Taking aim at the hypocrisy of closeted politicians
Does a politician’s right to privacy trump the wrong of hypocrisy? Documentary filmmaker Kirby Dick thinks not.
He doesn’t care about the sex lives of politicians. But he cares that when a pol’s sexual orientation is secret, often shame and self-hatred color his voting record. Dick is outraged when closeted gay politicians vote against gay marriage, against the right of gays to adopt, and against funding for HIV/AIDS. He’s so outraged that he has made a movie exposing the disconnect between what these men practice and what they preach.
Despite its title, Outrage is calm, riveting, and provocative, taking pride in officials who come out and and taking aim at those who remain closeted. The film saves most of its ammunition for the media’s “orchestrated conspiracy,” creating a double bind that perpetuates the double lives of these men. Yes, they are all men, and with the exception of Ed Koch, former New York mayor, all are Republicans. (Why should we care? One, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who recently married a woman, is a leading GOP candidate for president in 2012.)
Dick, whose prior documentaries include This Film Is Not Yet Rated, a trenchant and amusing take on the double standard of the motion-picture ratings board, is ambivalent about his role in “outing” closeted politicians.
Beltway blogger Michael Rogers, on hand to furnish color commentary on who’s in the closet and why, considers the question of whether outing is a form of sexual McCarthyism. Is it the closeted practice or the outing that perpetuates the climate of shame? Certainly, whenever a James McGreevey or Eliot Spitzer admits his hidden sexual practices, he must take the media walk of shame.
Rogers’ answer to the chicken-or-egg question is that the goal of outing is to expose political hypocrisy, not sexual orientation. To this end, Dick provides each closeted politician’s voting record on gay rights; most of them show that he is voting against his own self-interest. See Taking aim at the hypocrisy of closeted politicians Philadelphia Inquirer * Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/05/taking-aim-at…
Advocates Say Paterson Falls Short On Gay Marriage Issue
Governor David Paterson is under fire from some Democrats who say he has not done enough to help legalize gay marriage in New York. NY1′s Grace Rauh filed the following report.
Governor David Paterson has been a longtime supporter of gay marriage, and has even ordering state agencies to recognize same-sex unions performed outside New York.
But in the fight to legalize gay marriage in his own state, some lawmakers charge that Paterson isn’t doing his part.
“Say what you will about former Governor [Eliot] Spitzer, a blessing and a curse. However, working with him, we would have gotten this bill passed by now,” said Democratic Manhattan Senator Tom Duane. “We absolutely would have gotten this bill passed and we would have had a strategy. And we would have worked together and we would have made sure it became a reality.”
But there is new momentum behind the issue, in the wake of Iowa and Vermont’s recent moves to legalize same-sex marriage.
Paterson says he will introduce a gay marriage bill in the State Senate, but deeply angered supporters this week by arguing that the bill should move to the floor even if it doesn’t have the votes to pass.
See Advocates Say Paterson Falls Short On Gay Marriage Issue NY1
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/04/advocates-say…
Advocates Say Paterson Falls Short On Gay Marriage Issue
Governor David Paterson is under fire from some Democrats who say he has not done enough to help legalize gay marriage in New York. NY1′s Grace Rauh filed the following report.
Governor David Paterson has been a longtime supporter of gay marriage, and has even ordering state agencies to recognize same-sex unions performed outside New York.
But in the fight to legalize gay marriage in his own state, some lawmakers charge that Paterson isn’t doing his part.
“Say what you will about former Governor [Eliot] Spitzer, a blessing and a curse. However, working with him, we would have gotten this bill passed by now,” said Democratic Manhattan Senator Tom Duane. “We absolutely would have gotten this bill passed and we would have had a strategy. And we would have worked together and we would have made sure it became a reality.”
But there is new momentum behind the issue, in the wake of Iowa and Vermont’s recent moves to legalize same-sex marriage.
Paterson says he will introduce a gay marriage bill in the State Senate, but deeply angered supporters this week by arguing that the bill should move to the floor even if it doesn’t have the votes to pass.
See Advocates Say Paterson Falls Short On Gay Marriage Issue NY1
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/04/advocates-say…
Appeals court upholds NYS partner ruling
(Albany New York) A mid-level New York State appeals court has upheld a policy granting benefits to the same-sex married partners of state workers.
The Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative Christian legal practice, argued that then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer acted illegally when he directed the Department of Civil Service in 2007 to …
Appeals court upholds NYS partner ruling
(Albany New York) A mid-level New York State appeals court has upheld a policy granting benefits to the same-sex married partners of state workers.
The Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative Christian legal practice, argued that then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer acted illegally when he directed the Department of Civil Service in 2007 to …
