Did you know gay people — aside from Joe Solmonese — ARE NOT HAPPY with President Obama for his about-face on gay rights? No, it’s true! Dan Savage, who sometimes takes questions about your sexual fetishes, gives the White House an “F” for Obama’s “cowardice.” Hmmm … the peanut gallery is starting to look a whole lot like the majority.
Back of the Bus
Savage: Obama Doesn’t Deserve an Honorary Degree (For Gay Rights)
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rsquared
Patience from this Obama supporter is similarly waning. He has done NOTHING for the gay community. Might as well have Bush in office still.
dgz
i wouldn’t give him an “F” *yet,* but an “I” for incomplete, hoping against hope that he turns in his assignment late (for half-credit).
after all, 100 days is about equal to one semester.
Dabq
Kinda like how dan savage will never get one for race relations after his racist, vile Prop 8 comments!And who in the real world cares what dan savage has to say about anything, when he is one of the worst faces for gay rights ever and speaks for dan savage, the posters here, but not all gay men or women who disavow his bigotry while he is screeching for his rights. Talk about needing to keep his trap shut and stick to his lack of knowledge of sex he makes a living on, and, do they really think that getting this hack on tv is going to open the door to anything other than the GOP to keep gay issues as a wedge issue?
Enrik
I’m willing to give the president more time on this one. I’m just glad he’s there and not Bush. It’s given the states enough confidence to approve gay marriage legislation. I think Obama will make the right choices when he knows he will succeed with them. I have an implicit faith in his goodness.
Landon Bryce
Oh, Dan. I love you, and I agree with some of what you say here, but you really do need to shut up when it comes to politics.
Obama did NOT market himself as aggressively to gays as Savage claims he does. Dan Savage and lots of other gay men lied to the gay community about Obama and his support of gay people. One of the reasons why some of us have a had time trusting Obama on gay issues is the large number of gay voices who insisted before the election the candidate was unambiguously pro-gay in obvious defiance of the facts. That’s still a lie. You would have thought that Savage’s support for the Iraq war would have taught him that he is an idiot when it comes to politics. His shoving Obama down the throats of the gay community and his racist rant following the election pale in comparison to that piece of treason.
AlwaysGay
DABQ, I like Dan. Dan held people accountable for their votes including black heterosexual Californians. What’s amazing is how everyone acknowledged how difficult it would be for Barack Obama to get white votes because of the racial history between whites and blacks yet people can’t mention the fact that blacks are more likely to be anti-gay than any other group. Please. Last July the National Black Justice Coaltion (a black gay group) released a survey showing 23% of blacks support marriage for same-sex couples while 35% of Latinos, 46% of whites and 55% of Asians do.
Dabq
@AlwaysGay: You have every right to like him, for me he is no better than Marion Barry, since his hate of blacks, which he made clear after Prop 8, is as vile and strong as Barry’s is for gays, savage spoke what his heart told him, no one forced him to make his hateful remarks that were as racist as they come in holding people “accountable” and even going off on black gays like so many did.
And, on your point that blacks are more homophobic,maybe those who like them some dan savage need to try to build bridges with blacks and others who don’t understand what marriage equality is about instead of spewing racial slurs and then expecting people to join the fight. And while they are at it try and teach savage that racism is as vile as homopobia is and I denouce them both.
Chitown Kev
@AlwaysGay:@Landon Bryce:
Dan was in a no win situation with the Prop 8 rant. Call it out and you’re labeled a racist. Or ignore the racial elephant in the room. Now many of those commenters were racist,no doubt, and the racists in the gay community ran with it. But Savage (unlike Sullivan) never attributed the passage of Prop 8 to black people. He did say there was a problem. And that much, he was right about. What’s un-PC is for a white person to say that.
And I’ll be the first to say that there is there is a specific cultural context for homophobia in many black communities that Savage was (and is) totally ignorant of.
Chitown Kev
@Dabq:
I don’t recall Dan, himself, going off on black gays, though, again many in the gay community did. And after that Marion Barry shit, even I want to vent on DC’s black gays for not standing up against that shit.
What I don’t like (and Savage is guilty of this) is how this all of a sudden became a nationwide meme when the vote only took place in California. Marriage equality seems to be doing just fine and dandy in New England without all that California mess and there’s even black faces in the forefront (unlike California)
michael
I don’t agree with Savage on a lot of things but at least he has some passion and conviction. Look at what we have speaking for us, Joe S. from HRC. He has about as much passion and conviction has a piece of toast. He’s useless. Any company that hired an organization to lobby for them that had a success record like the HRC would fire them in a month. But I agree that Obama never promised us anything. He stated from the get go that he was opposed to Gay marriage and God was in the mix, code phrase for what? Gays voted for him because they either projected their hopes and dreams upon him, bought into the belief that opposites are always different from what they oppose or just voted for the lesser of 2 evils which is pretty much par for the course in American politics. But Obama is no different from any other politician. Lots of flowery, ambiguous words that you could define as you wished. He also had the benefit of coming off 8 years of heaviness and negativity and Americans craved anything that remotely sounded positive or different. The time was just ripe for Americans to go to another extreme, which in time we will see is not a lot different than what we have always had.
Chitown Kev
@michael:
Well. We need to work on Obama like King worked on Kennedy, bottom line. Kennedy was pretty apathetic about civil rights also until King (and many others) made him take notice.
Yeah, but Savage has a little bit too much uncontrolled passion plus he admits to drinking and other things prior to or even while doing columns. And he is forever lifting things out of context.
Jaroslaw
OK, my memory is not 100%, yes Obama said God is in the mix and he believes marriage is between a man and a woman but:
– he did promise to repeal DADT
– he did state Gays & Lesbians deserve full equality
Dan Savage is no slouch with his facts and figures. As to him being a racist, you guys are way overboard on that one. There obviously is a problem, which is what he said.
And DABQ no better than Marion Barry? Get a grip! Please quote exactly what he said that offends you so much about Prop 8.
michael
@Chitown Kev: I agree with you totally, even about Dan. The problem I think we have in changing Obama or any president the way you mentioned, which is the only real solution I see, is that the Civil Rights movement had Dr. King, India had Gandhi, South Africa had, has, Mandela. They were humans that those they led could channel their power through. They were men of unwavering conviction and relentless pursuit, a keen sense of fairness and a lot of wisdom. I just think human beings need that and we, the gay community need that as well. But where
are we going to find that? Where are we going to find such a person that can inspire, organize and channel our truth? That is why we seem so disorganized, so disagreeable, because we need that. Its not our fault. That kind of leader has not risen up for us yet. But I believe, that when we are able to humble ourselves, accept that despite doing our best we are fragmented and confused, then that person will rise up.
Its not so much that these types of leaders are messiahs, its that they represent the messiah in all of us and are able to help us find it within ourselves. When we do find it, we will be unstoppable, because that which is good, that which is lovely, that which is just cannot be stopped once it is harnessed by our consciousness as humans.
strumpetwindsock
@Chitown Kev:
I have to snicker at that one, actually.
Speaking as one who spent 20 years in the business, hard-drinking journalists are probably more common than hard-drinking rock stars
It has probably changed a bit now that the anti-substance abuse puritans are running the show, but the bottle doesn’t usually make the difference between a good and a bad writer.
strumpetwindsock
@Chitown Kev:
..not saying I disagree with your argument BTW. Savage can be a bit flamboyant. But then that gets the readers.
Dabq
@Jaroslaw: The vile comments he had on his blog right after the now debunked CNN exit interviews were taken down after it came out that it was racially insensitive and derogatory and he was called out on it, but, short term memory loss when its hate from a gay “icon” like he is to many seems par for the course here.
If he is the face of gay rights, good luck getting anyone to join the fight, poor speaker and just unlikable on so many levels IMO. Can’t fight hate and bigorty with hate and bigotry.
Sam
I love Dan Savage’s sex advice, but every time he tries to get political, I think “stick to teh sex tips, Dan.” He’s got the political acumen of a tree sloth.
@rsquared: @dgz: Great metaphor. Our President hasn’t even finished his first half of his freshman year, and already we’re ready to flunk him. And apparently he gets no points for calling on Congress to pass hate crimes legislation AND signing onto a major international LGBT rights resolution, since I’m sure the Bush administration would have done the same.
I’m still confident that the Obama administration will make it possible for us to make massive strides forward. If it’s not happening quickly enough for you, maybe start organizing your friends and family to put pressure on him would work better than just writing him off in the comments section of a blog.
Michael Bedwell
From: MBEDWELL
To: [email protected]
Sent: 5/13/2009 10:52:08 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time
Subj: Re: Still fired up? Help today. [“by signing up for a monthly contribution of $35”]
Oh, I’m definitely fired up! I’m fired up as one of those LGBT Americans whose struggle for equality candidate Obama explicitly and repeatedly promised to “put the full weight of [his] administration behind” only to quickly shelve those promises behind Bo’s Puppy Chow.
And, now, on top of breaking his promise to start working for DADT repeal the moment he took office, he’s refusing to stop the bleeding of DADT discharges just because Dr. Congress hasn’t arrived, even though legal scholars have demonstrated he has the power as Commander-in-Chief to do exactly that.
I am not a one issue voter…or donor…but I’ve been fooled too many times and will not give another dime to anything with Obama’s name on it or the Democratic Party until I see ACTION. And that INCLUDES for the 2010 midterms. You think I’m afraid to let you lose? Try me.
I will no longer enable his and the Party’s drunken disregard for my equality.
Cheers!”
——
From: MBEDWELL
To: [email protected]
Sent: 5/13/2009 10:49:13 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time
Subj: Re: Fool Me Twice [“When you make a $15 recurring contribution to ActBlue, you’re investing in a government that represents your interests”]
Imagine my disappointment when I discovered it was not Barack Obama whom you were talking about making us fools…at least LGBT Americans whose struggle for equality he explicitly and repeatedly promised to “put the full weight of [his] administration behind” only to quickly shelve those promise behind the Bo’s Puppy Chow. … … … …”
Dave
Obama isn’t just flip flopping on gay issues. He’s doing it on A LOT of campaign “promises” he made. I’m glad I was never part of the bandwagon for damn sure. I still don’t like him.
stevenelliot
@Chitown Kev: Drinking while writing? Now thats an uncommon activity. NOT!
drunk writers are as common as sand. I just asked my drunk painter about that and he agreed.
If all we have to bitch about with Dan Savage is that he called out the straight african american coomunity on their homophobia and he drinks while writing, then we need to go back to the drawing board.
Savage is eloquent. He, in my opinion, is a great and logically minded face for the gay community.
On the other hand, I wish we had a black dan savage, I know their must be a black gay activist around somewhere…..
If more gay blacks would get spots on TV then maybe the african american population as a whole would sense a connection.
Bob
Obama is a lying, piece of shit, politician as usual. Why we expected more from him is beyond me. Thanks for throwing us under the bus, Barack, you douchebag.
Chitown Kev
@stevenelliot:
Yeah, but when doing social commentary on race, gay rights, PRSIDENTIALpolitics, and the passage of discrimintory laws like Prop 8 based on 1 exit poll, ALL AT THE SAME TIME, it would be best to write with as clear of a head as possible. LOL.
Especially when you are squeezing all of those hot button issues into one article.
(Damn, Dan checks over here from time to time, he’s going to see this.)
Pick up the drink after writing THAT kind of article.
strumpetwindsock
@Chitown Kev:
Kev my dear. We are joking (at least I was).
On the other hand, sobriety never made a shitty writer into a good one.
Remember what Lincoln said when his aides complained about General Grant’s drinking:
“Find out what brand he drinks and send a barrel to all our other generals.”
And John A. MacDonald, our first prime minister (the one who managed to foil manifest destiny and keep keep western Canada from being part of the U.S.) was a terrible drinker:
“Once while debating an opponent the drunken Sir John flooded the speaker’s podium with vomit. He apologized to the crowd by explaining that whenever he heard his opponent speak he would lose his stomach. Macdonald was well known for his wit and also for his alcoholism. Two apocryphal stories are commonly repeated; the first describing an election debate in which Macdonald was so drunk he began vomiting while on stage. His opponent quickly pointed this out and said: “Is this the man you want running your country? A drunk!” Collecting himself, Macdonald replied “I get sick … not because of drink [but because] I am forced to listen to the ranting of my honourable opponent.”
Not saying I recommend alcoholism as a career choice. Having a good editor is probably more effective and easier on the liver.
TANK
@stevenelliot:
It’s too hard to write while drunk. Perhaps drunk writers are common, but drunk good writers not so much. Even the most alcoholic of great writers sobered up while they were writing.
strumpetwindsock
@TANK:
Correction:
while they EDITED their writing
Chitown Kev
Well, strumpet, I done some drunk writing and editing myself, so…
I mean Savage is VERY opinionated and passioante, I like that about him, but he also comes off as a know it all when it’s evident that he does very little research and works off of few sources.
He could have looked at the 2004 CNN exit polls for instance, which did not show the racial discrepancies in voting for anti-gay marriage amendments that the 2008 California exit poll did. The you could either question the exit poll itself or speculate as to why California’s 2008 CNN exit poll was so different from the 2004 polls (which showed that blacks voted more or less the same as whites and other etnicities).
AlwaysGay
@Dabq: Actually there were three polls that found about 70% of black Californians voted to take away gay couples right to marry. The study conducted afterward did not use research from the election. The study also used 7% as the size of black turnout which is the same size as the population. Black voters were a larger share of the voting population in most states this election because of the chance to elect the first black President than the actual population size.
StevenElliot, I would like to hear more voices from gay people of different racial groups unfortunately they usually don’t get involved. The best non-white gay speaker is John Ameachi.
TANK
@Chitown Kev:
That’s true. However, Obama wasn’t running in 2004, which did increase black voter turnout. No one’s arguing (anymore, I hope) that it was black californians who voted, who are responsible for the prop 8, but they definitely contributed to its passage (even 58% is a lot).
Michael @ LeonardMatlovich.com
There are, of course, black gay activists, tho fewer in the sense of being involved in running gay rights groups. They rarely get chosen for TV commentary, etc., because, in my not so humble opinion, mainstream media, particularly the 24-7 cable news asylums, still too often associates “black” with 1. hyperbolic, angry, perpetual “victims”—if you’re black but not like that…such as a certain black lesbian female…they ignore you because too often they just exist to broadcast controvery for controvery’s sake; or 2. in their minds, save for Rupaul & Little Richard, there are no black gays.
Writer, blogger Keith Boykin sometimes appears, as does Pam Spaulding of the popular Pam’s House Blend blog, Phill Wilson [tho his primary focus is AIDS], Phil Pannell [one of those most responsible for awakening the gay rights consciousness of Coretta King], former NBA player, psychologist John Amaechi is extremely articulate but spends most of his time in Great Britain, Alexander Robinson and others at the National Black Justice Coalition
The freshest face is that of Anthony Woods, a black gay West Point graduate and Iraq veteran discharged under DADT now running for the Congressional seat of DADT-repeal sponsor Ellen Tauscher [because she’s going to State]. http://www.anthonywoodsforcongress.com
Sadly, the eloquent poet acivist Audre Lorde [“Your silence will not protect you.”] and fighter against the military ban on gays Perry Watkins, who spoke at Leonard’s funeral, have passed.
I apologize for missing anyone.
strumpetwindsock
@Chitown Kev:
I know.
Like I said, I agree with your argument. I think I remember unloading on him myself regarding his article on that university editorial comparing gay rights to AA civil rights.
Chitown Kev
@AlwaysGay
But the actual election returns also showed that Prop 8 got STOMPED in Alameda County by 25% (62-37%?). That is a county where 13-14% of the population is African American.
So where were these AAs were polled is a key question.
Jon A.
@rsquared: You’re a fucking idiot. Do you honestly believe that the progress that individual states are making would have been possible under Pres. Bush?
Obama will do what he has promised because he’s smart and, I believe, genuinely concerned for people. I hate to break it to everyone but I think a financial meltdown and two wars (and gathering bi-partisan support for specific action regarding these issues) takes a bit more precedence than some of the things on the “gay agenda.”
rhydderch
I must say that I’m not surprised by the vitriolic comments being lobbed at African Americans for being so “anti-gay”. Not a single person here has even made the argument that these supposed “anti-gay” blacks are older African American’s that have a deep belief in God and don’t support gay marriage because of their faith. I guess if that pesky Obama wasn’t on the ballot African Americans would have stayed home on election day. You guys are all looking for a whipping boy and that might as well be the African Americans right? Truthfully African Americans don’t owe the gay community any favors. As a gay African Americans I’ve witnessed firsthand the overt racism prevalent in the white gay community. Even here in San Francisco their’s a huge divide: most of the gay African Americans head to Polk St whereas the whites go for the Castro. Let’s not forget how whites go out of their way to put “No Blacks” in their online dating profiles and then you’re shocked SHOCKED I tell you when African Americans don’t support your ballot measures. What have any of you fools ever done to reach out to the African American community? I’m certain the answer is not a damn thing.
troy
@michael: Also remember that the civil rights movement had its churches which helped to hold its membership together. Regardless of religious doctrine, church can serve an important role in building a community and building a group of like minded people. Also these churches helped to convey The message of the civil rights movement to keep people informed, inspired and even mobilize them toward taking action. Just look at what the Mormons were able to accomplish, like it or not. As gay folk we don’t have that. I would dare say that most gay folk don’t want any part of church because of years of abuse and rejection and we really do not have any similar sort of organization which serves to replace much of what being a member of a church provides to so many.
Chitown Kev
@rhydderch
Vitriolic is a rather strong word, to describe what is on this page, for one. And why are you not pointing out some of the positive things being said on this page, some which are in the same post.
Chitown Kev
@33
Actually, gay bars used to have a compaprable function in the gay community that churches have in the African American community: a haven from the homophobia from the outside world, a place to socialize, and a central location for political organization. Gay bars no longer serve that central function and we have not found institutions to replace it.
Also “the gay community” has become more widely dispersed over time.
Jaroslaw
DABQ – I’ve listened to Dan a lot, and while it is possible that he wasn’t as sensitive as he could be, it hard for me to agree that he is on the same level as Marion Barry without something to go on.
Do you remember at all what was on the Blog? Does anyone?
TANK
@Chitown Kev:
Because alcoholism and smoking are no longer looked upon as socially acceptable responses to oppression. Even then, the churches were able to mobilize large groups of people and funding in short periods of time for the varied social agendas promoted by the christer bigots….and still are. If we want any form of political cachet, we too are going to have to invent national social networks that don’t revolve around sex and getting high– like black people had in churches, for example.
Jaroslaw
And a great number if not most of us can “pass” so we don’t have the incredibly overt discrimination people of color have. So we aren’t as motivated to be unified although for a time the purple color solidified us.
dgz
@TANK: like websites?
TANK
@dgz:
No…not like websites.
Chitown Kev
@TANK
Very true. And I agree with you that those type of institutions that you are talking about have not developed in the gay community.
In rural areas, the bars would still serve many of those functions.
InExile
Dan Savage is 100% correct, F is the appropriate grade!
sparkle obama
i like dan’s surgery!
he’s morphed from jerry seinfeld to hugh jackman.
ps
i think the hate crimes legislation is major.
i certainly can credit the president for ushering in a new environment where this can go over gracefully & with little controversy.
anyway, gays need to help the president.
when dan savage says the “gay community” does not feel obama “deserves an honarary degree” he is being lazy, provocative & unconsciously r*cist.
b*tch, i didn’t authorize dan savage to speak for me.
but he looks fabulous.
his plastic surgery is even more tasteful than miss california’s!
sparkle obama
ps
b*tches, obama’s “silence” is respectful and strategic!
you can get your marriage rights!
he is not going to stop you!
if “gay marriage” is legal, the “perversion” implicit in dadt etc policies is diffused & normalized.
get your marriage rights & give the president the moral imperative to work with congress to repeal dadt and moral codes.
you kids are going to be as low and ghetto as you want, i understand.
effie, we all got pain!
gosh!
sal(the original)
obama change we must change to the change in my change for this change change change change blah blah blah
sal(the original)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adc3MSS5Ydc
sparkle obama
@sal(the original):
oh my gosh, whatever.
hillary lost, girls!
movin on up
& STILL I RISE
Jaroslaw
This is from SLOG nov 5, 2008 – is this is DABQ? If so, perhaps the 70% figure has been disputed, but is hardly unreasonable. Consider the following: In the nearest major city to me, the school system is heavily influenced by the Black Ministers “coalition”, hence there is no mention of AIDS or homosexuality in the PUBLIC school’s sexuality curriculum.
008 Black Homophobia
posted by Dan Savage on November 5 at 9:55 AM
African American voters in California voted overwhelmingly for Prop 8, writing anti-gay discrimination into California’s constitution and banning same-sex marriage in that state. Seventy percent of African American voters approved Prop 8, according to exit polls, compared to 53% of Latino voters, 49% of white voters, 49% of Asian voters.
I’m not sure what to do with this. I’m thrilled that we’ve just elected our first African-American president. I wept last night. I wept reading the papers this morning. But I can’t help but feeling hurt that the love and support aren’t mutual.
I do know this, though: I’m done pretending that the handful of racist gay white men out there—and they’re out there, and I think they’re scum—are a bigger problem for African Americans, gay and straight, than the huge numbers of homophobic African Americans are for gay Americans, whatever their color.
This will get my name scratched of the invite list of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, which is famous for its anti-racist-training seminars, but whatever.
Finally, I’m searching for some exit poll data from California. I’ll eat my shorts if gay and lesbian voters went for McCain at anything approaching the rate that black voters went for Prop 8.
UPDATE: Early the morning after this post went up Stephanie wrote in comments…
Mr. Savage, do you endorse the hostile, racist things some people are saying here? Since I know you have read some of these comments, please clarify that the angriest posters are misreading your position or taking things too far. You are a community leader, and I think some of your readers need some guidance from you.
Of course I don’t endorse any of the hostile, racist comments posted here. I stopped reading this thread, though, early yesterday afternoon; I couldn’t keep up. I will be posting something else to Slog about this today, after I file my weekly “Savage Love” column. And please note: My original post described black homophobia as a big problem for all gays and lesbians, whatever their color. This isn’t about African Americans beating up on gay white men and women; African American gays and lesbians are the ones who suffer the most from African American homophobia.
And I was asked why I didn’t go after, say, the Mormon Church, which bankrolled this thing: I have written numerous posts slamming the Mormon Church and the Catholic Church, as any regular reader of Slog would be aware.
More later.
andy_d
@rhydderch: I strongly suggest you do some research into who was the prime mover and shaker within the ranks for the march on Washington during which MLK delivered his “I have a dream” speech.
Sarise
Ever since he failed to deliver on the DADT issue, I’m no longer supportive of this president. It’s one thing for him not to agree with gay marriage, he has been fortright about it, but the DADT issue is a different story.
Chitown Kev
@Jaroslaw:
Yep, that’s the one, Jaraslaw. And 2 of Dan’s comments later in the thread:
Yes, our real villain in this piece is the Mormon Church. But facts are facts.
Posted by Dan Savage | November 5, 2008 10:26 AM
Thanks, Alice. No warfare. Just an acknowledgment that we have a problem here.
Posted by Dan Savage | November 5, 2008 10:48 AM
Problem was, there were plenty of facts already in evidence that Dan didn’t take into consideration. The 2004 CNN exit polls, for one.
The polls for Proposition 22 in 2000 had more support among black Californians than Proposition 8, for two.
He could have waited until actual election returns were available which showed that the real split was Northern California and Southern California on the coasts along with inland California. 70% of the city of Fresno vote for Proposition 8. But, CNN pushed and pushed and pushed their exit poll (with no statistically significant sample of black men) and Dan took the bait. Hold that column for 24 hours and this may have been quite different.
NOw pulling that column before his appearence on Colbert, THAT was shady.
Mark in Colorado
@Dabq: @Chitown Kev: As a Mexican-American I know first hand about racial minorities and homophobia. Many hispanics are opposed to same-sex marriage and are quite homophobic. But let me also inform you of a sad reality–especially since whenever a white man speaks about homophobia in the black community he’s more often than not quickly branded as racist–many, many hispanics have a visceral dislike of blacks. I’ve always asked why when I meet hispanics who express ugly views about blacks. I never get a coherent answer, just a lot of nasty invective.
And while the infamous CNN survey about blacks voting on Prop 8 has been discredited, a survey of 2,800 voters in New York released today by Quinnipiac University on same-sex marriage showed black voters are opposed 57% to 35% with white voters just squeaking over the favorable line at 47% to 45%. However, black voters are in favor of civil unions. Pam Spaulding, a black woman, in response to black voters results on same-sex marriage in the Quinnipiac poll states, “the schism and inability of anyone to successfully tackle religion-based bigotry in the black community plays itself out.” It’s not just white gay men who need to reach out to these voters, far from it.
michael
Did Dan purchase a chin? I don’t remember him ever having one.
Dennis
@michael:
OMG, you totally busted him…he did, that’s a brand new store-bought chin…actually looks OK on him.
michael
@Dennis: I just checked out some photos of him and he bought more than a new chin. Dan has had a major overhaul. I will leave my final judgement till I see some better photos of him, but if this film clip is any indication of the results then Dans makeover is a huge success. He looks ten years younger and 10 times better. I wanna know who did his work cause I live in Vancouver and may just have to travel down there and do a consult with him!
Dennis
@michael:
He’s totally had major work done…do you have any links to pics?
I’ve had a major Dan S. crush for ages, he’s gone from geeky cute to pretty handsome, IMO. (But he’s married w/kid(s?) and I’m no homewrecker, so I’ll have to admire from afar…HA!)
Jaroslaw
Well, Chitown Kevin, a journalist is always torn between moving now and waiting; it is a curse of the ever shortening news cycle. That is hardly Mr. Savage’s fault that media outlets are clamoring for instant analysis. I think looking at his overall work, he did the best he could under the circumstances. Whatever one writes will never please all.
But my point is to the people who say he is a blatant racist or just as bad as so and so – well, the column proves that just isn’t true. Not sure what you mean about “pulling” the column; I found it yesterday on “the stranger” website that he writes for. So he pulled it and then put it back? ?????
Chitown Kev
@Mark in Colorado:
And if you read Pam Spaulding’s post on the subject, you also saw my comments (I’m under a different name but it’s easy enough to figure out that it’s me). Mark, I am in full agreement with Pam on that subject.
Jaroslaw, yes, he pulled the column before his appearence of Stephen Colbert 11/12/08 and put it back after the show. And he made an off-color racial joke about black men on the show.
But I somewhat agree with you that he did…OK under the circumstances and I’ve never called him a blatant racist. But those who are blatant racist in the gay community took his column and ran with, as did quite a few of those who commented on that post. Dan realized a little too late that he inadvertently let a cat out of the bag.
Chitown Kev
@Mark in Colorado
black-Hispanic relations? Depends on the classification of the Hispanic, they can also be very, very good, especially with Puerto Ricans.
I have no tolerance for racial bigotry, no matter who the perpatrator or the victim. I have given many a friend a tongue lashing for anti-Latino or anti-Arab racism.
Brian Miller
Not a single person here has even made the argument that these supposed “anti-gay” blacks are older African American’s that have a deep belief in God and don’t support gay marriage because of their faith.
Jerry Falwell made his early career opposing interracial marriage and the end of segregation based on his deep belief in God and faith too.
Didn’t make it right then. Doesn’t make it right now, either.