I am NOT Gay.

Larry Craig isn't gay. Thank god cuz we don't really want him to be. Ick. Now that he has told the country that he isn't gay in a press conference, I am so relieved.

I don't want him to be gay because he is such a pathetic figure. Bearing his outrage but not his shame before the cameras today. Fine Senator. Don't be gay. There are lots of people who don't identify as gay but DO have sex with guys (or women) sometimes. But those people usually don't have the power to pursue discriminatory laws against gays and lesbians or promote hostile viewpoints towards us in the halls of Congress. We all have enough information about how hypocritical it would be if someone like Senator Craig were to actually BE gay and vote in such an anti-gay manner. I won't bother making that point since I frankly don't think voting to hurt people is justified no matter what your sexual orientation.

Ironically on the LGBT blogs and "insider lists" today there was a huge discussion about whether or not Senator Craig should garner some sympathy from the community because of the historic antipathy that exists towards police entrapment methods against, particularly, gay men.

But seeing his performance, I have lost any notion of sympathy. The guy practically SPIT it out that he wasn't gay. Because if he WAS gay, then that would somehow explain his publicly lewd behavior.

Like I said, ick.

Follow Hilary Rosen on Twitter: www.twitter.com/hilaryr

Comments

[rijomi]

I loved the fruedian slip when he thanked everyone for coming out. You would deny that your were gay too if you came from a state that contained as many neo-nazis, paranoid gun freaks, and mormons as Idaho. Try relating to that bunch.

[AngFL]

Agreed, Craig is pathetic. Why would anyone feel sorry for this guy. It appears from the press conference that he is unfortunately, another self-loathing queer. How sad and pathetic.
What's worse than Craig proclaiming, "I'm not gay," is the idea being gay is a bad thing. My goodness, men and their obsession with NOT being gay is sending the wrong message. My 14yr.old nephew loves to proclaim he's not gay even though his auntie is.... Or the word gay is now what teenagers use to describe something that's wrong or weird or bad..
So on that note -- "I'm Not a Republican, I'm Not a Republican, Nooo Way will I ever be a Republican!"

[JoshuasGrandma]

So, toe-tapping is a code! I guess that's why Dobson and Medved were so convinced that the movie 'Happy Feet' had gay undertones.

That's not original with me - but it sure did make me laugh!

[Purple Girl]

These "straight ' men are the 'demand' side of the bathroom, park, rest area rendevous. Becaue of their double lifes they require annonimity- therefore 'public places are less indictive of who you may realy be. And who ends up taking the responsiblity for such behavior- they gay popultion. When you're open with your sexuality- you need not participate in these clandestine activities. There needs to be a new name for these guys that indicts them for their use of public property to secure their sexual needs. At least prostites takes their Johns somewhere private. These Straights seem to prefer it's in a public area. I believe prostitution should be legalized, for various resons- one being that it may help take it off the streets - a red light district. But folks like Craig want it to reamin a covert, because they don't dare step in to a Gay bar to hook up.
I don't have a problem with the gay part- just the public restroom part (and of course his blaming homosexuals for this behavior)

[speckiegrrl]

You are correct, Ms. Rosen. Larry Craig is not gay. He is a homosexual. And pathetic.

[dennisherer]

See, Guys, what we have here is a self loathing coward. He'll rail against people who are brave enough to realize who they are, and don't involve people in their own private little cover-up (like getting themselves a wife if they're a gay man, or a husband if they're a lesbian). The Craigs, Haggerts, Foleys, and other Republicans, can't stand people who actually come-out because that takes a degree of self-realization, and guts they don't have. And the worse part? They use the bible to justify their bigotry.

[bluemoonnyc]

Amen, Hilary. I'm not gay either (!), and you couldn't be more precisely on target. Please write an op-ed based on your undeniable reasoning on this very point. You need to be heard from Idaho (hide-a-ho?) to Florida, and everywhere these self-loathing hypocrites hide.

[WilliePilgrim]

Focusing on the hypocracy seems to be the only civilized stance one can take on this. I am surprised, however, that there's been no outcry about the predatory practices of police enforcing moral standards between consenting adults. I don't think I heard the author say the word "icky" when George Michaels was hauled off to the court of public opinion, and that too is hypocritical.

[Martina]

Frankly, I was so disgusted by Senator Craig's comments, not that he is gay but how hypocritical he was since they (MSNBC) played the tape of him on "Meet the Press" from ~ 10 years ago where he called Bill Clinton "a bad boy, bad, bad, boy" and appeared to have a sinister way of saying that, almost lecherous tone. Frankly I feel that there are more Republicans that are 'closeted' and what bothers me about most is this is supposed to be the 'party' of favor by the evangelical right. I am straight but have many gay friends who I cherish for all they contribute. I feel that it makes no difference what a person's sexual orientation is as long as they are a good person.

[JohnJames]

I think it was "nasty, bad, naughty boy" or maybe "naughty, bad, nasty boy". Like Haggard preaching at his church service and pointing to a congregant and joking that he knew what he did last night but won't tell his wife. Both were talking about themselves.

[mtnthai]

Right after I read this piece I was reading another newsletter I get, and this was the headline:

"Senate GOP leaders call for ethics committee review on Craig 28 Aug 2007 Senate Republican leaders call for an ethics committee review of the case involving Idaho GOP Sen. Larry Craig. And an ethics watchdog group based in Washington has asked that the U.S. Senate look into whether Idaho Sen. Larry Craig's arrest on disorderly conduct charges violated the Senate's rules of conduct."

How is it that the Repugs from all over have, within 24 hours, decided to hang one of their own for being/or not being as the case may be, gay. Yet they fought tooth and nail to keep Tom Delay from coming in front of the same Ethics committee? A man who is truly (allegedly?) criminal in action and intent, not a closet criminal, but a full blown (no pun intended) criminal.

the hypocrisy is so deep it reeks.

[mommadona]

Hey, it's not about being gay....
He's not gay....
He's justa charter member
of the Republican Male Bonding Ritual.

It allll starts with that innocent
rubber-chicken fundraiser dinner
at the local Chamber of Commerce....

Then, before ya know it....

THEY'RE DOIN' IT IN THE CLOAKROOM.
WHILE BEING PAID ONE HEFTY SALARY
WITH HEALTH BENEFITS
FOR "THE LITTLE LADY AND THE KIDS".

Boy, talk about havin' your cake
and eatin' it too......
Damn.

"Nice work, if you can get it,
and you can get it, if you try..."

[SadieYates]

people like this give gay people a bad rap.
gay people are not out looking to have sex with strangers in bathrooms. these are married men with kids who are looking for some action on the side. something different. something risky and dark. something strange. look, it's a proven fact that alot of gay bashers are repressing these feelings themselves. I always said that about poor old ignorant dead brother Falwell. then when they do engage in something like this, they feel guilty and they bash even more. it's basic psychology. they hate themselves. gay people do not have sex any more than the rest of us. there are plenty of gay people on the right. most of them cannot come out with it. but just wait til time to vote. that's all the right will talk about. and poor ignorant people (especially in the south) will come out just to vote against gay marraige or some similiar bullshit. we are so far away from gay marraige in this country. we don't even have basic laws about descriminating against sexual orientation in states and even the workplace. GAY PEOPLE ARE JUST NORMAL PEOPLE. you're right...this guy is definately not gay.

[factanonverba]

The GOP, the Gay Old Party, has quite the problem and I couldn't be happier. When I was closeted I too went to extreme lengths to hide my sexuality. It was only when I came out that my politics caught with my sexuality. Before then, I either didn't opine on gay issues or didn't support them. The reason you don't see these sort of antics among Democrats is because the Democratic Party believes that it is okay to be human, gay or straight. The GOP holds quite the opposite. It's not okay to human or even humane.

[littleblackcat]

factanonverba, you have summed it up beautifully, concise and to the point. Democrats believe it is okay to be human. We think everyone has the right to think and behave as they see fit as long as it does not infringe on anyone else's sensibilities or cause harm to a third party. Athiests? Who has to believe in a God in order to be a good person? Christian? I've read Catholic and Protestant bibles and if the words attributed to Christ are true, what a shame most Christians don't follow them. They give an excellent guideline for living with one's fellow creatures. Pagan? I read a bumper sticker that made great good sense, followed fervently by the Native American peoples; "THE EARTH IS OUR MOTHER, TREAT HER WITH RESPECT". Gay people, straight people, young people, old people, they all have their lives and stories. The Democrats allow them to live, the repukes would rather crush everyone who dares to be themselves rather than a bush puppet. Very good post. The world does not need any more bush-cheney-haggard-craig-gonzales-rice-foley-hastert-cunningham dirt pushed down its throat.

[boinx]

I like to think that as an august member of our most senior legislative branch of Government, he helped craft the laws he himself eventually plead guilty to.

See? He knew what was coming; So to speak.

[JOC1776]

let's see, you call a press conference that airs on national tv to announce your not gay nor have you ever been gay....translation?

Your Gay!!!