Thursday, August 30, 2007

"I'm Not Gay! No Really! I'm Serious!"


Has America become so homophobic that a well-respected Western conservative U.S. Senator can't go into a public mensroom stall and play footsie and hand jive with another man without being accused of being gay? Just exactly what kind of sick witch hunt is this?

Idaho's Sen. larry Craig was arrested back in June for disorderly conduct in a Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport bathroom, charged with soliciting sex from an undercover male officer. The case became public earlier this week when Craig, who first pleaded guilty, reversed himself and declared "I'm not gay...I never have been...I don't do these kind of things." Of course he's not gay! He's vehemently opposed gay rights on so many levels it'd be utterly hypocritical of him to all of a sudden be gay. I ask incredulously, how could a prominent Republican with the following voting record be a homosexual?:

* Voted YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (Jun 2006)
* Voted NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes. (Jun 2002)
* Voted NO on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation. (Jun 2000)
* Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage. (Sep 1996)
* Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation. (Sep 1996)

You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you ain't gonna fool this blogger. Besides, everyone knows that it's very common and highly acceptable for men to strike up conversations with strangers while standing at the urinal...or when perched on the old porcelain. It's what we do. For Pete's Sake, we practically go to the bathroom together...just like women.

If you ask me, it was a set up, plain and simple. Entrapment. And it's gonna make me solidly rethink my own 100% heterosexual manly desires to reach under the stall to share a highly testosteroned-fueled bonding moment with one of my brethren. Yes, these are very scary times we live in, my 100% women-loving buddies. I say to all of you undeniably straight brothers out there, it's time to hide your Liza records....


On another note, we could use your help at The The Adrienne Shelly Foundation. We are a tax-exempt, non-profit organization dedicated in my wife's honor to help carry out her spirit and passion, with the goal of assisting women filmmakers. Adrienne was brutally killed in NYC on November 1, 2006. Through the Foundation, her commitment to filmmaking lives on. We've established scholarships, grants, finishing funds and living stipends at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts/Kanbar Institute of Film; Columbia University; American Film Institute; Women in Film; the Independent Feature Project; the Nantucket Film Festival; and the Sundance Institute.

On November 12 in NYC we will be holding our first annual Fundraising Gala, with a musical performance by Alanis Morissette followed by a celebrity reading of Adrienne's script "The Morgan Stories," featuring Paul Rudd, Edie Falco, Ally Sheedy and many others. To learn more about our mission, to make a tax-deductible donation, and to sign up to receive details about the November benefit please visit our website. Every contribution helps preserve Adrienne's legacy, allows us to help others, and creates something positive out of this tragedy.

Adrienne's film "Waitress" opened in theatres May 2nd to rave reviews from the NY Times, LA Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time, People, Entertainment Weekly, Ebert & Roeper ("Two Thumbs Up"), Leonard Maltin and others, and has so far grossed $19-million domestically and almost $1-million internationally. The DVD will be available in November. It's a truly wonderful film that you're sure to love. A link to the trailer is below. Enjoy.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/waitress/trailer/

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Uh...Idaho is not Mid-Western.

Anonymous said...

I am of two minds regarding Craig.

On the one hand, while I am not interested in anyone's private sex life, and Washington is filled with hypocrites (e.g., Clinton and NAFTA) I think that public officials are to be held to a higher standard than the rest of us. Involvement in a sex based crime is a serious matter.

Having said that, I yearn for a common standard.

Those who defended Clinton's behavior (including the allegations of rape and exposure) are off limits as being part of his personal sex life ought to either come to Craig's defense or remain silent.

Those who countenance Barney Frank's continued prominence in the Congress after his involvement with a prostitution business, where he used his Congressional prerogatives to clear dozens of parking tickets for his lover ought to have no problem with Craig's continued Senate service.

Similarly, those who felt that it was appropriate for Ted Kennedy to remain in the Senate and not be removed by the body for his conduct in the Kopechne affair, his assault on Washington waitresses and his involvement in the William Smith matters should fight for Craig.

The last thing that people should do is make their decisions about such weighty matters on the basis of his party affiliation and how it would help their ideological desires regarding the balance of power in Congress.

Anonymous said...

I wonder why Anonymous (7:43 am) forgot toe mention Sen. Vitter and his prostitutes? Could it be he was a Republican? Hmmm.

Why didn't he mention Congressman Gingrich having an extra-marital affair while impeaching Pres. Clinton? Could it be he was a Republican? Hmmm.

People who a members of glass political parties should not throw stones.

Anonymous said...

I think we can accept Sen. Craig's word at face value that he does NOT--repeat, NOT--have sex with men. If you won't accept his word, I'm sure you could ask any man in any restroom in the Minneapolis airport, and he'd tell you the same thing!

On a more serious note, though, Sen. Craig is most certainly NOT gay. Instead, he's shown by his behavior that he's a closeted, repressed, duplicitous, self-loathing man who is afraid to accept his sexuality and who has to hide behind a veneer of holier-than-thou morality so he can condemn others without compunction. If this is a sterling example of what the Republicans' "family values" represents, then it shows how morally bankrupt that political party really is.

Anonymous said...

you must be from New York. Idaho is definitely not mid-western.

Anonymous said...

It is time for the leading GOP candidates for President to come out and tell us if the are NOT GAY enough for the NOT GAY community. Just as Obama has had to answer questions about he being black enough, the NOT GAY community needs to know that folks like Rudy Juliani and Mitt Romney need to come out to the NOT GAY community and assure us that they are in fact NOT GAY enough.

Juliani in particular has some not so NOT GAY incedents in his past that need to be addressed. He has many not NOT GAY freinds and some pictures of him in drag that are very diffinately not NOT GAY.

Mitt has a penchant for makeup that is very much not NOT GAY.
Again each of these men need to let us know the depth of their NOT GAYNESS.

Anonymous said...

A politician's sex life matters for only one reason: the potential of blackmail. You can't have men or women in power who can be controlled with information like this. And if a foreign government were to entrap a politician, one can see where the results for America could be disastrous. That is the main reason why I did not vote for Clinton for re-election. I thought his affair showed a character defect -- but the affair was really between him and Hillary. However, knowing that there may other secrets that could be used to blackmail him led me to believe that he should not have a second term.

As for not being able to criticize a Republican if you defended Clinton, the Republicans should remember that THEY set the precedent for this. They can't criticize the hypocrisy of Democrats unless they are demanding the resignation of any politician -- Republican or Democrat -- who does this. They aren't even complaining about Guliani who MOVED his mistress in and announced his marriage was over to the press before even telling his wife. So much for family values.

Vierotchka said...

Andy, he is by no means the first gay Republican lawmaker to have voted for homophobic and anti-gay laws. There are a great many gay Republicans who, in public and in politics, have anti-gay and even homophobic positions. Either they are still in the closet, or are simply wearing the anti-gay mask to protect their own arses (no pun intended). Haggart and Foley come to mind as prime examples.

Anonymous said...

On HARDBALL Gary Bauer in responding to Matthews' question about Craig said: "Well, we're all sinners." That seems to be the attitude the Religious RIght has when Republicans "sin". It's the "boys will be boys" attitude. However, they're not so benevolent when Democrats (Clinton et al) "sin". They are considered as nothing short of probably being possessed by the devil. Craig called Clinton a "nasty, bad boy."

Rich Miles said...

Wow, Andy - you get some real nutbags on here sometimes.

Anonymouse at 7:43 - what allegations of "rape and exposure"? I've never seen that. Nor have I seen much in the way of "defense" of Clinton's misbehavior with Lewinsky. There were quite a few people who were sane enough to think that was a poor reason to impeach and convict a US president, but I don't know anyone who "defended" him.

Barney Frank was absolved of any illegality in the male prostitute matter years ago. If you looked somewhere besides Rush Limbaugh for your info you'd know that.

And finally - a deliberate, bloody lie: while I am not interested in anyone's private sex life

You damned well ARE interested in others' private sex lives. You couldn't have written that little seven-paragraph demonstration of wingnuttery if you weren't.

Get a life, loser.

Anonymous said...

1:47 PM,
Anonymous 7:43 has the most politically neutral and 'fair' post on this thread. It most likely upsets you because you want to use Craig's disgusting bathroom habits for your partisan advantage.

Anonymous said...

Hey 1:47 PM "Craig's disgusting bathroom habits" IS to the Dem's advantage. They don't ever have to mention it in order to benefit. Also to their advantage is his disgusting hypocrisy.

Samuel Brainsample said...

Montana state senator Dave Lewis recently had this to say about Sen. Craig:

"As a Republican state senator in Montana and as a human being, I am offended by Senator Craig’s existence. Why oh why are most of the perverts that get caught Republicans? Are there more of them or are they just stupid? The thought of a US Senator chasing love in all the wrong places makes me think longingly of the Ayotollahs in Iran. They would just kill the turkey."

Anonymous said...

I'm 7:43........

It's sad how things have deteriorated. I suppose that any blog that constantly refers to an opposing party as "Repugnicans" is unlikely to be populated by people seeking a reasoned balance of standards and philosophy of conduct.

For the fellow who didn't hear about credible arguments of rape and exposure regarding Clinton, I direct you to the hundreds of thousands of dollars that Clinton paid to Paula Jones. As to rape, there is the lady from Arkansas as well as Ms. Willey who "maybe wanted to get some ice" for that fat lip.

I didn't mention "Repugnicans" because the point of my comment was balance in responses to similar behavior.

The fellow from Louisiana who was primed to be Majority Leader resigned when it was uncovered and broadcast by the opposition that his PRIVATE sex life included infidelity. Notiwthsanding being a serial committer of the same conduct, Ted Kennedy is a revered lion of the left wing of the Democratic Party. And that's not including his attempt to ravage a DC waitress or his involvement in the Wm Kennedy Smith scandal.

Alcee Hastings is a respected member of the Democratic Caucus notwithstanding conduct that got him impeached as a judge.

Barney Frank was indeed complicit in enabling his gay lover to run a prostitution ring from his home. The lover has publicly stated that he used his Congressional prerogatives to clear between 50 and 60 parking tickets incurred in connection with the business and he would constantly call their mutual residence to find out if the fellow was "entertaining". Yet he's a top dog in the party and never was held to account.

The law is the minimum standard that keeps a person out of prison. There is a higher standard that we should expect of our public representatives and it should be applied evenly.

My gripe - and I most assuredly represent that I am not only a Democrat, but a former senior member of my local Democratic Party organization - is that Democrats should be evenhanded in applying standards.

I honestly don't give a darn about what the GOP does n its own house. I am just disappointed that our own is so filled with hypocrisy.

Anonymous said...

7:43 You just don't get it. The Republicans are the "holier than thou" crowd masking their unholy conduct and thinking. They are the hypocrites. That is the main charge against them, the Party of values. And, those fine "Religious Right" people cannot even practice the required demand of Christianity: forgiveness. They're saying Craig's actions are unforgivable." And, you might fairily notice the Democrats are not screaming against Craig; his "friends" and fellow Republicans are. So much for "compassionate conservatives"

You are a puzzlement. But no matter how unclear your logic is in your attack on Democrats, it is clear that you are unfairly blaming the Democrats of hypocrisy.
They are not the ones screaming for Craig to resign. They are not the ones who voted against gay rights. They are not the ones who cannot forgive.

Anonymous said...

7:56 I heard the comments on TV about government keeping Gays in the closet by supressing their rights which drives them to secretive behavior. I heard Paul Begala angrily point out that government is trying to control women's decision about child bearing and the government is telling another group of people they can't openly fight for their country. Does this mean, perhaps, the Democrats are getting some backbone and are not afraid to speak out anymore? That is one way the Democrats have been, if not hypocritical, cowardly.

Anonymous said...

Here is the real problem IMO.

Yes there are hypocrites in both parties.. no question about that but the awful truth is that we now have a major political party that consistently campaigns, and has usually won, on issues deliberately chosen to arouse the most extreme, fearful and truly hateful elements in society.

The Republican party, starting in the Clinton years, has found a winning strategy with challenges to patriotism, fear and war mongering, gay baiting, and the most hateful and nasty accusations and distortions all while pretending to hold the high moral ground and claiming they are the oppressed ones.

The irony is that, in reality they they have done nothing whatsoever to cure the the ills of society or make us any safer. Its all a ruse to win power and money for themselves and their cronies the result being an increasingly divided society and an unwinnable, draining and disastrous war.

This incident involving this man is a perfect example of the hypocrisy of it all.

Anonymous said...

Tired of the corruption in Washington D.C. ??

STOP VOTING FOR REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATS!!

Under the media radar and behind the bathroom sex story, Hillary Clinton and a handful of Democratic candidates for President is the fact that the democrats were accepting dirty money from a fugitive.

Unknown said...

I ask everyone to not shut the door to the probably truth:

Craig was Set Up

Anonymous said...

As I've said so many times lately:

It's all the HYPOCRITES in the Republican Party that makes this episode so disgusting.

One day when all the hymophobes are quieted, our country will be much better off. Thank goodness that the young voters coming up do not hold such hatred as those in the Republican Party today. It's going to take a while, but it will happen that we move beyond the hatred that comes forth from the Republican Party. The saddest part is that they hide behind Christianty to spread their hate.

Anonymous said...

8:31 AM,

It's OK, Larry Craig is now in the clear. He purchased Heterosexual offsets and now he's not resigning anymore. It's just so easy to buy offsets and follow the liberal template for hypocrisy.

Anonymous said...

I did not have sexual relations with that police officer.
Well I do believe our feet touched... The cop isn't gay either - right. At least it is easy to tell from listening he is a poorly trained asshole. No wonder he spends so much time - undercover in the restroom.
Larry (which is slang for Latrine) is on the river of denial - but so what. I will note that this was on the secure side of the airport. To be in that bathroom one must go through security and have a ticket to fly. Has there really been enough activity in that restroom to require a sting?

Anonymous said...

I think a good lawyer would point out that what the officer saw was an elderly gentleman in a state of agitation, waiting for a stall. He states that Senator Craig waited three feet from the stall doors and that Senator Craig was looking toward the stall doors, and that Senator Craig was fidgeting, and perhaps a reasonable person might intuit that he needed to use the toilet for its intended purpose. Officer Karsnia cannot testify as to what Senator Craig saw and standing at a distance of three feet should immunize the Senator from any intent to peep. But then, you'd have to ask yourself whether Officer Karsnia thought it reasonable for him to sit in the stall spying on an elderly man in evident distress for two minutes. If there was any suspicious behavior in that washroom it was that exhibited by Officer Karsnia.

Anonymous said...

I was not born, nor raised in this country. However it amazes me why Americans care so much about what someone does with their sexuallity, having sex with man does not make you gay or having an affair with another worman does not mean you don't love your wife. What do you know what is going on in their marriage. Americans have double standars they mind soemeone's sexual life, but are so disconnected with how their goverment goes arround the world doing worst things like occupations and killing people. Why don't you really pick on what it matters. No instead you all become so bug up with issues that are not your business. You all pride on family values yet America has the highest divorce rate world wide. You deny gays to get married yet you can't not even last for life in your heterosexual marriages and you know what is the sad thing the whole world knows how bias a vast majority of American are. You like to reflect and blame someone else for just fustrations, you vote NO on gay marriage yet some have gotten married for the third even fourth time, how pathetic is that. And you preach of family values and higher standars.