by conservatives. They think its great to see gays who are free thinkers and arent marching in lockstep with the dictatorial left.
paulD
@REALITY CHECK: Yeah, keep telling yourself that.
Jim in St Louis
@Mr. Enemabag Jones: You got nothing, I gave you hours to think up something and you came back with nothing!
I grow very tired of the ‘snippet’ method of your posting. It shows that you can’t respond to an argument, and cannot string together a position that could actually stand alone. Its like you are interupting me during a conversation. Why can’t you actually write out your own fucking thoughts and then let me respond? Instead you do this out of context cut and paste thing that distorts what I was saying in the first place.
The only time you come close to actually expressing yourself is when you get angry at the Reps for participating in ‘identity politics’ -Hello? Isn’t that what I just said I was against?
Then you do that stupid thing about schools, parks and libraries. What nonsense! Of course I’m pro schools, parks etc. Just moronic on your part, nothing there.
Somehow you want me to acknowlege that ‘progressives’ have given me rights and that by not voting for democrats I am somehow betraying those sacrifices of unnamed predecessors? (not sure if I got your message clearly cause its pretty hard to understand you when your all riled up)
Well to that I would say that you are claiming some mighty big credits for some actions that had nothing whatsoever to do with the professional progressive of today. All my life the gay movement has been this: “what I do in my bedroom is my business” And for any gay ancestor who supported that, then I take off my hat to. Its really quite a conservative statement isn’t it.
But for the modern exploiter of gays that is not the standard- since I am supposed to walk down the street as a gay, and vote as a gay, and only go to gay websites to read the gay news, and later go to a gay movie and eat at a gay diner. Sorry I have a bigger life than that and its only those gays who are looking for validation of their lives that fall into that trap of being locked in the ‘gay box’ for their entire lives.
You are still such a Dickhead.
David Ehrenstein
@wills: That’s an insult to douchebags, wills.
John (CA)
At least the old-school Republicans haven’t formed a sort of religion around the crackpot theories of a Russian romance novelist, coupled it with nativist xenophobia, and then pretend all this silliness is somehow perfectly rational. That is all I will say about the “libertarian” tea baggers.
Jim in St Louis
@David Ehrenstein: So Wills is ok to have a pseudonym, but I’m not? I guess you use your real name on the internet, but that seems not so wise or prudent. I’m not trying to hide or anything and if we met in person I would say to your face anything that I’ve said here.
Just giving you the hypocrite test here–aaaaaaand, yep you passed.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
@Jim in St Louis:
I grow very tired of the ‘snippet’ method of your posting.
This bothers you, does it, Jim? Ah, that’s a shame.
It shows that you can’t respond to an argument, and cannot string together a position that could actually stand alone.
Nah. Your replies are so asinine, you have to read them twice, to appreciate their ridiculousness.
Its like you are interu…
Let me interrupt you there, Jim–I like kittens. Please continue.
Why can’t you actually write out your own fucking thoughts and then let me respond?
Becoming unhinged, just as I wrote.
Instead you do this out of context cut and paste thing that distorts what I was saying in the first place.
You don’t need any help distorting what you say, Jim.
when you get angry at the Reps for participating in ‘identity politics’ -Hello? Isn’t that what I just said I was against?
You said you were against gays using identity politics. I pointed out identity politics have been around since American government has been around.
Of course I’m pro schools, parks etc.
Really? So I guess you have taken handouts from the government then.
you want me to acknowlege that ‘progressives’ have given me rights
No. Progressives have given you the level of quality you have today.
and that by not voting for democrats I am somehow betraying those sacrifices of unnamed predecessors?
Please show me where I wrote that, Jim. I’ve stated that the “activist” gays you despise are the people who have advanced our equality. You’re bringing up the Democrats to try and steer the debate in the direction you want it to go.
its pretty hard to understand you when your all riled up
Yes, because I’m the one name calling, and swearing.
you are claiming some mighty big credits for some actions that had nothing whatsoever to do with the professional progressive of today.
And you refuse to acknowledge the work that was done by so called “professional” progressives who fought for your equality, long before you were born.
Yes, because it was conservatives who fought for an end to DADT. Progressives had nothing to do with that.
All my life the gay movement has been this: “what I do in my bedroom is my business” And for any gay ancestor who supported that, then I take off my hat to. Its really quite a conservative statement isn’t it.
That was fine, until the conservatives in general, and Republicans in particular decided to start coming into our bedrooms and arresting us for what we do there. Lawrence vs. Texas, for example.
since I am supposed to walk down the street as a gay, and vote as a gay, and only go to gay websites to read the gay news, and later go to a gay movie and eat at a gay diner.
The only person who believes that is you, Jim. You’ve accused a few posters here of having a victim mentality, yet there you are acting like a victim, being persecuted by those dastardly liberal gays.
Sorry I have a bigger life than that and its only those gays who are looking for validation of their lives that fall into that trap of being locked in the ‘gay box’ for their entire lives.
Really? Like the validation you sought from the straight people who “have a new respect for gays after they met me”? If you’re not intersted in validation from others, then why did their opinions matter?
You are still such a Dickhead.
Well, you are what you eat.
Jim in St Louis
@Mr. Enemabag Jones: Oooops sorry, my mistake! I thought this was a real discussion. I was wrong, your are just having fun, well I can be a good sport about it. You want to play games then I’ll let you win this one. go ahead and take the last word.
David Ehrenstein
@Jim in St Louis: No one is OK to have a pseudonym in my book.
Especially loathesome Republicans like you.
Kieran
Gays who don’t tow the liberal democrat line? Yuck! Pughey!! Off with their heads!!!
To borrow a line from Fred Phelps: “GOD HATES CONSERVATIVE FAGS”
Kieran
Usually I’m all in favor of people in the US keeping their ethnic-sounding names, but in the case of a Cenk Uygur I think I’m willing to make an exception.
PatrickB
@queerty: “Responds Cenk: Uh, you’re a dumbass. And then he laughs. And so should you.” Gay-Republicanism isn’t a laughing matter, as bewildering as it is. In 2010, CNN did an exit poll that showed that 31% of gays voted Republican.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/44743.html
Republicans CLEARLY hate us, and it’s crisis that we would be supporting them to the extent that we do. I know gays are self-hating bunch, but, really, this is bad.
@Jim in St Louis: I’m privileged to work in an accepting group and live in a state where I’m protected from most forms of anti-gay bias, but I reject your premise that I shouldn’t care about the framework that affects gays in general.
When others are fired or otherwise treated unfairly for being gay or not masculine enough, they’re being targeted for characteristics that we have in common. In the future, if we don’t achieve legal remedies, the same thing could happen to me. I could move to a different state, take a different job, or start a family– Who knows what the future brings? (But not soon for the last, since I’m not ready for a long-term relationship, as you mysteriously predicted.) Alternatively, I can just be against people being treated unfairly, but that would make me a lefty.
Kieran
Reality check: CLEARLY, there were 8 REPUBLICAN Senators who do not hate gays. Without those Republican votes last month, the repeal of the odious DADT law would have FAILED. Why do some of you knuckleheads have such a difficult time comprehending this?
PatrickB
@Kieran: Only 2 voted to end the filibuster on DADT. The other six only voted for repeal once it had become clear it would pass. Don’t forget that Collins and Brown come from Maine and Massachusetts, where they could be challenged for being too homophobic. Moreover, they would have happily supported McConnell and the openly homophobic Republican leadership if they were in the majority. Don’t fall for their games.
Shaun
@Kieran:
I love how gay Republicans love to bring up those 8 Republican senators who voted for DADT repeal. That’s great, but how many Republicans voted AGAINST repealing DADT? Almost all of them, including Sen. John McCain. Meanwhile, John McCain and other Republican leaders have pledged to work with the Family Research Council to try to “slow down” or “stop” the implementation of repealing DADT.
Let’s take a look at the 8 Republican senators who DID vote for DADT repeal —
1) Scott Brown (MA) — He’s a “Tea Party” hero, but he does come from the very blue (Democrat) state of Massachusetts, where he has to run again for office in November 2012.
2) Susan Collins (Maine) — She’s long been considered a moderate or “RINO.” She will likely be taken out in the future by the Tea Party for a more conservative, “real Republican” candidate.
3) Olympia Snowe (Maine) — Same as Susan Collins.
4) Mark Kirk (Illinois) — He comes from the quasi-blue state of Illinois. He’s also known as a moderate, and it is one of the worst kept secrets that he is a closeted gay man. If Mark Kirk voted against repealing DADT, he would have been surely outed by Mark Rogers (again).
5) Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) — She’s known for being moderately conservative, but her voting “yes” for DADT repeal was also about giving the “Tea Party” and Sarah Palin a big “F… you” for trying to remove her from her Senate seat.
6) George Voinovich (Ohio) — He was about to leave office so he did not need to worry about what the Tea Party or social conservatives thought about how he voted.
7) John Ensign (Nevada) — Touts himself as a strong conservative, but after his affair with a former female staffer, his ability to claim the “strong Christian” & “family values” trophy was compromised.
8) Richard Burr (North Carolina) — His vote was probably the most surprising as he is known for being a staunch social conservative. However, he has already received condemnations from Tea Party & other Republican & Christian groups for his “yes” vote to repeal DADT.
David Ehrenstein
@Kieran: Have you never heard of the exception that proves the rule?
Of course that means nothing to you “Conservative” KOOL-AID drinkers.
David Ehrenstein
@Kieran: What’s so “odious” about DADT, anyway? I thought life was perfect for you “Conservatives.” After all if you get fired from your job for being gay you can always go somewhere else, right? Doesn’t workign to end it make you a (gasp, clutch the pearls) LIBERAL?
Patty Meltdown
Yeah. The only place that they seem to be *embracing* gays is in men’s restrooms!
Josh
Shaun, thanks for the breakdown! It always boggles my mind whenever homocons bring up these eight Republicans as somehow evidencing that the republican party likes gays, while at the same time ignoring the VAST majority of the republicans who would be thrilled to read in the paper that all is queers died off over night.
To me, and I know I’m violating Godwin’s law here, it’s like saying, “you know, the Nazi party actually really liked the Jews. I mean, Schindler was a Nazi and he helped free some Jews, right?”
Kev C
I would think gays wouldn’t fit into simple binary political roles as they don’t fit simple binary gender roles. When given the choice between dumb and dumber, I’m going to have to say, no thanks.
Daez
The real story is that this dumb ass continues to beat his head on a rock long after it started bleeding by defending a party that has a good 90% of its leadership voting to block gay rights a good 100% of the time. The 10% that doesn’t vote to block gay rights has its base turn on them and try to devour them like ravenous dogs. Yep, GOProud really understands its own party.
PatrickB
@Kev C: Because abstaining from the choice between vaguely pro-gay and rabidly anti-gay makes sense.
Kev C
@PatrickB: In the UK, with a smaller population than the US, they have 3 main political parties and bunch of independents. But in the US, we’ve dumbed it down to 2 parties and a tiny handful of indies.
Libertarians need to split with Republicans
Progressives need to split from Democrats
PatrickB
@Kev C: In the USA, we have a winner-take-all system. That’s why Green voters in Florida in 2000, who would have preferred a more progressive candidate than W, ended up handing the election to W. We all know how that turned out.
In the UK, you have candidates winning with ~35% of the vote. That’s not very democratic if you ask me. I’d say that multiparty winner-take-all is actually worse than what we have.
If you’re serious about multiparty democracy, you should agitate for proportional representation (like in Isreal), instead of throwing your vote away and letting the bad guys win by default.
David
Even though we hate the gay conservatives and GOPROUD, you gotta admit GOProud’s Christopher Barron is pretty cute compared to other gay leaders of the gay lobby groups.
whatever
lol@the retarded gay “fiscal” conservatives on the site. the republican controlled house is not going to anything about the budget. you know why? they have all said defense cuts are off the table. they’ll make cosmetic cuts here and there that will make your typical toothless dittohead happy, but they don’t have the stones to cut from the largest money suck–grifters in the defense industry.
and unpaid for tax cuts really prove cons care about the deficit and fiscal solvency. yeah right!