September 29, 2005
The Media and Dreier's closet
by Jeff Langstraat
Of course, those of us on the left have been enjoying the day's political news. The announcement that the House's übercriminal has been indicted, and that the SEC has opened a formal investigation into the shady financial dealings of his Senate counterpart, may be too much for this liberal heart to take. It may bleed, but certainly not for these fuckers. Or for David Dreier.
It seems that Dreier was originally tapped to be a sort of interem speaker--a House Peggy Hill, if you will--until the Bugman returned from dealing with the little problem in Austin:
There was one big problem: When DeLay's indictment was unsealed yesterday, conservatives in the GOP caucus immediately erupted in anger over rumors that the selection of Dreier, whom they regard as too moderate, was being presented as a fait accompli .As the conservatives met to vent frustrations and plot options, Hastert was changing course in a separate meeting on the second floor of the Capitol. Rep. Roy Blunt (Mo.), the majority whip, was making a personal appeal for the promotion. Hastert agreed, forestalling a possible revolt by conservatives, who regard Blunt as one of their own.
emphasis added
Too moderate. Yeah, that's the ticket. He certainly no moderate when it comes to gay issues:
2004: Voted for the Marriage Protection Act. 2001: Supported legislation allowing federally funded charities to discriminate against gays and lesbians, despite local laws. 1999: Opposed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (as he had in 1996 and ’97). 1998: Voted to prohibit gays and lesbians in the District of Columbia from adopting children (D.C. is 3,000 miles from Dreier’s own district); opposed restoration of funding to the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS program. 1997: Opposed the Hate Crimes Prevention Act; opposed increases in state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs. 1996: Voted for the Defense of Marriage Act; opposed the Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS program.
Yup, this moderate received a 92 from Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition. John over at Americablog certainly isn't buying the "too moderate" thing:
We'd heard that apparently the gay issue is what influenced the decision. They knew about the controversy and that's why Dreier got uninvited to be Majority Leader.
Dreier is one of those rare breeds of Republicans, the closeted heterosexual. If there's one thing the Republican Party can't stand, it's someone who keeps their heterosexuality hidden --you gotta proclaim that shit!
The closeted heterosexual has a difficult life. Unable to proudly testify to their membership in the "normal majority," they go to all sorts of lenghts to hide it, some even going so far as to share a home with their Chief-of-Staff.
OK, I just can't keep going with this closeted heterosexual thing. The guy's gay, and that's one of the reasons the deal was scuttled. Not the only reason but definitely one of them. The moral of the story is that the "pro-family" types in the GOP hate fags, and being a fag-hating fag isn't enough to buy their good graces. Thank goodness we have that gay-friendly liberal media to point out GOP fag-hating (via Atrios):
However, if the Republican-Majority-Leader-to-be was preempted because he was gay, that is real news. I haven't heard the commentary yet, but several people have reported to me that CNN's Wolf Blitzer stated that Dreier was blocked at the last moment because he was pro-choice, from Southern California, and had "other issues" -- the last part stated in a low and halting voice.If true, what is that about, Wolf? If Dreier -- who is one of the most powerful and, frankly, capable members of House Republican leadership -- Chairman of the powerful Rules Committee -- was stopped from stepping into the indicted Tom DeLay's seat because he was gay -- can we finally get beyond the blogs and onto the pages of the New York Times and Washington Post about this real news?
Dreier was blocked because he has a long-term, loving relationship with someone of the same sex. This has been documented on many fronts and is widely known by members of Dreier's own caucus. If the reality of this blocked Dreier's ascension, then the news has a duty not to keep this matter hidden.
I'm pleased by Tom DeLay's fall from grace. But I'm irritated by the main stream media's complicity in hiding the bigotry that runs unchecked through a significant quarter of the Republican party.
Over a decade ago, Michaelangelo Signorile wrote about the various ways our institutional media not only support but reinforce the closet, and queer oppression. Blitzer and the WaPo's reluctance to deal with "the gay thing" is part of this. They'll cling to Dreier's sexuality being "a private issue" as a reason not to deal with that sexuality as a central feature of the story. We couldn't violate Dreier's right to privacy by pointing out how members of his own party use it against him, now could we? We can certainly provide cover for homophobia, though. That's a no-brainer. And that's exactly what the media do.
Their inability to understand the dynamics of anti-gay politics, their own embededness within the political culture of DC ("don't stray from the talking points"),or of the social structural aspects of sexuality, leads them to disregard (homo)sexuality when it is central to a story. Dreier's gayness (and no, he doesn't keep it private) is central to the story, but because he has made no public comment (but taken plenty of public action) to indicate he is gay, they can't say he's gay. The won't even touch the issue. They cloud how central anti-gay politics are to the contemporary GOP. Even consistently voting against gay folks isn't enough to be part of their little club. Explicit and blatant heterosexuality is necessary.
Dreier's gotta feel like shit right now. Most of us who are gay have some experience being shat upon because of it. I've even received death threats and harrassment while on the job. I've also sat in a bar just to have a drink with a friend, and been subject to an hour and a half of harrassment, I stayed there to make clear that I have equal claim to public space. I sat there with a quiet dignity and said, "I will not be driven out of my own life."
Dreier has, throughout his career, made the opposite choice. He has taken nearly every opportunity to hide, lie, and fuck over other gay people. That's why I feel no sadness for him. He got what he deserved. If only the media would deal with that side of the story.
Posted by in Accountability, Culture War, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, Homosexuality, Media, Politics, Queer, Republicans, Sexual Politics
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