Back in August, I highlighted a column by sportswriter Jeff Pearlman, who took on the issue of homophobia in sports by condemning a minor league manager who made homophobic comments during an argument with an umpire who is gay.
Today, Pearlman in his blog takes on the issue of gay hatred once again, this time on the political stage.
The opening is awesome:
I am not gay.
I have never had any sort of homosexual relationships. I find men to be physically ugly—too much hair, lumpy, stinky, etc (In short, I’m describing myself). I’ve never thought about being gay, have never wanted to be gay, have never thought about wanting to be gay.
I want to make that clear, because too often people (especially conservatives) believe that if someone strongly supports gay rights, he must be gay or she must be a lesbian. That’s their biggoted justification—Of course the f----t’s speaking out. It’s for his benefit.
Well, I’m straight. And I’m speaking out. And I hope you’ll join me.
(edited to modify a word that may be offensive to some)
Like Pearlman, I too am not gay. I have been happily (or reasonable facsimile thereof) married for the past 19+ years to a wonderful man who is my best friend, my confidante, my partner through joys and sorrows, triumphs and tragedies. Yeah, we've had our rough spots (that comes with the territory), but we've weathered the blasts. And my deepest wish is that every person will have the opportunity to find that special person to share their lives with...gender irrelevant.
Unfortunately, too many people think that love is a limited quantity, and should be reserved for those who choose the legally and morally "approved" relationship. As has been already excellently diaried by Chrislove, Carl Paladino, Republican candidate for New York governor, said to a group of Hasidic Jews:
There is nothing to be proud of in being a dysfunctional homosexual. That's not how God created us, and that's not the example that we should be showing our children.
He also reportedly said that children "would be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family." In other words, gays and lesbians should deny their attraction to those of the same sex and stay firmly in the closet, the doors triple-locked with a key attached to a wedding ring issued in a morally sanctioned "opposite marriage" to borrow a phrase from the former Miss California Carrie Prejean.
This angers me greatly. And it also angers Pearlman, enough that instead of writing about how the Yankees swept the Twins to await the winner of the series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers, he devoted his blog to this issue.
When Paladino's remarks were (in my opinion rightly) condemned by his opponent, Andrew Cuomo (chip in through his website if you're so inclined), his campaign was quick with an attempted backpedal, first by denying he said it (the comment was in the prepared remarks but he did not say them in the speech -- wonder why?), then with the standard response:
“Carl Paladino is simply expressing the views that he holds in his heart as a Catholic,” Mr. Caputo said in a telephone interview. “Carl Paladino is not homophobic, and neither is the Catholic Church.”
“The majority of New Yorkers agree with him,” Mr. Caputo added. He said the campaign had done its own polling.
In a PPS to the blog, Pearlman points out that a CNN poll showed that 58 percent of New Yorkers were in favor of gay marriage, which sort of puts a lie to the poll that Paladino's campaign conducted. Perhaps they only polled Catholic priests, who knows? As for the Catholic Church, well, I think they've got their own problems. Jesus once said to take the log out of one's own eye before going after the speck in your neighbor's; both Paladino and the Catholic Church need to do some major clear-cutting in my view.
And as for Paladino? Well, the Catholic Church also holds a dim view of adultery, enough so that they won't let divorced people receive Communion without going through a long process of "annulment". But Paladino not only has followed the traditional Republican path of adultery, he actually fathered a child with his mistress. Oh, but that's okay if you confess your sins, but apparently homosexuality is a no-no.
But Pearlman takes heart from the words of Paladino:
... yet I’m elated by Paladino’s words. Why? Because the Tea Party loons have to be exposed, and the easiest way is if they do so themselves. We need to hear Christine O’Donnell talk about witchcraft and jerking off. We need to hear Sharron Angle’s take on Islam. We need to hear Paladino condemn gays.
But that doesn’t mean we need to stand for it.
In 2010, this is our Civil Rights battle.
This is what matters.
This is why we vote in November.
This is why all this stuff frakking matters. (Trying to clean up my language.)
When one is denied rights, we're all diminished. When one gay teen kills themselves after being bullied, we all lose a part of our soul.
Jeff Pearlman gets it.
This is OUR Civil Rights battle.