“There is a right to privacy but not a right to hypocrisy,” openly gay Rep. Barney Frank ( D-Mass.)
Florida Governor Charlie Crist is gay, in the closet, votes against his own interests–surprise, he’s a Republican–as a gay man, and he recently announced that he is running for the U.S. Senate. Wow. So says a new film (and the gay press for years).
My most-read post is the one where I became the second person to out Fox News anchor Shepard Smith as gay; Smith hit on me at a bar in 2002 after we were introduced through a mutual friend. Now the film Outrage, by Academy Award-nominated director Kirby Dick, confirms what I wrote: yes, the prime time anchor of the anti-gay Fox News is in the closet, and afraid to come out. Watch the trailer to the movie:
Conservatives who hate are in quite an uproar about the recent spate of outings of their top political figures in Dick’s film.
This is known as chickies coming home to roost.
When politicians continually effort to be elected based upon moral crusading, and their party continually codifies hate into its platform, they should not be surprised when the public exposes their hypocrisy and dishonesty when those politicians tow the party line whilst living double lives.
See related story: Photos of former NJ Gov. Jim McGreevey and his former prisoner ministry in Harlem.
Most Republicans are upset about this revelation of truth, more than they are upset that they have leaders who don’t follow what they purport to believe. It’s getting tougher to be a Republican today: they don’t know what to believe nor the reality of those for whom they are voting.
That the mainstream media laps up and reports any hint of drug or sex scandal about public officials, but lets them remain in the closet when their hypocritical anti-gay votes hurt many people, is a scandal in itself.
David Shankbone and Ed Koch in 2008. Koch, long known for his refusal to admit that he is gay, is outed for the billionth time in the film Outrage.
Here’s the gay hypocrites parade:
- Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho – 2007 arrest on suspicion of lewd conduct for soliciting gay sex in a Minneapolis airport men’s room ended his political career.
- U.S. Rep. Edward L. Schrock, R-Va., who retired in 2004 after he was outed by the Advocate.
- Governor Charlie Crist, R-FL – a supporter of the state’s ban on gay adoption. The film notes a long-ago six-month marriage to a woman now living with a female partner; two sources who separately told a reporter about two different men who claimed relationships with Crist; 2006 gubernatorial rival Max Linn saying Crist told him years ago that he was gay; and a former girlfriend, Kelly Heyniger, who responded when contacted by the filmmakers: “I think I should just keep my mouth shut … call me in 10 years and I’ll tell you a story.”
- Former Mayor Ed Koch, D-NYC – remains closeted while publicly opposing legislation on issues such as same-sex marriage, HIV/AIDS funding, and gays in the military.
- Rep. David Dreier, R-CA – In the last Congress, Dreier received a 10 percent rating from the gay advocacy group Human Rights Campaign. Over his career he has opposed, among other things, measures to protect gay people against job discrimination and to add sexual orientation as a federal hate-crime category, which would enable prosecution of such offenses by federal authorities.
- Ken Mehlman, former Republican National Committee Chairman
- Jim McCrery, former Republican Louisiana congressman. Scored 0% by the HRC on gay rights.
Kirby Dick also outs Shepard Smith. When asked why he focused on this one journalist amongst all the politicians, the filmmaker’s answer to the Huffington Post reflects my own reasons for outing Shepard Smith:
And if you do out closeted politicians, what about other folks in the public sphere? Actors? Television personalities? Journalists? Pundits? When is it not okay to out someone?
My film focuses primarily on hypocrisy of politicians who are entrusted to uphold the rights of all citizens equally. Closeted gays and lesbians in the other professions you mention have not been elected to enact laws that affect the entire citizenry, and they are not usually acting hypocritically. The film does report on one journalist, Shepard Smith, who was first reported on by Kevin Naff of the Washington Blade. Shepard Smith works for Fox News, which has been a major factor in the rise of anti-gay hysteria in this country over the past two decades. As one of the most prominent people in Fox News—according to the New York Times, Smith makes 7 to 8 million dollars per year—his complicity with the network’s homophobic agenda rises to a level of hypocrisy that I felt was worthy of reporting.
So what about it, Republicans? Are you going to nix popular Governor Charlie Crist, who recently announced he is running for the US Senate in Florida, because he is not honest about who he is, and because gay people are bad? Is Crist going to finally come out of the closet, accept who he is, and run as a gay man? Are the Republicans going to get over their moral crusades, the same ones that are helping them to remain losers at the ballot box as voters tire of their culturally divisive campaigns?
The questions over who is “questioning” remain unresolved as we prepare for the 2010 election, but it’s time for the media to stop letting the dishonesty and hypocrisy go unchecked. Live up to your Fourth Estate responsibilities, mainstream media.
Wikipedia photos to be deleted
NYC Wedding March – September 26, 2010
Joaquin Phoenix is a poser
Flushing Meadow Corona Park skate park
East Village Park and Williamsburg Bridge photos
100 People I Photographed for the Creative Commons
Pakistan flood devastation statistics
Cordoba House / Ground Zero mosque protest photos
The void in my blogging (and some photos)
Rihanna video with Eminem about Chris Brown?
David,
Here is a comment left by a user on the Gazette. This was under an article bemoaning the fact that Gov. Ritter is probably going to sign an equal rights bill for state workers. This fits into the the whole subject of hypocrisy detailed in your post for today:
Why is heterosexuality always being shoved down our throats?
-We are tired of being subjected to skanky females on late night ads for Quest phone lines trying to sell phone sex.
-We are tired of heterosexual couples groping each other and kissing in public.
-We are tired of semi-clad women in posters as if they are having sex with a car trying to sell auto parts.
-We are tired of heterosexuals getting married, getting divorced, getting married, (repeat several times) yet deny homosexual couples from wanting to have the same rights as heterosexual couples.
-We are tired of the heterosexuals committing adultery
-We are tired of the fact heterosexuals in America have the highest divorce rate in the world
-We are tired of reading about heterosexuals abusing and murdering their own children
-We are tired of hearing about children being schlepped from mommy’s house to daddy’s house and having to deal with mommy’s new boyfriend or daddy’s new girlfriend
-We are tired of religious quacks denouncing homosexuality yet they are having sex with male prostitutes and doing illegal drugs (Thank you Ted Haggard)
-We are tired of republican politicians voting against gay equality and yet continue to have gay sex behind their wive’s backs (thank you Larry Craig and the minions that have gone before, during and after your exploits)
-We are tired of Republicans squawking about having limited government and wanting the ‘nanny state’ out of our lives, yet it is ok to discriminate and legislate against gay people
-We are tired of the hypocrisy
We are tired of having heterosexuality shoved down our throats.
Can’t you people keep your heterosexuality private, behind closed doors?
More than his sexual preference, it’s his lack of belief in anything that isn’t tested as a popular opinion that will hurt him; the electorate wants someone who stands for something; at least they have a chance to to know what the candidate will vote for.
Crist makes that impossible, to know.
Twitter: davidshankbone
says:
Thanks for sharing that, Red. My favorite: “We are tired of the hypocrisy”
Yes, we are! No more. California Proposition 8 changed the game.
I read this and I feel sad for these men. They live their lives in complete contradiction. Gay, but afraid to live it, embrace it. They live a life pretending, and on turn they fuel hatred about who they really are. I imagine, when the world is quiet and it’s just them alone inside their heads they must be terribly lonely and unfulfilled. In addition, they live their lives as weak men who masquerade as leaders, and deep down they know this. I can only imagine how awful it must feel to be them.
^^^ totally true :/
Twitter: lena_fm
says:
This is pretty sad, but it has been going on for a couple millenniums, ever since it has been announced that homosexuality is evil, women are evil, and sex overall is pretty fishy, too. As a Russian, I don’t expect politicians or religious leaders (even worse) to be honest. Sadly, that’s the case in 99,9% all over the globe anyway. I am not even sure it it’s sad, it’s just a fact of nature. We live in a very made-up world, the moment one understands it life become easy. Nothing is absolute, values are very custom-made, and the rules of the society are often ludicrous but seen as axiomatic because they are old enough.
That said, I laughed very loud ad the comment saying “We are tired of heterosexual couples groping each other and kissing in public.” Whether that whole quoted comment was meant to an Ironic piece of art or not – I don’t know. But it certainly came out as such. If it were meant for real, then I have to say that nazism either way is still nazism. I know that I am deviating from the main subject, but that really caught my eye.
I don’t give a crap that Crist is a homosexual! I am pissed he is raising my tax for cigarettes. He has lost my vote for anything including dog catcher.
I’ve always thought Shepard Smith might be gay.But if he is, it’s his business and no one elses. How dare someone “out” him. Just because other gays are so proud of being gay, doesn’t mean he is.
People can’t help that they’re gay, that’s true, but to be proud of it? They don’t want to face reality that they are different. I agree live and let live, but I don’t like it shoved down my throat either.
Just like I don’t like seeing heterosexal couples groping and kissing in public, I definitely don’t want to see homosexuals doing it either.
Keep your gayness to yourself. It’s not normal no matter how you try to justify that it is. You might not be able to help it, but as a gay teenaged boy I saw on t.v. once said, “you don’t think I want to be gay, do you”?
If being gay was normal, we would have had Adam & Ed rather than Adam & Eve.
I definitely don’t believe in persecuting gays, but I certainly don’t agree with their life style.
Twitter: davidshankbone
says:
The phrase you kept using, and that kept resonating with me, was “normal”. You use it in a way that suggests that to you, what is normal (imagine the quotes going forward) is what is good and right. Equating normality to “good” is one of the fundamental flaws in a particularly ignorant sect of conservative thinkers, my father included. He just dislikes people who are different from him, and he sees himself as what is normal. There’s no irony that what many of us consider to be normal usually describes our own preferences.
The “norm” is to be white, statistically, if you are in Idaho. But not in New York City. It’s normal to eat three meals a day. It’s normal to check e-mail and voice mail. It’s not normal to cry in public or to be left-handed.
The problem with using normality to judge value is that it’s self-defeating. We are all abnormal, in some way. When others use their conceptions of normality to say what is good or bad about someone else, it shows an appalling ignorance that shows they haven’t really been anywhere or seen much of anything in their life.
We are all different. Some of has have sex in positions that others would not enjoy. Fine. My father eats no vegetables, which he thinks is perfectly normal. Yet he’s bothered by the kid who dyes his hair purple. Why can’t that kid just be normal?
It’s not for you to go around judging people, their lifestyles, who they love or the choices they make for themselves. If we all had a look at your life, I bet we could find something. Perhaps in the way you treat your daughter, or the way you treated your mother. Maybe your diet. Your personal hygiene may be out of whack with the norm. Whatever it is, you aren’t all “normal” yourself, Barbara. None of us are.
“You might not be able to help it, but as a gay teenaged boy I saw on t.v. once said, “you don’t think I want to be gay, do you”?”
This quote by the teenage boy is totally taken out of context. Are you saying that this boy SHOULD feel like this? On one hand you try to sound magnanimous by stating:
“People can’t help that they’re gay, that’s true,” and “I definitely don’t believe in persecuting gays”
in the same breath, you then state the following:
“but to be proud of it? They don’t want to face reality that they are different. I agree live and let live, but I don’t like it shoved down my throat either.”
So, my interpretation is “it’s okay, to be gay because God made you that way and “you can’t help it”. However, you should hide it, (so normal people aren’t made to feel uncomfortable around you) and feeling guilty about it is a lot more healthy for you than accepting who you are?
“They don’t want to face reality that they are different.”–
Um, actually it’s the other way around. Otherwise we wouldn’t even be having this discussion. Of course many gays don’t want to face the reality that they’re “different” If your basic rights were denied, or if you were in constant fear of being clubbed to death would you want to face that reality…especially as a teenager?
“Keep your gayness to yourself.”
Likewise:
Why is heterosexuality always being shoved down our throats?
-We are tired of being subjected to skanky females on late night ads for Quest phone lines trying to sell phone sex.
-We are tired of heterosexual couples groping each other and kissing in public.
-We are tired of semi-clad women in posters as if they are having sex with a car trying to sell auto parts.
-We are tired of heterosexuals getting married, getting divorced, getting married, (repeat several times) yet deny homosexual couples from wanting to have the same rights as heterosexual couples.
-We are tired of the heterosexuals committing adultery
-We are tired of the fact heterosexuals in America have the highest divorce rate in the world
I just found this article and I know my post is late but I would like to say that hypocrisy shouldn’t be tolerated in our elected officials but someone’s sexuality should be their business.
A good example is Hillary Clinton, it’s an open secret inside the beltway that she’s a lesbian.
When Drudge posted a link to an article stating that in the last election he (or at least his site) was attacked for it.
She’s a hypocrite and she’s living a lie for political gain.
But that’s her decision and she and her family seem to be at peace with it so why is it anyone’s business what she does?
David, you say their working against “their people” by living a lie or writing/supporting legislation that is anti gay but what could do more for the cause than to have a former first lady come out?
If you haven’t picked up on it yet I’m a republican. I believe I can be what I am w/o being a hypocrite but those that can’t have to live w/ themselves.
I think gay rights can move forward on its merits.
Why is it necessary to out someone? Fight them in the arena of ideas. If their spouting hate they’re only going to hurt their own cause eventually.
I think this country and our society is on a slippery slope when every private detail of a person’s life is fair game.
Children, family, sexuality, etc should be left off the table. If you can’t debate an ideas merits w/o personal attacks then you’ve already lost the fight.
And let’s honest, if we boil this down that’s what’s happening here. I don’t like what you’re saying so I’m going to expose your personal secrets.
If your honest you’ll admit that there’s hypocrisy in the gay community. As gay men we ask to be left alone, respected, and just allowed to live our lives but when it “helps the movement” we’ll out another gay man?
There’s enough hypocrisy to go around for all sides involved.
Coming out is a deeply personal decision to be made and so is living a gay life. If a man chooses to live that life in secrecy then who are you to out him? Just because you don’t approve of the company he works for or his political affiliation?
It’s not right and it’s not fair. It also looks a little hypocritical.
“And let’s honest, if we boil this down that’s what’s happening here. I don’t like what you’re saying so I’m going to expose your personal secrets.”
Sorry but that’s not what’s happening. Did you watch the documentray, “Outrage?” In the film, people aren’t being outed over the fact that they hang around with the wrong people or say unopular things. The closeted gay people being exposed in the film happen to be people who wield a great deal of political power and are using that power to deliberately harm and opress other gay people and prevent them from getting them the same civil rights afforded to all straight people. They’re not outing all gay politicians…only those hypocritical closeted gay politicians who actively attack the gay community.
And that seems fair to me. If a prominent and powerful senator who was secretly Jewish but made a habit of introducing legislation and supporting measures which would limit or take away the rights of other Jews, would it really be unfair, in your opinion, to expose that senator as a Jew? Should other people (including Jewish people) just keep their mouths shut and allow that senator to keep moving ahead with his campaign of anti-semitism simply because the senator “has a right to his privacy?” Perinally I feel that my right to fight for my civil rights is more important than the “right to privacy” of any gay politician who is attempting to limit or take those rights away from me.
As far as wjether it was right to out Shepard Smith, that’s more debatable, but senators, congressmen and all other elected officials should be held to a certain standard and shouldn’t be exempt from close scrutiny. In fact, close scrutiny of politicians’ personal lives routinely occurs when it comes to heterosexual politicians. Their extr-marital affairs, drug use, domestic violence, drinking problems and all sorts of other “personal” things are fodder for the press already. Do you really want the press treat all gay politicians so differently from the way they treat straight politicians?
As a left-handed Jewish female heterosexual I like Ryan’s analogy and the only thing to say is, “Of course”.
Barbara, i don’t think closested gay politicians are sad at all. I think they have adopted a position of righteousness,and feel good about what they’re doing. And I believe they are among the first to ‘out’ politicians involved in what is considered to be a heterosexual scandal.
Twitter: davidshankbone
says:
A left-handed Jewish female heterosexual? Sounds like my kind of woman!
I quoted Ryan’s response above extensively on this post.
To RedinColorado: Where you stick your penis is a mutually exclusive event that has nothing to do with any other physical or mentally oriented activity. If you choose to self identify yourself base upon your sexual proclivities that is your business. All it means is that your proclivities go beyond using your own hand. All else you identify reflects voluntary group identity out of necessity for inclusiveness. The homosexual militant movement has taking the mantra, those who fuck together stay together…and now you know the root of falsity in both camps. Homosexuals don’t stay together and neither do heterosexuals. So where is the rub. I’ll tell you…its about power and nothing else…so you stop your hypocrisy.
I recently found out that my husband of 30 years is a bathroom whore. It’s not the gay that bothers me; it’s the cheating, lying and using part. My opinion is that a closeted, gay married man is a creep beyond all creeps and should never have power over making decisions for any other human being. I personally don’t care where he sticks his dick, but if your your big and bad enough to be a liar, cheater, manipulator and user, put a damn gay pride sticker on your car and ride!
I actually voted for Crist because I thought he was the lesser of two evils. I want my vote back!!! I mentioned that he might be gay to a friend from south Florida. He said “Well Yeah”. Some function in St. Pete, Crist was running around with some 18-19 year old aid, that Crist got drunk! And the aid was definately a queen, by what my friend said.
I thought it was too fitting that Crist gave a shout out to all the other Alter Boy’s when he announced he was changing parties to run for Senate. What?
I have gone to “Him” or his office, looking for some help on something. And guess what? HE DOES NOT GIVE A SHIT AS LONG AS HE GET’S THAT PAY CHECK FROM THE TAXPAYERS!!!!!
I’ll shut up now. Thank You