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The diary you posted today (https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/7/11/1779430/-Trump-could-be-repressing-homoerotic-feelings-towards-Putin-If-so-this-would-explain-a-lot) has earned well-deserved pushback. As commenters have pointed out, speculating that latent homosexuality is the reason for Trump's atrocious behavior is homophobic. As you certainly know, straight men can exhibit atrocious behavior without being closeted homosexuals. So until you have some actual evidence for this theory, you should leave gay people out of it. This is not your first post that has been met with significant and proper pushback for running afoul of site norms, and which you've then only grudgingly edited. We're giving you a three-day time out during which we urge you to reflect on Daily Kos's zero tolerance policy for all forms of bigotry.
Introduction
Update: This is proving to be a controversial dairy, at least in the comments, though so far not in the poll. It is after all on a sensitive subject. I anticipated that it might be offensive to some people if they gave it a cursory glance. This is why I broke it down into three chapters. Each is meant to be read in sequence. Each is meant to be read in its entirety. Because this article posits a hypothetical it is a thought exercise. Furthermore, it is a thought exercise about the power of the unconscious to influence conscious feelings and behavior. Not everyone takes this seriously. There are many people who don't even believe there is such a thing as the unconscious.
Part 1 The wisdom of mocking the Trump for having homosexual impulses towards Putin
The New York Times was roundly criticized for a cartoon they published last week: “ The New York Times is under fire for 'homophobic' cartoon of Trump and Putin.” This isn’t what led me to write this diary. The thought occurred to me independently. I only found the article when doing some Googling related to writing this, however, it is relevant.
The New York Times is being accused of “gay bashing” after running an animated video depicting President Trump and Vladimir Putin as lovers. " The New York Times is being accused of “gay bashing” after running an animated video depicting President Trump and Vladimir Putin as lovers.
Trump and Putin: A Love Story,” featuring cartoon versions of the two leaders. The video opens with audio from a 2013 interview during which Trump was asked if he had a relationship with the Russian president. “I do have a relationship with him,” said POTUS. “He’s done an amazing job — he’s put himself really at the forefront of the world as a leader in a short period of time.” This week the newspaper ran a minute-long video called “Trump and Putin: A Love Story,” featuring cartoon versions of the two leaders. Yahoo Lifestyle
UPDATE: Either the NY Times took down the video or it is overloading their servers. You can see it here. Interesting that it is on RT ( formerly Russia Today) with this title: Trump, Putin imagined as passionate gay lovers in casually homophobic NYT cartoon (VIDEO) I suggest everyone read the article that accompanies the video. I do not have space to excerpt it here.
This is probably a much bigger story than what I wrote.
RT (formerly Russia Today) is a Russian international television network funded by the Russian government.[4][5] It operates cable and satellitetelevision channels directed to audiences outside of Russia, as well as providing Internet content in English, Spanish, French, German, Arabic and Russian. Wiki
I have had two requests from RT to be interviewed in person about my views about Trump’s psychopathology. In both cases, they said they would fly a reporter from San Francisco to Portland. I declined.
The Washington Post GIF (right), an animated cartoon, of a naked Putin and a naked Trump engaging in anal sex would be x-rated if it was a video of real people.
I see these depictions as distractions and sideshow intended to embarrass and mock the president. They open Trump critics to justifiable attacks for being insensitive towards the LGBT community.
just last night I watched “The Last Laugh” about how far comedians can and should go when making jokes about highly sensitive material like the Holocaust. It was made clear that non-Jews had to dread very lightly when they dared delve into this area, and as Jewish comedians Mel Brooks and Rob Reiner said in the documentary, the jokes better be damn funny.
My feeling is that if anyone is going to draw a gay cartoon or make a gay joke about Trump and Putin they 1) ought to be gay and 2) the jokes better not be cheap shots but rather should be damn funny. The LGBT community has been maligned and worse for centuries, and is under attack now with the new Supreme Court which could undo many of the gains made in assuring they have the same rights as any other citizens.
I think gay jokes about Trump and Putin should be avoided. This doesn't mean I think trying to understand Trump's psychology and how it may affect his relationship with Putin is off limits.
Part 2: Does Trump have repressed homosexual impulses and why, if he does, it could be significant?
I don't think it is far-fetched to think Trump may have repressed homoerotic impulses and feelings for Putin. Sometimes this is called latent homosexuality:
Latent homosexuality is an erotic attraction toward members of the same sex that is not consciously experienced or expressed in overt action. This may mean a hidden inclination or potential for interest in homosexual relationships, which is either suppressed or not recognized, and which has not yet been explored, or may never be explored. Wikipedia
It would explain a lot. These feelings could have national policy implications.
This is all conjecture. There’s no way to know, however, consider some evidence:
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Trump's womanizing could mask an underlying attraction to men.
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His leering and lustful displays around busty women whose sexuality is exaggerated and this also could be an unconscious attempt to appear to be anything but gay.
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His smug gleeful braggadocio about his prowess with women as evidenced by his own words from the Access Hollywood tape and on the Howard Stern show could be his trying to prove what a man’s man he is.
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His thinking he could impress Putin by inviting him to visit the Miss Universe Pageant
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His military school experience where he was a cadet captain may have some hints. It is common for men in enforced same-sex situations participate in homosexual experimentation, called situational homosexuality. They later go on to have heterosexual lives and are not considered latent homosexuals. If Trump enjoyed such encounter this would have driven his fears of being a homosexual even deeper. According to the Washington Post “ he ordered the officers under his command to keep strict discipline. Shoes had to be shined. Beds had to be made. Underclassmen had to spring to attention.” By being so strict he might have felt nobody would question his sexual proclivities. He was transferred out of that position to one where no cadets were under his command. Reasons for are unclear but he said “he was elevated as a reward for stellar performance. “I had total control over the cadets,” he said in a recent interview. ‘That’s why I got a promotion — because I did so good.’ “
- According to the Washinton Post: “He often left campus on weekends and drew the envy of fellow students for his habit of bringing attractive women to the school.” This could be another attempt to prove how straight he was.
- This may be far out, however, we know that Trump enjoys watching wrestling matches and is friends with Vince McMahon. I am dismissing the famous photo-op of Trump smooching Rudy Guiliani who was dressed like a woman because it was most likely a publicity stunt and because, be real, who would be turned on by Rudy in drag? I include the following article by a clinical psychologist about boxing and wrestling because it fits the paradigm:
The two sports boxing and wresting latent homosexuality is quite evident. And where many of the features involved in the act of intercourse between two lovers are present in the ring. For example, in both boxing and wrestling the participant hug, embrace, stroke the opponent's sweaty and scantly-covered body like any couple engaged in sexual activities. Many psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapists postulate the theory that both the boxer and the wrestler experience profound rage and guilt for their exhibitionist conduct, and for giving in to their homosexual desires. Therefore, each participant is highly-motivated to punish each other, sometimes ending in death, for gratifying the unconscious homosexual desire to embrace and make love to another man. from: “Latent Homosexuality: Paranoid Delusions Rage and Anxiety” By William L. Smith Ph. D. |
All These could be a reaction formation* to these repressed (unconscious) urges.
* Reaction formation is a type of defense mechanism in which a person acts in the exact opposite manner to his own disturbing or socially unacceptable thoughts or emotions. This behavior is often unconscious and appears exaggerated, perhaps in an effort to overcompensate for the embarrassment, guilt or repulsion the person feels regarding his private thoughts. PsychCentral
3. A Straight man on repressed homosexuality
Gay men are invited to correct me about any of the following.
Let’s be clear. It is not pathological, in fact, it is quite normal for some, perhaps many, heterosexual men to be sexually attracted to other men at times. Some men easily accept these feelings, others find them mildly disquieting, while other find them abhorrent.
Sometimes both conscious, partially conscious, and deeply repressed homosexual feelings lead men to become homophobic.
We see church leaders and politicians who rant against same-sex marriage and then are caught in compromising situations with other men. Closeted gay sexuality isn’t the same as latent homosexuality. Closeted gay men know at some level they are homosexuals, although some may be bisexual or leading a life of a lie with their wives.
The most well-known closeted gay politician is Larry Craig, he of the wide-stance in the public restroom.
On a list of the five most well known gay ministers who were outed the only one I’d heard of was Ted Haggard. “He was the pastor of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado and was the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, and would meet with figures such as President George W. Bush. Haggard would campaign against gay marriage and bash homosexuality in Church. In 2006, a gay male prostitute claimed that he had regular sex with Haggard and also used with methamphetamines. Haggard would admit to being gay and having a relationship with a male church member.” From NewsOne
In the worst cases, some homophobic men become violent towards openly gay men. From what I can tell “ gay bashing” was added to Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, in their 1991 edition though obviously, it had been going on for many decades prior hollywoodlife.com/
The stereotype of the macho man who is a closeted gay man is often depicted in movies and on TV as a gangster, for example Vito Spatafore Sr., played by Joseph R. Gannascoli, a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was a member of the DiMeo Crime Family and a subordinate of Tony Soprano. He was married to Marie Spatafore with two children, Francesca and Vito Jr., and was a closeted homosexual. This was revealed in the show's fifth season, and became one of the more prominent subplots in the sixth season. (Photo) These men aren't the same as men who repress their feelings if they know they are gay but are consciously hiding it.
4. Why is any of this relevant to Trump and Putin’s relationship?
If Trump is repressing homoerotic urges it could explain his attraction to authoritarian leaders, otherwise known as strongmen. Strong-men are the ver antithesis of feminine men.
Ipso facto having a reaction formation to unconscious homosexual urges is not dangerous in a president. Even having conscious homoerotic attraction isn’t problematic. However, if it leads Trump to try to curry favor with, or to please a leader like Putin it could be dangerous.
It makes him open to being manipulated.
Maybe all of this goes back to Trump’s childhood and his need for his father’s approval. He could unconsciously see Putin as a kind but tough father figure who he is desperate to please.
Or perhaps his affinity for Putin is a combination of a deep desire for paternal acceptance mixed with homoerotic feelings.
Rarely is anything easy or simple when trying to analyze the unconscious motivations of someone like the president.
Speculating about Trump's unconscious psychodynamics is exceedingly difficult. This is even more difficult than trying to understand his patholgical lying. There are always alternate explanations for any of the behaviors I've listed besides latent homosexuality. It is in fact far easier to add up all of his other manifest behaviors and try to fit him into the DSM-5 diagnostic characteristics or toss the DSM and go to Erich Fromm’s formulation and assess him as being a malignant narcissist with an impulse control disorder and an addiction to pathological lying.
Of course, Trump could be a run-of-the-mill heterosexual male who just happens to be a cruel misogynist pig and an evil dictator wannabe who is the model of mental health that Dr. Ronnie Jackson says he is.
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About me:
After running a mental health center in Michigan (the Mason Mental health Center) for 20 years, my wife and I moved to Massachusetts where I was in private practice for 20 more years.
I have written nearly 60 articles on Daily Kos about Trump’ s dangerous psychopathology (and more than 500 other diaries on related political subjects). I was one of the first members of Dr. John Gartner’s groundbreaking sometimes controversial Duty to Warn Group. He is one of the most prolific clinicians writing in major publications about Trump.