In some ways I'm ambivalent about Rekers. I want to mock him and heap scorn on him, and I have and probably will continue to. After all, he and his ilk have been largely responsible for untold numbers of gay kids growing up thinking there is something abominable about themselves and having that opinion reinforced by their parents and often their peers. Parents are also gravely hurt by the religious right's rhetoric when they buy into the notion that, despite their parental instincts, they cannot accept their own children as they are.
But aren't Rekers, Larry "Wide Stance" Craig, and other anti-gay gay people victims of the same culture? Should we feel compassion for them because the homophobia they were raised on caused such cognitive dissonance that they became crusaders against what they loathed about themselves? Is it still okay to celebrate the revelation of hypocrisy when it's clearly pathological?
***
Here are some cute videos of babies!!!
They're all over me!
Butterbean learning to stagger
This is a video about hipster dads in L.A. by my funny brother-in-law (wife's sister's husband), Sam Riegel, and his writing partner/traveling companion Rob Blatt. Sam's almost famous (so's Rob, but we're not related). Look him up on IMDB. You've probably heard his voice in weird anime shows and video games, and seen him as Tiger Woods in this video. They totally stole the idea for this video from my life.
At the Reservoir
Maybe anti-gay advocates should have less gay sex?
ReplyDeleteOh! Or maybe the moral of the story is: Gay sex: Try it, you'll like it!
Or maybe Rekers was all, if I'm gonna knock gay sex, I really should try it.
Thanks, folks, I'll be here all week.
Always a fan of pointing at hypocrites and saying "HA!"
ReplyDeletePlus, great videos. We may need to go out for beers one of these days, Beta Dad.
Don't deny the glee. He was paid $86K by the state of Florida to testify on why gay adoption should remain illegal there, and was fixated on blocking a gay couple who wanted to adopt kids with developmental problems. Then he adopted a 16 year old boy. At this point that "boy" is 20 years old, the same age as his escort. Yuck all around. He needs to be investigated, and likely arraigned, on many levels.
ReplyDeleteI understand the potential for empathy, but this man has destroyed many lives while being a hypocrite.
But the baby videos are adorable!!
Is it still okay to celebrate the revelation of hypocrisy when it's clearly pathological?
ReplyDeleteHere are some cute videos of babies!!!
Most interesting segue ever.
In, like, the history of man.
My dad loves this topic! He'll ask a Homophobic person about their sexuality, 'You sure you're not gay?' "yeah, I'm sure" 'how do you know, have you ever tried?' "Of course not!" 'Well, I've tried, and I KNOW I'm not gay!" And he wonders why people give him weird looks...
ReplyDeleteBTW, Jenni's comments cracked me up!
Jenni--
ReplyDeleteAll week? You had better pace yourself!
Pirate--
I love beers! Hit me up on the facebook.
Paul--
Oh right. I hadn't heard the part about the filthy lucre. I knew there was something about adoption. Now I'm moving toward moral outrage. And schadenfreudian glee.
Frogs--
Thanks. I'm all about the smooth transitions.
Aliceson--
Your dad is cool! (And very hetero.) I picture him as a burly farmer, I don't know why. But that would make his little game extra funny. And yes, Jenni is on fire tonight. And she keeps getting better!
I agree with Paul: don't deny the glee. *claps hands and does in-your-face dance*
ReplyDeleteLoved the videos!
Great baby videos! Clueless about the news over here unless the BBC covers it off to read....love a good scandal!
ReplyDeleteI have always thought that they who proclaim their innocence the loudest are probably the guiltiest!
ReplyDeleteLOVE the videos.
Dude, that moustache is a dead giveaway.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Frog- best segue.
ReplyDeleteI won't even comment on Reekers it's too Gay.
sigh
Other--
ReplyDeleteYeah. I was foolish to try to give the bastard a break.
Good Cook--
Yup. The lady doth protest too much.
Frank--
An unironic mustache is always suspicious. The Miami paper that broke the story described his 'stache as "atavistic." I love that word!
Captured--
"ReEkers." I like it!
I think I'd feel more empathy for the guy if his direct actions weren't so harmful for so many families and gay people. I mean, be a hypocritical closeted homophobic gay man all you want, but leave other people alone, yanno?
ReplyDeletegreat videos!
I grew up with that ultra-right-religious rhetoric being blasted in my ears almost every day by my school & church. It was all to convenient for them to forget they were never asked to judge or "cure" anyone. They were asked to show compassion to their fellow man. Hard to do when you're ruled by fear.
ReplyDelete