GOP revives gay apocalypse script
By Lewis Whittington
A year ago, the token gay Republican advocacy group GOProud was confident that their party was going to skip antigay rhetoric and policies in the next presidential election. Other things, like jobs, seemed to be more important than worries about whether Adam and Steve are about to make their announcement in the New York Times, along with their plans to adopt an unwanted baby. Actually, they are getting a clue, as the GOP girds for the next election that it’s déjà vu all over again. The field of candidates and have already started wielding that homophobic divining rod with pledges and litmus tests. Most have been shopping their individual brands of homopanic.
Even though he told CNN that he has gay friends, Rick Santorum has long despised us. In fact he equates gay sex with bestiality. Rick Perry had to clarify that he was against gay marriage when he was seemingly too soft on NY. Romney, who courted the gay vote when he was governor, is now calling for an antigay litmus test for judges. Herman Cain just outright hates gays. If you are a gay Muslims just forget having one of his pizzas delivered.
Which brings me to Michele Bachmann, currently the undisputed leader of the antigay agenda pack and current GOP frontrunner. She got where she, by all accounts, on her proud of her distain for gays, though lately she has been dodgy about fessing ups up about the fact that her husband offers ‘cures’ in his Christian counseling center, which has, after all, received federal funds. No matter, her antigay agenda cred is firmly established and what tipped elections before can work again.
Back in 2004, the George W. Bush’s staff called voters in the South on the eve of the election warning of the gay takeover. It worked. Ironies of ironies is that Ken Mehlman, Bush’s campaign manager and Karl Rove, whose father was gay, engineered the most anti-gay national campaign ever. Get a self-loathing traitor to his own people to show you how to run a successful hate campaign.
Actually, the other deciding factor this time is that President Obama has become the most pro-gay president ever, despite doubts and disappointment coming from his solid GLBTQ base. In the wake of gay marriage in New York and the repeal of DADT, to the rabid right wing, he might as well be Rupaul and Elton John‘s love child.. Politicians know they can successful fan prejudices during tough socioeconomic times. In New York, those against gay marriage are suing that their religious rights have being trampled on. How they are being harmed is a riddle inside a maze wrapped around a heterosexual puzzle.
Meanwhile, there is a leveling complacency of gay activism that must be address. Time to rally kids, there are mighty forces working to bring back the closet. Gay America sites shows like “Modern Family” and “GLEE” as being evidence that times have permanently changed and that is true in the fictive world of television, but outside urban areas, there are many layers of homophobia that successfully keep gay people in a closet.
Not that we will ever en masse go back to the way it was, more glbt people live open lives than ever before. The religious right has to privatize to get their homophobic message out. In the wake of the repeal of DADT and gay marriage in NY, many conservatives want stepped up efforts to convince gay members of their own families to stay hidden. ‘reparative’ therapy, whether the Bachmanns practice it or not, is back. Even NPR had an on its resurgence last week.
Meanwhile, there are few stories about Ava and Eve who have lived together for 30 years are about to graduate their 3rd son from college and retire from teaching and private medical practice to work in social services for distressed teens threatens Britney Spears ability to get married and divorced in the same week in Vegas by an Elvis impersonator.
It is over 40 years since the Stonewall Rights and a generation after gay solidarity in fighting AIDS brought us the streets to demand justice and rights. Note to GOProud, there will be room for you to march along side of lgbtq communities when we take to the streets again, as we must do, to ensure that we are not political pawns of the political agents of antigay hatred.
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