My friend Jerry Weinstein sent in a guest blog post today comparing
Neil Patrick Harris' coming out to that of former pastor Ted Haggard. Check out
his analysis and let me know what you think.
In this corner we have a former child star, currently riding high on his portrayal of womanizer par excellence on the CBS sitcom, How I Met Your Mother. (Making Dan Butler's portray of Bulldog Briscoe on Frasier look like Deepak Chopra.)
In that corner we have the star of Jesus Camp, clerical confidante to the Bush administration. Hear him exhort the absolute sin of homosexuality:
In nearly the same news cycle each came out of the closet.
The former, a veteran of musical theater (Sondheim, yet!) perhaps reacting to whisperings on Canada.com and PerezHilton, took the high road. Outdistancing even TR Knight's admission to SGL, Neil Patrick Harris gave it up to People mag: "… [I] am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love."
The latter, the titular head of the 30 million strong National Association of Evangelicals, declared his adventures in sodomy not as an elective, but in the interest of purging his quote, unquote "sexual immorality."
All this weekend, Haggard's quelqu'n, escort Mike Jones, appeared on the cable news nets, telling the likes of Rita "Kathleen Turner on testosterone" Cosby that he didn't regret exposing the man, but that he was, in fact, sorry for the man's family.
Again and again, I'm hearing that Foley, and now Haggard, are exceptional. That their fall from grace won't affect the evangelical vote, because according to bright bulb J.C. Watts, the former Ottawa Rough Riders quarterback and Oklahoma Congressman, "the Word doesn't change."
Since no one has called him on it, I will.
The issue here isn't about sexual immorality, it is about sexual hypocrisy.
Let's work out the math: Those who condemn – let's not mince words here – the long-term unions of same-sex partners, because they themselves are going against their true nature, tend to live a double life. While preaching that heterosexuality is "God's plan," manipulating scripture to validate their self-hate, they commit infidelities and not infrequently spiral into substance abuse. (Granted. It's hard work to be Pope-infallible, just ask "Book of Virtues" author and gambler Bill Bennett, or oxy-popper/doctor shopper Rush Limbaugh.) All the while these Men of The Word use their (literal) bully pulpit to legislate from the Pew against those who are sexual minorities.
One man has managed to integrate his private and professional lives. And can you think of a better moment? The charge that Neil Patrick Harris can't play straight which has dogged fortysomething's such as Rupert Everett carries no water here. As Barney, NPH makes for a convincing male chauvinist pig.
The other man hides out in seclusion, bags packed for some retreat – Ex-Gay Camp? Electroshock therapy? Stage 4 couples counseling?
I only feel sorry that this Roy Cohn for Religion has been deceiving his flock into hating the Gays, and in the process negating their humanity. Don't let the mainstream media spin this simply as a 21st century Jimmy Swaggart story. They're only looking at the symptom, rather than treating the homophobia.
Jerry Weinstein is a New York-based writer. He writes under the name Parry Social on the blog Verge, at MediaVillage.com.
8 comments:
I think Ted Haggard probably does think he is perverted and depraved BECAUSE of who he is (a homosexual), not because of who he has become (a man who has deceived congregation and family, a man who has discriminated against a whole class of people who share an aspect of identity in common with himself, and a man who has pawned his wife and family off to grief and humiliation in order to make himself "right" with his misapplied beliefs). His homophobic self-loathing may well have fueled his evangelism and probably compelled him to marry to "fix" himself. This is a prescription for a double life. Gays understand these pressures. although many resist and/or escape them. What other than self-loathing and evangelical humiliation could get him to submit to James Dobson for "restoration" therapy? This is spiritual terrorism and Haggard has become the victim of his own crusade.
As to role models....whose private life would you rather have? Mark Foley's, Ted Haggard's, or Neil Patrick Harris's? Whose moral integrity would you rather have? Mark Foley's, Ted Haggard's, or Neil Patrick Harris's? Whose therapy would you rather undergo? Mark Foley's, Ted Haggard's or...or....Wait a minute, those are the only two that are said to be IN therapy. !@@
Grelef: Ummm, I choose Neil Patrick Harris.
To Kenneth: Me too. I would also like his salary! I just watched Ted in the "Jesus Camp" video. Could anyone verify for me if he uses his arms like Bette Davis when he denounces homosexuality?
I'm sure NPH owes a debt of thanks to TR Knight because if there was a significant backlash against the latter in his coming out, I don't think NPH would have done so willingly, nor would Viacom/CBS want him to do so.
To boruttany: There are decades of courageus people who have made it possible for a public figure like NPH to come out without it amounting to vocational suicide. All of us are indebted to them.
to grelef: I don't mean to belittle the courage of anyone who has come out in history! LOL. I'm just not sure what Mr. Weinstein means when he writes that NPH "outdistances" TR Knight in coming out. Let me ask: If the public turned against TR Knight for being gay, or if an advertiser pulled out of the show, or Grey's Anatomy lost ratings or received bad press, what would have happened to Mr. Knight and his job? What about the jobs of all the other folks involved with that show?
When you are the star of a million dollar TV show, you don't just come out. Rosie O' Donnell did it at the end of her show's run. Ellen did it in her sitcom, then couldn't fight "the man" anymore so the show ended.
To make myself clear here, I am not trying to take anything away from NPH and his choice to come out. Good for him. But let's also add goody for his producers, agent, manager, press rep whoever, who I believe helped him make the decision and will suppport him. After all, I'm sure NPH (and all of the aforementioned staff) would like to keep their jobs and salaries.
Quoting Brouttany: "But let's also add goody for his producers, agent, manager, press rep whoever, who I believe helped him make the decision and will suppport him."
Brouttany--Absolutely! We have come a long ways from the days of "Dr. Kildare"
I believe people need to do what makes them happy. They say you have one life so enjoy it while your here. Why would you want to spend the rest of your life afraid of what people say. So do what makes you happy NPH Personally we straight people lost a fine looking man. By the way I love your show you are doing a great job. Keep Rocking Tracie
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