October 15, 2004
Kerry's use of the "L" word exposes GOP homphobia
by Liza Sabater
"Compassionate conservatives" have their knickers in a bunch over the following quote:
SCHIEFFER: [...] Both of you are opposed to gay marriage. But to understand how you have come to that conclusion, I want to ask you a more basic question. Do you believe homosexuality is a choice?
KERRY: We're all God's children, Bob. And I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she's being who she was, she's being who she was born as.
I think if you talk to anybody, it's not choice. I've met people who struggled with this for years, people who were in a marriage because they were living a sort of convention, and they struggled with it.
And I've met wives who are supportive of their husbands or vice versa when they finally sort of broke out and allowed themselves to live who they were, who they felt God had made them.
I think we have to respect that.
Since Bush lost all three debates, the wingnuts have nothing else but to jump on Kerry's quote. The problem with their reaction is that it will only uncover more the hipocrisy of the Republican party's "compassionat conservatism" screed : They cannot be compassionate if they are pushing for a federal amendment that would turn gays and lesbians into second-class citizens.
As www.AndrewSullivan.com - Daily Dishsays :
DOUBLE STANDARDS: Let me give you an example of the double standards here. I remember once being driven around by a charming woman on a stop on a book tour. We talked about my book, and she averred, after chatting all day, that she had nothing against gay people, she just wished they wouldn't "bring it up" all the time. I responded: "But you've been talking about your heterosexuality ever since I got in the car." She said: "I haven't. I've never once discussed sex." My response: "Within two minutes, you mentioned your children and your husband. You talked about your son's work at high school. You mentioned your husband's line of work. And on and on. You wear your heterosexuality on your sleeve all the time. And that's fine. But if I so much as mention the fact that I'm gay, I'm told it's all I care about, and that I should pipe down. Don't you see the double standard?" Candidates mention their families all the time. An entire question last night was devoted to the relationship between men and their wives and daughters. Mentioning Mary Cheney is no more and no less offensive than that. What is offensive is denying gay couples equal rights in the constitution itself. Why don't conservatives get exercized about that?
Just read all of Sullivan's posts about the subject for the last 3 days. Here's more links:
AMERICAblog: Because a great nation deserves the truth
Salon.com | John Kerry's lesbian moment
Ex-Gay Watch: Exgays claim Kerry 'born gay' remark insults them
TalkLeft: More Mary Cheney: Who's the Tawdry One
Posted by Liza Sabater in 2004 Elections, Dick Cheney, John F. Kerry, Politics, Prejudice, Privacy, Sexual Politics
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