Homophobia starts pouring in over Human Rights Campaign sponsored presidential forum

(Cross-posted from The Bilerico Project's Alex Blaze)

The forum that the HRC and Logo are sponsoring for the presidential candidates (only the big money ones, of course, because we wouldn't want poor people attending an HRC event) probably won't produce anything worth much out of these candidate. We already know the focus-grouped and belabored policy positions that each of the major Democratic candidates is taking, the Republicans aren't going to show up but we pretty much know where they stand on Lawrence, and the only Democrat who didn't answer the HRC survey isn't invited. I don't imagine Melissa Etheridge and Joe Solmonese, the moderators, asking anything shocking or hard-hitting either. So I'm not expecting anything besides a few sound bites.

What is important is the fact that candidates are actually addressing non-straight people for a change. Every time they talk about their families, or how they understand how husbands want to provide for their wives, etc., they're playing to a straight crowd. It's just one more forum of many at which the presidential candidates will speak over the course of the next half-year.

But if you thought that no one would have a problem with this, then you thought wrong. Consider this from PoliPundit:

Edwards will have home-court advantage

Ah, questioning the sexuality of any candidate who participates in this. Well, that was expected, especially with Edwards, whom conservatives go to great lengths to portray as gay so that they don't actually have to debate substance.

But how about someone make it seem as though Joe Solmonese is too big of a fag to be qualified to moderate? WorldNetDaily:

Solomonese, who also is a singer, said voters undoubtedly will....

Well, I looked up his bio here and here and here, and there's no mention of him being a singer, so if he is then it wasn't what propelled him to the head of the HRC. The only reason a possibly obscure, possibly tautological (everyone's a singer!), possibly false fact like that would be included is to portray him as a screeching choir boy who has no place in a political debate. Ahem.

Well, now that we have that out of the way, is anyone out there going to compare gay rights to white supremacy? From the Stump:

Aren't these candidates running to represent all people? Suppose a debate was proposed devoted solely to white issues? There never will be because it would be considered bigoted to ignore other groups and those who argued such a point would be correct.

Ah, yes. The poor, ignored white people. Because there can't be a single debate not about heterosexuals. It goes on:

The issues facing America are not gay issues, they're not Hispanic, Asian or Black issues either, they're American issues.

This is the kind of top-down nationalism that makes me think: since when did Hispanic, gay, Asian, and Black issues stop being American issues? This argument implies that in order to have a proper debate, everyone who's non-white, Hispanic, or queer has to keep their mouths shut and be invested in whatever interests white, straight America.

But the best comes from Pajamas Media's own Gay Patriot:

Why isn't Senatress Lucy Grah-amnesty (R-SC) invited?  She gave the best hissy fit the Senate had ever seen a couple weeks ago, after all.

Of course, because disagreeing with someone entitles you to make misogynist and homophobic comments about them. And I don't think that anyone told the Gay Patriots that Lindsay Graham isn't running for president.

Oh, well. I expect a lot more, especially from the Religious Right, talking about how the presidential candidates, most (all?) of whom are Christian, are ignoring Christians. But they're usually a bit slower on the uptake.



Display:


Re: Homophobia (2.60 / 5)

Good diary. The right wing homophobes are pigs.

The attacks on John Edwards are ridiuculous.  I suppose they increased when his wife endorsed gay marriage.  


by littafi on Wed Jul 11, 2007 at 08:29:56 PM EST

Re: Homophobia (none / 0)

What the heck was the 1 for? In defense of homophobic Edwards bashing, or homophobes themselves?


"If [John Edwards] seems too good to be true, well, so be it; instead, you can pick a candidate who's bad enough to be plausible." - Daily Kos user Drew
by Junior Bug on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 04:10:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Sigh (3.00 / 2)

Kinda reminds me of comments I hear from able bodied people who are made that the handicapped get a parking space.
"So much for the handicapped wanting 'equal rights'"...

Ignorance is bliss.


by RedJet on Wed Jul 11, 2007 at 08:41:05 PM EST

Proud of Democrats (3.00 / 2)

and particularly of our presidential candidates who are all attending.  All but Mike Gravel filled out the Human Rights questionnaires.  And he is now actually complaining that he hasn't been invited.  How the world is changing even though the Right wingnuts go crazy.

Kudos to Edwards, Obama, Clinton, Richardson, Dodd, Biden, Kucinich and even Gravel, for standing up for everybody's human rights particularly of the GLBT community who have for so long been marginalized.


I am an Edwards Democrat. Visit EENR blog for Progressives
by pioneer111 on Wed Jul 11, 2007 at 08:48:50 PM EST

Re: Homophobia starts pouring in over HRC (3.00 / 2)

Yeah, Andrew Sullivan was having one of his stupid moments that has has quite frequently by complaining that the calibre of moderators/questioners wasn't very high for the event.

I wanted to ask him while he is busy ** Dick Chenney a few years ago, and kiss *** some of the GOP's ass right now between claiming he is the "soul of conservatism" did he managed to notice they aren't doing crap for our rights.

The double standard of gay conservatives on issues is beyond amazing. The will use anything to justify their idealogical beliefs no matter how out of whack they are.


by bruh21 on Wed Jul 11, 2007 at 09:50:46 PM EST

Re: Homophobia starts pouring in over Human Rights (3.00 / 0)

For the record: HRC does not represent me.

They represent Sen. Al Damato and Sen. Joe Lieberman. Both candidates they endorsed. I might add endorsed over other Democrats.  I don't understand why anyone works with them. They do not belong to the Progressive wing of the Democratic Party.


If all politics is local- then it's time to support your local Democratic Town Committee.
by JJonMyDD on Wed Jul 11, 2007 at 11:05:05 PM EST

Re: Homophobia starts pouring in (none / 0)

Did they endorse Lieberman last year?


Hillary/Obama08
by annefrank on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:34:00 AM EST
[ Parent ]

HRC Endorsements: SEN. LIEBERMAN (3.00 / 0)

Why yes they did. They endorsed Joe Lieberman over Democrat Ned Lamont.

They also endorsed Republican Lincoln Chaffee over Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse in Rhode Island.

And in my home district they endorsed Republican Rob Simmons over the winning Democrat Joe Courtney.

read more: http://www.hrc.org/outtowin/candidates.h tm


If all politics is local- then it's time to support your local Democratic Town Committee.
by JJonMyDD on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:24:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Homophobia starts pouring in over Human Rights (none / 0)

I agree about HRC, but that's hardly the point of the post is it?


by bruh21 on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:51:03 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Homophobia starts pouring in over Human Rights (3.00 / 0)

I'm always for more debates between the presidential candidates, but a gay debate would definitely be far down my list. Especially with Joe Solmonese moderating it.

IMO Andrew Sullivan would be an awesome moderator. At this point he's basically turned into a liberal anyway, though a self-hating one.

What is important is the fact that candidates are actually addressing non-straight people for a change. Every time they talk about their families

Gay people don't have families?


by Korha on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 01:55:38 AM EST

Re: Homophobia starts pouring in over Human Rights (none / 0)

Andrew Sullivan might be an interesting choice for moderator. He is, however, not a liberal by any stretch of the imagination.


Join us at Show Me Progress!
by clarkent on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 03:58:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Homophobia starts pouring in over Human Rights (none / 0)

Anderson Cooper?


vote blue in 2008
by sepulvedaj3 on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 06:34:25 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Homophobia (3.00 / 2)

Well it's sort of to be expected.  Actually, the venom would have been much worse 10 years ago so this country has come a long way, 30 years ago, they would have bombed it before it happened - this is a first so it of course will bring out the haters at first but I think reaction has been a bit more civil than I expected.

I don't understand the gay references to Edwards- I've never ever thought of him in that way- I don't know what they're trying to say because he's obviously not gay- very weird.


by reasonwarrior on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 03:44:53 AM EST

Re: Homophobia starts pouring in over Human Rights (none / 0)

Good Job... Nice Diary.


http://www.imvotingrepublican.com/ McCain Sucks!
by yitbos96bb on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:24:50 PM EST


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