Barbara Bush is not a paying client of gay flack Howard Bragman, so of course he has mean things to say about her first public statement in support of same-sex marriage. There is a “special place in hell” for Ms. Bush and her political dynasty of a family, says Bragman, for voicing support on LGBT issues only when it’s politically convenient. And while I partially agree with him, I have a hard time targeting Barbara, for she was friend of the gays during her time at Yale (how could you not be, given how gay that school is?) and has been active in supporting things like the Prop 8 federal trial (though no, she wasn’t making public statements about it). In another universe — one where Barbara Bush pays for his services — Bragman would be singing the praises of the former First Daughter. But this man, who one of the worst spokesman for gays Hollywood has to offer, is himself a bully and a bully supporter. There’s a special place for you too, buddy.
bullies
There’s A Special Place In Hell For You Too, Howard Bragman
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kernelt
I don’t think it’s smart to attack vital allies no matter who they are. And plus Bush is the only one who stated that He doesn’t support gay marriage not his daughters and wife.
And I Would rather we have Laura Bush and her daughter than Cindy McCain, the coward and shameful B.
Scott in NYC
Bragman’s a bully and an idiot and I’d like him to shut up now and move on. Nobody said that support for gay rights has to pass muster with his political beliefs.
Samwise
Like Barbara decided who her father was going to be. What a jerk.
DillonS
You complain, endlessly, about what a dick Bragman is … and you’re right. So stop talking about the idiot. No more press. No more airtime. If he shows up again on Joy’s show, shoot her a quick e-mail and tell her the gay community has no patience for him. He is nothing but a fame whore and sadly Queerty panders to his obsession by writing about him, and the likes of Behar pander to him thinking he is somehow lauded by the community at large.
I vote for a Bragman free zone!
Andy
Uh, hello? The bigger story is that by now it’s so obvious the 2004 campaign bullying gays was just a political stunt to turn out gays. When Barbara and her ilk can come out and publicly shame their father and his political operatives, then yes, I will have respect for her.
Until then, it’s ignoring the elephant in the room. It’s as if Hitler’s daughter came out and said she doesn’t mind Jews. Yeah, and uh, what about what your daddy did?
justiceontherocks
@Andy: Oh stop with the comparing Bush to Hitler for goodness sake. We weren’t executed en masse.
Young Barbara Bush does not control what her father or his advisors think. There’s no reason to doubt that her expressed view on marriage equality is genuine.
Tim
I agree with him actually. You rile up anti-gay sentiment or at least stand by and watch it being riled up knowing you could stop it but don’t cause its too much of an inconvenience. Now that you live in Manhattan all of the sudden you feel the need to avail yourself of the anti gay label… Whatever.
WillBFair
Bragman is right, but there’s more to this. It’s a smart strategy to try and make republicans look good to queer voters. Trot out the wives and daughters with dewy eyed sympathy while the elected bullies run us through the meat grinder.
Tim
@WillBFair:
Exactly! This all allies are good Allies thing bothers me. In fact the term itself is problematic and legitimizes the opposition. If I support a woman’s right to vote am I an ally? or just not a misognynist. You’re either a bigot or you aren’t. This foolish “I don’t want to discriminate” statement does nothing but soften her image and perhaps make it easier to show her face during fashion week. Like I said before whatever. If she lived in Texas she’d have kept her mouth shut she wants access to communities wherein gays are supported while maintaining her allegiance to communities where we are not. Its like “supporting” the Montgomery bus boycott while you sit at the front of the bus.
kayla
@Tim: Wow, and you know this how, do you have her shrink’s office bugged. Why can’t you just take her words at face value….Is every gay person with a bigoted relative responsible for that person’s bigotry? Barbara the younger is only responsible for her own words and actions…not her father’s. I just don’t understand why so many people direct their wrath at people who are tentatively pro-equality when there are so many obvious bigots to be called out.
Thanks Barbara, and don’t mind all the haters, they have deep seeded issues they haven’t yet dealt with…..
J.Starr
Once again you’re retaliating by doing the same thing your haters are doing to you. Not smart. Especially if you want to be taken seriously as a community and gain any sort of respect from the rest of society. You might as well just be saying “Your Mom” after everything they say.
Ruhlmann
How old were these girls when Bush was in office? Their own minds might not have been made up about the issue. To consign the daughters to hell is a bit extreme. The mother is a political wife…nuff said. Otherwise I like Bragman.