Wayne Besen - Author, Activist, Columnist, Public Speaker

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Purge of Republican Gays in the Wake of Foley Scandal?

So are we seeing the beginnings of the Mark Foley-related backlash at the hands of religious and other conservatives against Republican gays with important Capitol Hill staff jobs? Chicago Tribune blogger Frank James lays out the case that a purge may already be in motion.

16 Comments:

Bad ideas are always bound to fail. Just as Russian Communism was doomed to failure, so must Republican homophobia crumble. Sadly, the GOP just can't seem to wean itself away from the 30 pieces of silver that religious fanatics supply it with on a regular basis. Eventually, however, just as communism fell, bigotry within the republican party will fall as well.
posted by Anonymous, at 10/11/2006 12:44 PM

A good way to shut people up is to publicly say that anyone who is knows anything about Foley will losse his/her job. How's that for strategy?
posted by Anonymous, at 10/11/2006 2:18 PM

Well, Hitler had his Night of Long Knives to purge the party of those who were no longer assets to the nazi party (including gay SA members); the GOP is just following the playbook of their fascist mentors.
posted by Anonymous, at 10/11/2006 2:22 PM

yeah, read a cnn report on a professor who campares bush to hitler. it's there on their website today. these are very scary times. stock up on water.
posted by Anonymous, at 10/11/2006 3:38 PM

Tony Perkins of FRC repeated the line of crap he got from some RR pundit that the REAL reason none of the "pro-family" legislation went anywhere was because the secret republican gay cabal of aides was pigeon-holeing it.

Yup, the Religious Reich would be way about a Night of Long Knives II.

-SharonB
posted by Anonymous, at 10/11/2006 4:21 PM

The irony of these is that the Foley scandal is the direct and logical outcome of the right-wing philosophy, which encourages "don't ask, don't tell"-ism throughout its rank and file. The simple truth is that all Americans should encourage their gay/lesbian brethren to come out BECAUSE people in the closet cannot be trusted, whereas honest people most certainly can be.
posted by Anonymous, at 10/12/2006 12:23 PM

This has nothing to do with anyone else except Foley's own personal lack of morality and character. He abused his position and people. End of subject. This has got crap to do with being in or out of the closet. He chose to commit crimes against other people - boys specifically. He's not gay - he's a pedophile.
posted by Anonymous, at 10/12/2006 2:02 PM

Well, he is gay, he just happens *also* to be a pedophile. There's a good article in the current Newsweek (Foley on the cover) by a psychologist who explains how closeted gays (and especially the ones who pretend to be hetero) are damaged both psychologically AND physically (ailments) by it. Needless to say, those who are 'out' are happier and healthier.
posted by Anonymous, at 10/12/2006 2:19 PM

Correction to the above--it's in Time (pg. 40), not Newsweek.
posted by Anonymous, at 10/12/2006 4:36 PM

Just to clarify the discussion - Foley isn't a pedophile. Pedophiles prey on pre-pubescent children.

Others have used the term ephebophile (or hebephile) to claim that Foley preyed on adolescents. This is also incorrect. As adolescence ends upon reaching the age of consent, and because Foley targeted boys age 16 or older (the age of consent in DC is 16), he is also not an ephebophile.

Tacky? yes
Creepy? yes
In poor taste? yes
Abusing his power? yes
Abusing the trust placed in him by his constituents and by the parents of the pages? yes
Pedophile? no

It bothers me that at times like this some of our own internalized homophobia comes to the fore. If it were a straight man chasing 16 to 18 year old girls no one would call him a pedophile. He would be called exactly what Foley is: a dirty old man.

Let's not fall into the trap of thinking that because he's gay we should attack him more than if he were straight.

In 1983 there were two scandals involving Congressmen fooling around with pages, one straight one gay. The only one anyone remembers is Gerry Studds - because his was a male page. Let's not live in 1983 anymore.
posted by Timothy Kincaid, at 10/12/2006 5:08 PM

It might not be a good idea to suggest that closeted gays are more prone to molest boys. Keep in mind that once their sexual orientation is revealed the headline will read, "Gay Man Molest Boy", not "Closeted Gay Man Molest Boy". Besides, it probably isn't even true. Other minorities that have been discriminated against don't automatically become child molestors. Why afflict closted gays with this onerous condition?
posted by Anonymous, at 10/13/2006 10:49 AM

Thank you. It seems that sex with boys gets confused with sex with men. There is a difference isn't there? Foley is a closeted molester.
posted by Anonymous, at 10/13/2006 11:47 AM

NPR (All Things Considered, 13 OCT) just did a piece on this. The purge is on. I almost feel sorry for them. They are being thrown under the bus to preserve the support of the fanatical base.
-SharonB
posted by Anonymous, at 10/13/2006 5:21 PM

oh brother. there is so much corruption in the world that i can hardly stand it anymore. sharon - who are they going after - gays or cover up?
posted by Anonymous, at 10/13/2006 10:26 PM

Gays of course will be scapegoated just like the catholic church did when caught protecting and hiding long time pedophile priests. This is always the type of thing that happens in patriarchal institutions which have way too much power (which corrupts them absolutely).
posted by Anonymous, at 10/14/2006 9:54 AM

oh women are just as easily corrupted. look at all the new cases of molestation coming into the news. it's not a patriarchial systems it us if we do not take a stand against this. that means talking about it, not allowing it when we see it (and we all have), confronting the legislature, the voters everybody. if we belong to that patriarchy (an we do) then we are part of the problem and neeed to stop cowering and blaming others.
posted by Anonymous, at 10/14/2006 1:22 PM