Monday 23 October 2006

Religious Right Steamed Over Rice



Is anyone else loving that the religicons still have their garters in a major wad over Condi Rice's use of the word "mother-in-law" in reference to -- GASP! the mother of a man's homosexual lover!? And with Laura Bush standing right there, smiling and everything.

It all happened at the swearing in of Mark Dybul as Global AIDS Coordinator. Dybul's partner held the Bible during the ceremony, while his "mother-in-law" looked on.

Behold the Juicy Quotes

Condi Rice: She's So ... Modern!
"Thank you. Thank you very much. I am truly honored and delighted to have the opportunity to swear in Mark Dybul as our next Global AIDS Coordinator. I am pleased to do that in the presence of Mark's parents, Claire and Richard; his partner, Jason; and his mother-in-law, Marilyn. You have wonderful family to support you, Mark, and I know that's always important to us. Welcome." -- Secretary Rice

Is This Some Sort of Crack About Passive Bottoms?
"This wasn't a liberal Democratic judge in San Francisco or Massachusetts. This was an eminent Bush appointee. And she did it right there in Foggy Bottom, a famously public place in southwestern D.C., with Laura Bush standing by in powerfully passive acquiescence." -- Arkansas News Bureau

Uh-Oh
"Profoundly offensive" says Peter Sprigg, Family Research Council.

Huh?
"We have to face the fact that putting a homosexual in charge of AIDS policy is a bit like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse. But even beyond that, the deferential treatment that was given not only to him but his partner and his partner’s family by the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is very distressing." -- more Peter Sprigg

Hmmm ...
"Secretary Rice's Chief of Staff called to say it was a mix-up, that somebody should have checked this mother-in-law business, didn't do it and it got out." -- Family News in Focus

So what happened? It's not like thesecretary wasn't fully aware of the gay nature of this event, although some believers apparently believe she didn't "fact check" thoroughly enough and consequently didn't realize that Jason, the guy holding the Bible whom she referred to as Dybul's "partner" was a dude. Riiiiight.

Is Condi cool with the gays?

Did a speechwriter slip in "mother-in-law" and she just spurted it out?

Is this some sort of dig about mothers-in-law? You know, like, "OK, gays, if you are so anxious to be married, you have to deal with having a mother-in-law just like the rest of us." Ouch!

What's your theory?

 


23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually, it forces me to admit that Condi has humanoid tendencies. Still pretty much a sellout and a lackey for the Fascist hellhounds who are doing their best to turn our nation into an armed "National Security Homeland Encampment", but with work she possibly one day might be able to redeem her "Human Being" card.

Anonymous said...

It would be obvious to anyone the situation that they were in at this moment so I feel like the statement that Rice just didn't have her facts straight is ridiculous.  Also, I highly doubt that a speechwriter for such a traditionally conservative White House is going to be able to make the mistake of slipping in a "mother-in-law" and actually make it to the speech.  

It seems to me that there are two potential explanations here:

1) Condoleezza Rice truly had no objection to the idea of seeing Dybul's partner's mother as his mother-in-law and thus this equated to something of a Freudian slip where she may not have meant to say it due to the extremely conservative filter that GOP leaders tend to have but it came out anyway.  

2) This could have been a pure case of political semantics.  It's no secret that the Republican parties numbers have slipped almost irrepairably since the Foley scandal.  These numbers have been especially low with the conservative base that the GOP prides itself on.  Currently running the risk of having nearly all of those conservative voters rushing to the aide of Democrats come election day (or at least not voting at all), this may have been a power play, so to speak, to try to gain some ground with more liberal groups as something of an olive branch to try to take some votes away from the typically more liberal Democrats.

Regardless of what the true meaning is here, if it was a mistake on Condi's part, the Bush administration is going to have a heck of a time trying to explain why one of its top officials basically just endorsed same-sex relationships.

Anonymous said...

Someone should tell the bumpkins in the Arkansas media that Foggy Bottom is in fact in NW DC, not SW DC. They are VERY different places.

Anonymous said...

I think the "entire" comment was blown out of proportion!  As a gay man, I personally see no problem with the comment.  I think more of the problem lies with the fact that she is a republican.  Personally I like Rice and think she does an excellent job, in such trying times.  I sure do not see anyone in an up-roar about some of the omments Mrs. Kerry has made in reference to Cheyney's daughter!.  There is nothing more to this other than a comment was made by a republican, had it been a democrat it most likely would not have been reported.  In my view there is a double standard "somewhere".  Gay men/women are FIGHTING for equal rights as part of the EQUAL right, the spouses are referred to as In-Laws!  If you prefer not to have an in-law do not get married!.

Anonymous said...

Weeeeeeeeeelllllllllllll, She has to be some ones mother in law, depends on who plays the part of
the femail, What A mess. LOL

Anonymous said...

If the religious rite would worry about the more important things in these United States, we would be maybe alittle better off. You seem so focus on our lives and what you think it will do to the Family.  Just look around and see how great of a job your straight couples are doing.   Maybe Condi Rice wanted to say what she said to show that we are all the same. The so called Religious Rite are to most hipocritical people on this earth including the U. S President.

Anonymous said...

Big Daddy Burl Ives of the old movie, " Cat on a Hot Tin Roof "; says, BULL !

Anonymous said...

Who the hell cares???????

Anonymous said...

If you honestly want my opinion...  sounds like someone trying to earn brownie points within the gay community - especially those gays and bi's who are more on the conservative side.  I have been with my partner now for 12 years.  What is the average for the straight religeous right these days?  3 or 4 years maybe?  Actually that's not based on fact, just a little jab to those who still say that all gays are swingers, cheaters, and promiscuous.  Watched the news lately?  Or the latest evening T.V. shows.  Wow, all these straight people livin' it up with everyone elses spouse.  My partner, husband, and I are happy, in love, and very much exclusively together.  It's sad that most religeous folks can't call that moral though, because of that "other word"...  what is it that scares everyone?...  Oh yea, "GAY".  My husbands mother lives with us and I call her Mom.  Yes, Mom and I love her like a mom.  I refer to her as being my mother-in-law...  so what!?!  It doesn't seem to me that those labels hurt anyone.  Scare some, yes, but never hurt anyone.  Leave me alone...  let me call myself "gay" if I must have a label.  Let Mom be my mother-in-law...  if that's what I want.  Who am I hurting?  The answer:  No-one!  Let me marry him...  what's it to you?  It won't hurt anyone!  Let's catch up to the rest of the world.  The USA claims to be a leader among nations...  then leave me alone to marry whoever I want...  and call mother-in-law whomever I choose.

Anonymous said...

I personnally do not believe in same sex marriage!  Who am I to judge a person based soley on his sexuall orintation?  I have a lot of frieds who are gay and they all have very good quality about them, I believe in what person is like inside not what he is precieved to be because of his or her being gay or what ever.

Anonymous said...

The afct that anyone made a big deal out of this shows you that many americans have there priorities all messed up. How about we worry about things that will actually affect the nations well being and leave gay people alone. I could care less who wants to be gay and who uses the term mother-in-law in relation to a gay person. There are more important things going on in the world. Give me a break.

Anonymous said...

This is the mmost disgusting thing , I have witness in our american Government. At a time when Our troop are in harm way, we are in this country prissing around with young men who is a disgust to the american fighting man. It is un american and a trgedy against God. When we should be asking him for giveness and to bless our nation. Here we are in our disgusting posture , placing his curses upon us. Our bible plain states Roman chapter 1  For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all un-godliness and ubrighteousness of men. who hold the truth in unrighteousness. verse 22 professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, verse 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image like to corruptible man, 25 who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worhipped and served the creature more than the creator, who is blessed for ever , Amen  verse 26 For this cause God gave them up into vile affection for even their woman did changes the natural use into that which is against nature;

max  

Anonymous said...

maxb65
I think the most disgusting thisg is your totla butchering of the English language. It is quite obvious that you levbel of education ended on the fifthda. the day before God crearted man

Anonymous said...

Thank you Bush Administration for seeing the value of a human being, and his contribution to society, regardless of his orientation.  I hope he continues a happy and productive same-gender marriage.

Regarding other comments....
I don't believe in your silly mythology, so don't impose your "god" and all that garbage on me and others.  You have the freedom of religion, but not the freedom to beat others up with it.  If I could re-write the constitution I would put in a clause about separation of church and state.  Oh wait, that's already is in there.  Perhaps we should go a step further since you religious zealots don't honor the constitution and ban religion altogether.  It certainly would reduce conflict and hatred.

The TRUE American way is "Life, Libery and the Pursuit of Happiness", which speaks to the core nature of what this country is supposed to be.  Doing what your heart desires as long as it doesn't inflict direct physical or monetary damage on another.  Our founding fathers, although many religious themselves, were smart enough to know that a theocracy ,or theocratic influence, would destroy freedom as it has for centuries.  After all, the Jehovahs Witnesses say everyone else but them are going to hell, but then the Baptists say that about themselves, and on and on.  See what I mean?  The stupidity never ends.  How did so many Americans get to be such nut jobs?

Stop mythological influence before it kills our freedom and our country!

Anonymous said...

It's good to see this happening in a conservative arena....It gives one hope..Even a liberal one like me...who is against the Bush administration.

Bette

Anonymous said...

Religious right is dead.

You've got to be kidding me, the religious right are a bunch of nutcase wacked out fools, even the Bush administration themsleves have said it according to that new book from David Kuo.  The extreme right is dead,  Bush used the right fanatics to get votes and he screwed them all over.  They deserved it for becomming the money/power hungry beasts that they have become.  Face it you nazi, right winged, neocon facists, the Bush administration is about as far right as this country will go.  Bush has ripped our country in half and you will never have a more "right wing" president than Bush to be elected.  This is America and it was not founded by Christians, it was founded by many individuals from different backgrounds such as Benjamin Franklin who was a liberal deist.  This country was put together by people of all theologies and Christianity will never reign as law of the land because frankly there has never been ANY important historical intellectual who was a Christian.  The average Christian is a bus driver and supermarket employee.  Most intellectuals have been Atheist, Agnostic, Free thinking or Deist(belief in a god but not organized religion aka = christianity).  You will not find any famous rocket scientist or physicist Christians. Why?  It doesn't take a brainiac to figure out that the bible is MAN MADE, and it was not "sent down by heaven".  It was written by MANY ordinary MEN(notice no women).  The bible condones slavery, selling your daughter into slavery, and women not holding any power over men as written in exodus and many other parts.  Obviously we don't practice those things anymore.

Anonymous said...

I love how the Krazy Kristian Right barks at people who ARE gay as being "unnatural", yet they are the first to turn on their air conditioner, put on eye glasses, wear polyester and have oral sex among many other "unnatural things".  Face it, your bible is flat out WRONG on the homosexuality subject and you have absolutely no right to force your FALSE idiotic beliefs on anyone else.  If you don't like gay marriage, then don't have one!!!  Case closed.

Anonymous said...

I don't like the Bush administration, or Condi Rice, but I will say that it was...interesting to hear that she said "mother in law" while swearing the guy in.
I see it as a good thing, because it's something you'd say to a straight couple without even thinking, you know?
Seeing/hearing someone say something that straights have taken for granted-but somehow still considered to be "accepting" of their lover, to/about a gay couple is a good thing, I think.

However, I'm really not digging that quote that compared putting a gay guy in charge of the AIDS policy to putting a fox in charge of a henhouse. That's just uneducated and ignorant.
Does this man not understand that AIDS is not only a "gay disease", it didn't start because gays were having sex,  and that more heteros are contracting it then ever?

Anonymous said...

To ttiger1930:   It's actually not a mess at all.  A mother-in-law is the mother of someone's spouse regardless of gender.  Neither needs to be "the femail <sic>."  

You didn't get your GED, did you?

Anonymous said...

Grelef: have I told you I heart you today?

Glad to see you here. :-)
Kenneth

Anonymous said...

:-)

Anonymous said...

As a Bush supporter, I am shocked that there would be a gay person appointed to any position.  Mrs. Rice must certainly have not been informed prior or she needs to reassess her desires to run for president.  We don't have a moral majority any more.  Maybe that's why we have so many problems in this nation.  President Bush is suppose to be a Christian man.  If he knows the Holy Scripture he has to know that being gay is a sin in the Bible and an abomnation to the Lord.

Anonymous said...

What's holding our society back are the closeminded and those unwilling to accept the changing times.