Internet Facilitates Dissemination of Gay Conservative Opinion
While I don’t always agree with him, I believe Dale Carpenter currently to be the mostly consistently conservative columnist who writes on gay issues. In his latest piece, on the burgeoning number of conservative gay voices on the Internet, he seems to hold a similar opinion of us, calling our blog “the most reliably conservative gay blog on the Internet.“
In his piece, Dale observes how the Internet has facilitated the dissemination of gay conservative viewpoints. As he puts it, “Gay-conservative bloggers and Web sites, of which there are now dozens, are major competitors in this marketplace.” Just over a decade ago, it seemed that all gay people, at least those who spoke out on issues of concern to our community, were critical of mainstream America and at odds with the growing conservative moment in America as well as with the GOP.
That began to change as Andrew Sullivan rose to prominence in early 1990s and with the publication in 1993 of Bruce Bawer’s book, A Place at the Table: the Gay Individual in American Society. A year later when Dale began writing his column, “a narrow ideological band monopolized the gay press. The views expressed in gay periodicals, either explicitly in opinion columns or implicitly in ‘news’ features, ranged from liberal to radical.” At the same time, “Gay publishers and editors acted as gatekeepers of opinion, defining what was acceptable.“
The rise of the Internet limited the ability of these gatekeepers to prevent conservative gay opinion from reaching a broader audience. As I wrote a year ago, reviewing Hugh Hewitt’s book, Blog : Understanding the Information Reformation That’s Changing Your World, in large part because of blogs, the gay conservative “message is no longer blocked by gatekeepers who sneer at our politics and mock our values.“
Because of the growing media marketplace, especially the Internet, gay people no longer have to rely upon left-of-center news and opinion sources for information and commentary on issues of concern to us. Those in the gay media (and at some gay organizations) who wish to suppress our ideas, suggesting that their views reflect that of the gay community can no longer get away with the claim that they speak for all gay people. With the growing number of gay conservative bloggers, there are now gay voices publicly standing up to left-leaning gay organizations and gay media. And we’re reaching an ever-increasing audience.
In his piece, Dale lists a number conservative blogs and web-sites, many of which I check regularly. His latest column is thus a great resource for those who want a broader perspective on gay issues, a resource which will help people realize that the media image notwithstanding, gay people’s ideas are as politically diverse as those of straight people.
As with anything Dale writes, I recommend you just read the whole thing!
-Dan (AKA GayPatriotWest): GayPatriotWest@aol.com
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Again Dan, with Sullivan, one had best put the “conservative” in scare quotes – even for his 1990s early work, where (as the New Republic’s editor) he was always basically a 1980s moderate Democrat.
Comment by Calarato — February 18, 2006 @ 6:59 pm - February 18, 2006
Calarato, in the 1990s, Andrew was perhaps the first prominent gay writer to depart from the gay orthodoxy.
Comment by GayPatriotWest — February 18, 2006 @ 7:04 pm - February 18, 2006
Yes. That’s a measure of the leftism of gay orthodoxy.
Comment by Calarato — February 18, 2006 @ 7:07 pm - February 18, 2006
To a large degree, it is.
Comment by GayPatriotWest — February 18, 2006 @ 7:08 pm - February 18, 2006
P.S. Same for Bruce Bauer. I wrote him fan mail in that period (“A Place at the Table”), and he replied, in an aside, that I shouldn’t call him conservative and he had no idea why people used that word with him; he considered himself left-of-center, just slightly or moderately.
Comment by Calarato — February 18, 2006 @ 7:09 pm - February 18, 2006
I abandoned Andrew Sullivans blog about a year ago. His anti Bush slant to to many issues made it painful to visit. I only found the gay patriot about two months ago and find its informative and a fun place to play as well.
Comment by Gene — February 18, 2006 @ 8:51 pm - February 18, 2006
Back from gym… please excuse the misspelling of “Bawer” earlier (yes I should know better)…
Visited Dale’s piece… except for his misguided praise of Sullivan, it is good as promised… thanks Dan.
What’s even more shocking to me is its appearance in Bay Area Reporter, a left-wing (is there any other kind?) S.F. gay paper. Bet they’ll get some hate mail over this one!
Comment by Calarato — February 18, 2006 @ 9:07 pm - February 18, 2006
“Two skillful and informed pundits”?!
“Two“?! (you have to say that like Casey Kasem to get the right effect)
Ugh! What a slap in the face!
(Oh wait, or was he leaving Bruce out?)
Comment by ColoradoPatriot — February 18, 2006 @ 9:49 pm - February 18, 2006
I always love to visit blogs that support the gay conservative agenda in our community!! Keep up the terrific work!!
Comment by Trent — February 19, 2006 @ 12:46 am - February 19, 2006
I just can’t believe he mentioned my blog!
#8
Where is Bruce today anyway? He hits with a few posts and then disappears. He should start a Guerilla (sp?) blog.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — February 19, 2006 @ 3:35 am - February 19, 2006
#10 ThatGayConservative — February 19, 2006
Where is Bruce today anyway?
The last I read, Bawer was living somewhere in Northern Europe with his same-sex partner. I believe he’s in Norway, and that his partner is Norwegian. From what I read by him serveral years ago, he has pretty much given up on the US because of its anti-gay attitudes.
He has a web site, which has some commentary, but which is primarily a compilation of links to a lot of the articles that he has published.
http://www.brucebawer.com/
Comment by raj — February 19, 2006 @ 5:03 am - February 19, 2006
As a straight guy living in Ann Arbor, Mi, I am always turned off by the local gay publications – they seem to be too eager to be extremely left/radical, in my opinion. Trying to be too antiUSA, and anti anything normal. I.E., trying too hard to act and behave like a bunch of weird freaks.
Which is why I am glad to have found GayPatriot and other non-leftist GLBT blogs. Thanks guys.
I think, and this is only my uneducated opinion, is that the GLBT population will never be treated as they ought to be treated as normal human beings, unless a large part of the GLBT populations quits trying so hard to act like freaks, and being so very viciously disrespectful to straight folks around them.
I will pass on your blog’s URL to all my friends here – so that they can learn that GLBT folks are normal, patriotic people, like any other straight person.
keep up the great work
Comment by Hiroshi — February 19, 2006 @ 10:52 am - February 19, 2006
Hiroshi, thanks for the good word — and the support. And I agree. Those GLBT people who are disrespectful of straight folks make it more difficult for the rest of us.
Comment by GayPatriotWest — February 19, 2006 @ 12:28 pm - February 19, 2006
#12
You make a good point. However, I wish you would replace the word “normal” , with (perhaps) the word “ordinary”.
Comment by hank — February 19, 2006 @ 1:09 pm - February 19, 2006
Hey I even made the list! lol
Comment by republic of m — February 19, 2006 @ 3:56 pm - February 19, 2006
I meant to add this to my above comment, has anyone ever listen to Steve Yuhas, out of San Diego. I just came across him today via Trent’s web site (#9 comment above), and it appears u can listen to him online.
“Yuhas may be the only honorably discharged, 100% disabled veteran, conservative Jewish gay man on the radio dial anywhere in the country.”
Comment by republic of m — February 19, 2006 @ 4:06 pm - February 19, 2006
#11
I meant Bruce Carroll (1 or 2 R’s?)
#12
As a straight guy living in Ann Arbor, Mi, I am always turned off by the local gay publications
Well, I’d wonder if you were turned on by them.
J/K. Great post and thanks.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — February 19, 2006 @ 7:43 pm - February 19, 2006
#12
Ooops! I forgot:
I think, and this is only my uneducated opinion, is that the GLBT population will never be treated as they ought to be treated as normal human beings, unless a large part of the GLBT populations quits trying so hard to act like freaks, and being so very viciously disrespectful to straight folks around them.
Nope. Nothing “uneducated” about that. You hit the nail on the head and that’s what I’ve been saying for a while now.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — February 19, 2006 @ 7:44 pm - February 19, 2006
Regarding:
I think, and this is only my uneducated opinion, is that the GLBT population will never be treated as they ought to be treated as normal human beings, unless a large part of the GLBT populations quits trying so hard to act like freaks, and being so very viciously disrespectful to straight folks around them.
it appears that the writer believes that gay people have to behave all “prim and proper.” One wonders whether he has observed the primarily straight shenanigans at the New Orleans Mardi Gras. Straight people don’t always behave all prim and proper. Sounds like a double standard to me. It’s ok for straight people to act like freaks, but gay people better watch their ways.
Such double standards by straight people aren’t unusual, by the way.
It would be nice if the author had cited specific instances in which gays were “being so very viciously disrespectful to straight folks around them.” Just to note, it is more likely that straight people will be viciously disrespectful to gay people around them–everything from snide remarks to assault and battery.
Comment by raj — February 20, 2006 @ 5:41 pm - February 20, 2006
Easy answer, Raj; when was the last time you heard a “gay activist” blame anyone BUT straight people for gays’ problems?
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — February 20, 2006 @ 6:24 pm - February 20, 2006
Hey I got mentioned too! Move over Kanye West, guess I’m the next one to get mentioned in the Bible…
(oooh, gonna pay for that one come next confession)
Comment by Average Gay Joe — February 20, 2006 @ 8:59 pm - February 20, 2006
#20 North Dallas Thirty — February 20, 2006 @ 6:24 pm – February 20, 2006
…when was the last time you heard a “gay activist” blame anyone BUT straight people for gays’ problems?
When I usually hear (or, actually, read) of people referring to “gay activists,” it is usually straight people who use the mantra of “gay activists” pushing a “gay agenda.” That is actually quite common in straight media, particularly in op-ed columns and letters to the editor published in (largely) straight newspapers.
I haven’t paid a lot of attention, but I have followed commentary in Boston’s Baywindows gay weekly publication. They do use the term “gay activists,” but I have yet to see them blame straight people for gay peoples’ problems.
Perhaps you might wish to cite a specific example. I note that that is rarely done around here.
Comment by raj — February 20, 2006 @ 11:44 pm - February 20, 2006