For five years Louis Marinelli helped the National Organization for Marriage fight against LGBT rights. Then in April 2011, Marinelli renounced his work with NOM and pledged to fight for marriage equality. Now, after barely five months, Marinelli has decided to leave the marriage equality battleground to go do something else, partially because he’s tired of “crazy, whiny liberals.”
It takes a lot of time and work to fight for marriage equality, but five months isn’t nearly enough for Marinelli to undo his five years of damage working with NOM. After the HRC stole his idea for a summer equality bus tour, Marinelli scrubbed all mentions of said tour from his site and signed off on his pro-equality work with two (now deleted) posts entitled, “No More sticking my neck out” and “A Statement regarding my future plans.”
In one Facebook post he said, “Today I announced that advocating for marriage equality will no longer be the central focus of my life. I still support gay rights and will continue to blog about it but as for devoting my career or majority of my time to activism, I have no desire to do so. I am stepping away from direct activism.” He also tweeted, “I support marriage equality as a constitutional principle but there is no place for me standing among crazy, whiny liberals.” He said he will blog about current events from here on out but that will be the extent of his activism.
Bilerico commenter Scoot Wooledge said, “I wish Louis had been met with more support and less suspicion from the LGBT community. He did seem like a wasted asset. I observed some of the distrust and out and out hostility Louis received from our community. I can see why he’s backed off. I consider it a shame to have lost him.”
But did angry LGBTs and liberals drive this Republican convert away from the fight for queer rights or did Marinelli realize that supporting marriage equality pays a lot less than opposing it? Inquiring minds and all that.
Mav
I don’t want NOM’s sloppy seconds. All it says to me is that this dude has questionable logic skills and no courage of his convictions.
You can keep your celebrity-whoring fence-sitters, NOM. We have guys like Jon Stewart backing us up, and they have backed the LGBT community up from the beginning on the basis of their actual MORALS, not just when queer sympathy became the latest trending topic…
Pitou
@Mav: Agreed! <3
Bruno
It’s funny, I kind of thought that the marriage equality movement wasn’t cautious enough about someone who’d fought so hard against us for so long, then did a complete 180. Not that I didn’t believe his ideological turnaround necessarily, but it should’ve been quite obvious the guy would stop on a dime and change course at any moment. We don’t need this kind of ally at the forefront, so it’s no great loss. However, some of the insights he gave us about NOM’s inner workings may prove valuable, so that’s good at least.
JQD
Um, those are the kind of comments that if heard by someone considering changing their position, might make them actually not want to help or stand up.
So, now it’s wrong for people to join the fight because they weren’t in it from the beginning?
It stinks of the same bullshit as when I hear LGBT folks tell straight allies that they aren’t wanted or needed. Or when gay men or lesbians claim that bisexuals don’t have conviction to choose. Or when the Transexuals get left out (once again).
Don’t get me wrong; I don’t think anyone should get accolades for doing the right thing, but stop hating on the folks who are willing to stand with us.
Scott Rose
An activist I know apparently has Tweets that Marinelli sent out even after his supposed support for marriage equality, in which he apparently was directing his followers to places where Democratic candidates and elected officials he doesn’t like live, i.e. publishing their addresses and so on. It seems he gave out the workplace of a Russ Feingold donor, a school — though it turned out that when the activist warned the apparent target at the school, it turned out she no longer teaches there. What does it all mean? That same activist charted the chronolgy of Marinelli’s movements between Kent State, Russia where he met/has a girlfriend and then back to the US and has a working theory that Marinelli only spoke up in favor of equality in order to milk the gAyTM cash cow. It is curious that Marinelli instead of backing pro-equality Republican Fred Karger goes immediately for the viciously anti-gay Rick Perry, who has signed the NOM pledge. In doing so, he has in effect returned to NOM, and to working for NOM. It’s enough to make one wonder what would result from an impartial investigation of all the evidence presented by the activist I mention above.
Chico
@JQD: AGREED! right on!
Mr. Enemabag Jones
or did Marinelli realize that supporting marriage equality pays a lot less than opposing it
Bingo!
Jimmy Fury
@JQD: Exactly. I thought it was self-answering when Queerty questioned the angry liberals driving him away and then in the same breath accused him of greed.
Wtf is the point of even debating these issues if we’re not trying to convince people to join our cause?
Auntie Dogma
Maybe he could go work for GOProud. How’s he feel about being called faggot by a haggard, spent bleach-job?
Jim Hlavac
We need 100% of the people to be on our side before this bizarre debate over our existence in this society is over. And that’s going to be hard, if not impossible (which always takes a little longer.) And some of our new found allies or friends are going to wobble here and there; or do other things not to our exact liking, so as we as a group have any. Many of these new found buddies haven’t done much with actual gay folks; so they are perhaps unsure of what we are all about. After all, if for years you think there’s one gay lobby, and then find that there’s quite a few, well that could confuse a person. That’s OK, so long as he’s not against us. Let the man do what he does; we don’t need every supporter all the time; but let them do it at their own pace. Just like we have.
The questioning of everyone’s motive or if there’s a conspiracy behind it is not helpful either. I suppose we could all wonder “how much was he paid to shush?” Sure, it’s possible; but maybe the guy really was clueless about how many different voices there are in the gay community and now needs to find his true gay friends.
LukeM
We can get a long fine with supposedly pro-gay conservatives who go on about how much we deserve equality but want to gut social security, medicare, medicaid, unemployment insurance, consumer protection, collective bargain rights, federal student loan aid, etc etc etc. I appreciate the clear and right statements from some conservatives like Ted Olson, but when did we start making gay icons out of people who support our rights in speeches while helping Republicans gut the programs that people living with discrimination rely on? There’s no such real distinction between purely fiscal and purely social issues. That’s a falsehood perpetuated by the GOP to make it look like they haven’t declared war on gays, blacks, latino/as, immigrants, workers, and women! Seriously, we don’t celebrate Barack Obama’s “evolving” position on marriage. Why should we celebrate Marinelli’s support for same-sex marriage while he’s also supporting stripping the medicare away from gay seniors who are already not getting their partner’s benefits? “Pro-gay” Republicans can all go to hell!
slanty
He’s just a stupid conservative, straight white male. I like how he tries to feign being racially inclusive, as if he cares about anything except keeping gays from getting married.
ewe
Ask me if i give a flying fuck?
ewe
i don’t care for or need either gay or straight poster boys for causes.
ewe
HOWEVER, today is August 30, 2011. Does anyone know whether or not the Bummer has evolved yet?
Henry
@ewe: Just like Charles Rozier to say a black person needs to evolve.
gregger
I guess that I was proved right Daniel. The people on this site blasted me for not believing in that whore Marinelli.
gregger
I guess that I was proved right Daniel. The people on this site blasted me for not believing in that whore Marinelli.
BTW, just came back to gloat. BYE!
o
@Henry: Charles should start posting in sets of six. Three is a godly number and it doesn’t suit him any more than his female partner does. What I mean is that since he spends all day, every day online, she must not service him. Maybe he can contact Dan Choi for some proper servicing?
JayKay
I understand completely where he’s coming from. Whiny gay liberals are enough to drive anyone off. Stick Ru Paul in a room full of QIATBLG liberals, arguing about who’s the most privileged, playing the oppression olympics, and blaming the white man for not getting the parking spot closest to the door, and he’d be running for conversion therapy.
Dallas David
It was nice having him actively supporting us while he could.
I think he deserves a hearty handshake, an appreciative slap on the back, and big wet kiss.
Yellow Belly
Was he an asset? Not really. He’s just a follower.
the crustybastard
“My transition from an opponent of same-sex marriage to a supporter does not mean I suddenly think homosexuality is a good thing. I personally disagree with it.” – Louis Marinelli
Your transition from professional bigot to amateur bigot doesn’t mean I suddenly think you’re a good guy. I personally think you’re an asshole.
Cam
Right after he announced his bus tour HRC announced that they were going to do a competing one. They attacked Choi, they attack Get Equal, they attack somebody who was going out and giving the real story about NOM.
They certainly don’t like any competition.
ewe
@Henry: just like YOU to try and silence people with your petty politically correct bullshit that has nothing to do with critiquing an elected leader you stupid cunt. go elsewhere with your empty race baiting you damaged queen.
ewe
@o: you are so delusional. I get the sense your little self thinks i am someone named charles. lol. Keep dreaming. You set the perfect example of one sitting in your fantasy at all costs.
ewe
@Henry: Answer the original question if you are going to address me. Has the Bummer evolved yet? I am not interested in you and your race games for ending all thought. You are such a deeply disturbed piece of shit for bringing up race when the topic and thread is marriage equality hence; you are a damaged queen who would be better off playing with your baskets.
ewe
@Henry: Just like Henry to remind everyone of the presidents race instead of his leadership skills. ladeedadeedadeeda.
Real Talk
@ewe: Can black people STFU about race ONCE in their life? I say this as a non black minority myself (Dominican Dad and Greek mom) …STFU. We’re tired of you playing the race card every second. People can’t say crap about Obama because he’s black and if you critique a black man you’re racist? No, keep playing the race card to death and you really will make a racist out of non racist people who are sick of that sh-t. No one cares and no one feels sorry. Get over your victimization.
ewe
@Real Talk: Girl, learn how to fucking read the previous posts before you shit around here. What an asshole you will see in front of your mirror when you do.
ewe
@Real Talk: then maybe you can explain yourself for bringing up race.
ewe
Today is August 31, 2011. Does anyone know whether or not the Bummer has evolved yet?
Rachel's bleeding rectum
@ewe: Is he sub-human or something? It’s almost as if you think he’s a DEGENERATE.
Henry
@ewe: You misogynist son of a bitch, don’t you call me a cunt just because I’m so much smarter and funnier than you. With 8 comments in a row, I’ll expect Queerty to delete your spam replies. Maggie gets hers deleted and all she does is post nonsense. Your posts are downright offensive.
Ted Coppock
@ewe: This why work is not consistently done in support of GLBT persons —— people who have your attitude.
CMObrero
Queerty is so suspicious about other people.
So, now i’m very suspicious about queerty. What if queerty’s editors don’t want marriage equality and they were some pricks trying to segment LGBT people and get converted ex-marriage equality opposers away from fighting for marriage equality this time?
o
@Henry: Charles is so out of touch with gay circles that he can’t even tell you’re not a queen. No queen has ever understood the erotic as well as you do, and no queen has ever been able to make a masculine bisexual “crave” that safe feeling you gave him.
Robert in NYC
I wonder if Marinelli knows who the big NOM donors are? While NOM is waiting for a decision on its appeals to not disclose, Marinelli may have the goods on them.
Quasiconvex
Uhh, he’s actually right. I agree with him in that I support gay marriage and LGBT rights 100%, but I’ve worked within the DNC and other national political orgs, and a significant number of the people within these movements really are entirely insufferable, and will crucify you as self-hating if you advocate for gay marriage and any economic policy apart from total populism.
Layla
@Mr. Enemabag Jones:
Yup. Totally agree with that statement as well.
Henry
@o: Charles has been making more and more hit-and-run posts lately, and sticking around to respond less and less. It’s almost like he’s afraid of me, for real now.