This is not a diary about Larry Craig’s hypocrisy. Nor is it a diary about the hypocrisy of the homophobic/closeted wing of the Republican Party. No, that diary would be too easy to write; and frankly, too easy to read.
This diary is about staying true to the legacy of the Stonewall Rebellion.
The 1969 rebellion at the Stonewall Tavern happened because gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people were sick and tired of being sick and tired. Sick and tired of being publicly humiliated by police officers. Sick and tired of being sent to jail for dressing in "clothes of the opposite gender." Sick and tired of being beaten up on the street. Sick and tired of being denied decent housing and employment. In essence: sick and tired of being treated like filth by anyone and everyone.
The Stonewall Rebellion was a demand for respect. It was an assertion of self-respect. And it was a challenge to future generations.
So how can we stay true to the challenge (and promise) of Stonewall at this moment?
We can start by highlighting an aspect of the Larry Craig story that has gotten far too little attention over the past week: namely, the fact that he was arrested—ARRESTED—for discreetly asking whether someone wanted to have sex with him. Asking someone if they want to have sex with you SHOULD NOT BE A CRIME. And, as Richard Kim points out in an excellent post at The Nation, Larry Craig’s arrest was not an isolated incident:
Apparently, since May of this year, [The Minneapolis airport police] made 41 arrests like Craig's in an elaborate sting operation. Not to be outdone, the head of the Atlanta International Airport police boasted that they've arrested 45 men (take that Minneapolis!), including "a couple college professors" and "the CEO of a bank" (but alas, no Senators) in a similar sweep. As Doug Ireland reports over at Gay City News, Michigan police have them all beat; the Triangle Foundation reports "a caseload of 770 arrests in four months."
And this type of police regulation is not limited to airports, but is quite common, particularly in urban areas. The criminalization of gay and lesbian sexual activity perpetuates a vicious cycle—a cycle that leads to the disproportionate incarceration of low-income LGBT people (an issue that affects me personally, as a number of my transgender friends are currently incarcerated for non-violent, poverty crimes.... And needless to say, prison is an awful place for a transgender woman to be).
We should not forget that the Stonewall Rebellion was a response to the criminalization of semi-public gay and lesbian sexuality. The legacy of Stonewall should encourage us to speak out against this form of injustice, even when a despicable figure such as Larry Craig is caught up in the dragnet.
Now that Craig has resigned, let’s do the right thing. Let’s speak up loud and clear against this blatant example of institutionalized homophobia.