Part of the fallout of the Mark Foley cover-up scandal that is proving most fun to watch is the terror running through the halls of Congress now that there's a big spotlight shining on a major point of hypocrisy in the Republican Party: gay Republican staffers and the Republican members of Congress who love them.
Well, not love them love them, but hire them, rely on them and even -- gasp! -- dine with them and their partners just like they were regular, everyday Americans. (Note: Please keep that to yourselves and do not discuss with anyone in any member's home district or outside of Washington. Thanks.)
GOP offices on Capitol Hill may very well house the hugest walk-in closet ever, or at least a close second to the one found in Hollywood. And what's really rich about the big gay booty in this new Pandora's box is the revelation that many of these gay Republicans work for members who consistently vote against gay rights -- not hard to imagine, since that's most GOP members.
Today, the Washington Post looks at gay staffers who work (or have worked) for Republican members of Congress, including Kirk Fordham (pictured above), who served as Mark Foley's former chief of staff and was an aide to Rep. Jim Inhofe. (Inhofe is the guy who in 1993 announced he would never hire a gay person in his office.)
The article also points out that it's not uncommon for these staffers to be out at work -- and to be embraced by their anti-gay-voting bosses. Voting anti-gay is "just marketing," says one gay staffer. "The reality is, these members are not homophobic. For the most part, they're using this marketing to play to our base and stay in power."
Oh!!! Now I get it: It's OK for these members and their gay staffers to work on getting anti-gay legislation passed because well, you know, they don't really mean anything by it. Sorry that you can't adopt your partner's kid or if you feel demeaned by gay-hating efforts to amend the U.S. constitution, or that you got fired from your job for being a lesbian and can't do anything about it because it's perfectly legal.
It's nothing personal. This is all just marketing to appeal to their right-wing base.
Washington Post reporter Jose Antonio Varagas writes:
"In their day-to-day dealings, even the most conservative Republicans can display an ease with normalizing relations with gay people. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) ranks No. 3 in Senate leadership and has likened homosexuality to bestiality. A rumor erupted in summer 2005 that his chief spokesman, Robert Traynham, was gay. When Traynham confirmed the rumor, Santorum promptly rushed to his defense, issuing a release calling his aide 'a trusted friend . . . to me and my family.'"
How nice for Traynham. Not so nice for all the gay people Santorum thinks should be thrown in jail for sodomy. (The senator thinks Lawrence v. Texas should be overturned.) But Traynham is a trusted friend, so he's good.
One former Republican Hill staffer who is gay (but wishes not to be named) is quoted in the Post article as saying:
"'A lot of members are more tolerant than their voting records would have you believe. Look at [Rep. Roy] Blunt [R-Mo.], [Rep. Eric] Cantor[R-Va.], [Rep. Adam] Putnam [R-Fla.]. They know gay people. They have gay friends. But they speak out against gay rights. They have to. That's where the votes are.' All three voted to amend the Constitution to define marriage as being only between a man and a woman."Another says: "My boss's public position didn't bother me at all. If that's the sacrifice that I have to make to keep my party in power, so be it."
Sorry, but being a gay Republican in today's political landscape is nothing less than gay treason. I don't care how fiscally conservative you are, or how devoted to the idea of a limited government (neither of which seems to be very important to the current administration or GOP leaders in power right now, by the way). The fact is that the GOP kowtows to a very vocal minority of social conservatives who have called an all-out jihad on gays.
I have zero sympathy for any fear or discomfort being felt on the Hill by these staffers or their bosses in the wake of the Mark Foley cover-up debacle.
In the famous words of your great leader, you're either with us or against us. And if you're gay and work for a Republican who votes anti-gay, you're against us.
Read the entire article at the Washington Post: Hill Republicans Air Out Closet (free registration required).
11 comments:
BRAVO~!!!!! just a note, about misogynist..that word pertains to MALES only cant call a woman a misogynist,...the name for female IS: misandrist a woman who HATES men,,,!!!collective noun is: Misandry. n my point i was called a mysogynist!! lol,,,wrong,!!!! impossible,,,~~!!doesnt connect,!!! cant call a female a Misongynist,doesnt fit,.....lol
Live and let live. The same militant gays that believe in choice, now are berating the republican staffers because they work for someone who opposes the so-called "gay rights" in order to gain votes? Did it ever occur to you that they don't care whether they have legalized same-sex marriage? It's their choice. They've made it. You make yours and try getting off their backs. (No pun intended) LOL
p.s. You can't oppose same-sex marriage and still have a trusted friend who is a gay or lesbian? *** scratching my head here *** The same as if I oppose a law legalizing marijuana, I can still have a trusted friend who smokes pot. ( And before we bring the "civil rights" argument to the table... there is a fundamental disagreement with even whether there is a civil right being violated against gays. It's a hard sell for a population that is by and large wealthier and more educated ,to be seen as a down trodden minority group)LOL
To Kidzpastor35: I'm not focused solely on gay marriage here, not sure why you are. Employment non-discrimination, hate crimes laws and HIV prevention campaigns that speak directly to the gay community are but a few of the other areas where Congress has either made zero advances, or regressed, during these GOP-controlled years.
Your pot-smoking friend isn't doing anything to harm you, even though you don't think pot should be legalized. These gay staffers who work for anti-gay voting congressman are complicit in making sure gays remain as second-class citizens. When someone is fired simply for being gay, gay GOP staffers helped sign the pink slip because it's Republicans who have prevented the Employment Non-Discrimination Act from being passed. Big difference.
Kenneth/Editor
This is too bitter. I call to mind the German Christians who dutifully supported the "Christian" Hitler, while their Priests and Rabbis were being carted off to gas chambers. And the Pope negotiated with Der Fuehrer, playing dice over the fate of millions. The Gay Staffers in question, and their dark overlords, are here revealing what's most important to them:power, the getting of it, and the maintenance of it. All else is secondary. It's vicious, vile and hypocritical. It doesn't deserve to see the light of day in a free country.
Kenneth,
You know as far as employment opportunities... the gay community as a whole is thriving... they (in general)are wealthier and better educated. As far as job discrimination, let me tell you something, my husband who is a white, caucasion, awesome guy by the way, got passed over for a promotion and it was given to an African American co-worker, who had a horrible work ethic and a loud mouth, and we suspect the reason was because of possibly being sued because of discrimination laws. Is there discrimination? Yes, but against all. And no legislation is EVER going to stop it. Hate crimes ,punishing people's motives is a lot like George Orwell's book, "1984" where the government monitors your thoughts. There will always be hate crimes against all populations..other then considering pre-meditated vs. crime of passion, we can't "punish" one's beliefs, as vile as they may be.
HIV, yes more should be done for the benefit of every population.
And my pot smoking friend does effect others, I was a substance abuse counselor and saw exactly the insidious way this gateway drug effects others.
Anway, I'm done. LOL Have a great day, and the steamed rice pun is really cute.
I don't even know how someone could fire someone JUST for being gay, I've never met a gay or lesbian I didn't like. :)
While Hitler had been raised "Christian", as an adult he was very much into a mixture of Eastern religions with maybe enough Christian mixed in there to confuse the average German who after World War I were desparate to believe that someone was going to repair their ravaged country.
It is interesting how it is sooo very easy to assign motives to people. I was reminded this at a Cracker Barrel a couple of years ago, when my father sat down and kept complainging because someone was smoking near him. It bothered his allergies and he kept say he had to move, but he was tired so he didn't for a long while. An african American couple sat down, and my dad who is very oblivious (didn't notice them there) picked that very moment to move. We were watching this and the couple didn't know we were related to my dad.
When he moved, the lady said, "yep, they still exist." LOL
The man said, "What exist baby?" She said, "Prejudice, bigots." I was laughing hysterically inside. After the smoker's table was called, my father sat down and struck up a lively converstaion with the African American man. They had assigned motives to my dad's actions, and were solely mistaken. It is easy to assign motives to these gay staffers such as lusting for power, etc. Perhaps their overall belief system is just more in line with the Republican party and they don't perceive their gay rights as being violated in America. It's easy to assign motives when someone's actions doesn't line up with ours. Just as the Christian right sometimes assigns motives to gay, for example, they want the children to turn them gay, they want Christians jailed for not accepting homosexuality. I don't think that is true, and even if it is true for some, it's surely not true for all.
Excuse my typos.
Hey...I am a republican and a lesbian. It is possible people. Just because your gay does not mean you can't have right wing views. Although I might not believe everything that a repulican stands for I connect with what they stand for. As a Lesbian I do not feel it a good thing to push our views on others along with anyone else. Freedom!
Not surprising at all. Gay citizens, as a percentage, tend to achieve higher education and make greater achievements in their career paths. Note I said, "as a percentage". If you look at some of the top corporations and the top of the political engines of this country, you find more than the so-called "10%" filling the ranks. Most of the gay guys I know have net worths over $3 million -- some have private jets of their own. Also interesting, is that many are fiscal conservatives (although they don't confine themselves to being Republicans).
The TRUE American way is "Life, Libery and the Pursuit of Happiness", which speaks to the nature of doing what your heart desires as long as it doesn't inflict direct physical or monetary damage on another. This country should be more about what you can contribute to the betterment of society than your preferences or idiosyncrasies. If a person chooses beef over fish, seriously, who the heck cares?
As far as scandal. Well, all humans can fall into that trap, straight or gay.
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