Yeah so gay Schadenfreude is in full effect in some diaries here at Daily Kos and it's a tad irritating.
I think this is an irritant, albeit a minor one but not really, that began with the death of Merv Griffin. As it so happens, Merv Griffin was likely gay. And very closeted. And apparently not the best friend of the gay community, which has caused some to open up old wounds and fling the mud at his corpse (at least, that is how I see it.) Not cool, in my book. Let the dead rest.
Because as I see it, this sort of thing just drives people further into their quiet when they see what some in the activist set are doing to those who are already dead, and can't defend themselves.
I'm of course, in no way, condoning Merv Griffin's sexual harassment of several men, all known, documented, and noted. But I am pretty much ok with him living his life the way he wanted, even if he didn't advance The Cause and even if he chose to stay In the Closet. Yeah, he was a Republican. So are lots of gay people (for reasons I won't even begin to understand. Again, that's their choice, not mine.)
And then there's Senator Craig. Yes, I believe it's entirely possible to be straight and occasionally play with ones own gender. I don't have a problem with this. In fact I don't even like labels. I of course hate that he's been as anti-gay a Republican as they come. The cruising of public toilets for dick to suck isn't too cool either. I've never really been a fan of that scene. There's a time and a place.
But at the same time I'm not a fan of the schadenfreude some are having over his outing. And outing to play "gotcha." I've never liked that either (even if JimmyJeff and Ted Haggard probably had it coming.) I firmly believe that it should be ones own decision as to when they get to come out of the closet, even if they're a hypocritical self-loathing anti-gay gizzguzzling dude who licks the backroom floor at the Baltimore Eagle (and no, I've never been. I'm not nearly lecherous enough.) It's not your decision, or mine. It's theirs to make at a time of their own choosing, like when the wife finds the leather bondage water sports porn or the super-sized buttplug.
Personal choice and all that. We're for choice, except when we can use it as "Gotcha!"
As to Tucker Carlson, I think he's just some douchy little twerp who's full of shit. He and his buddies at MSNBC can have a chuckle (and his new cover story is amusing, but probably a lie) about "beating up some gays" but chances are it probably never happened, and Tucker would probably piss himself if he got lost in the Castro in San Francisco. I don't think he should be fired. No, gay bashing isn't funny (and for that matter, neither are prison rape jokes), but knowing Tucker Carlson's history it probably never happened, and it's a waste of effort to attempt to get him fired (when MSNBC probably will do no such thing.) This is just yet more gotcha. Let it be. Tucker's an ass, his ratings suck and almost no one watches him. Next!
I think the point I'm attempting to make is I'm tired of what is (whether I like it or not) a significant part of my identity being used as political gotcha. We get used for good when it's convenient in a human rights context and used when it's good for a "gotcha you immoral slut" context. This is, in my view, more based on American hangups regarding sexuality then anything, but that's just me.
Gotcha politics. You know, that alone is its own diary series. Maybe someone should write it.