In an interesting post linked this morning in the e-newsletter of Log Cabin of California, blogger Timothy Kincaid dissects a Youtube video by a group calling itself Gays for Giuliani. I had seen the video and assumed that those who made did not actually support the former New York City Mayor’s White House bid. It presents stereotypical images of effeminate gay men, including one man boasting of his five domestic partners.
In using some of the worst stereotypes of gay men, it seemed an attempt to undermine the Republican candidate with the best record on gay issues. I thought the filmmakers were using these stereotypes to make the GOP frontrunner less appealing to social conservatives.
Kincaid confirms my suspicion, finding that Ryan Davis, a “Democratic Party activist” created the video. Why I doubt the video will have make impact on the 2008 race, the Advocate did run an interview with Davis. I wonder at the magazine’s choice to single out this Demorat out. His video shows his willingness “to trash his community” in order to hurt a Republican.
Davis has said that his goal is to “keep Rudy from getting the Republican nomination and becoming president.”
I guess it’s okay for Democrats to present stereotypical images of gay people if the goal is to harm a Republican.
While Kincaid does a good job of taking Davis to task, unfortunately he overall view on gay issues is similar to that of the gay left. He writes, “Achieving a society in which we have equality is my goal.” Most conservatives recognize that equality cannot be achieved through legislation, but believe that governments have been “instituted among Men” to secure the rights of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
It would be nice if more critics of the anti-Republican agenda of gay activists could articulate a more conservative approach to politics. Instead of echoing the empty equality rhetoric of the left, they might forward a freedom agenda, one consistent with the ideas of the founders of our great nation — and of the GOP.
UPDATE: Calling the ad “blatantly homophobic,” blogress diva Ann Althouse writes that Davis has shown “his contempt for Republicans by revealing a despicable belief that they hate gay people and that their hatred can be stoked by images of actors behaving according to gay stereotypes. Decent Democrats should condemn Davis’s video campaign.” Let me repeat her last line, Decent Democrats should condemn Davis’s video campaign.
I’m waiting.
UP-UPDATE: Glenn Reynolds has also picked up on the story, commenting, “sometimes it’s necessary to save the homophobia in order to destroy it.”
I guess it’s okay for Democrats to present stereotypical images of gay people if the goal is to harm a Republican.
Hell, we already know that liberals will put the nation’s security at risk just to bash Bush. Why wouldn’t they be willing to throw gays under the bus to attack Rudy G?
And of course the GayLeftBorg lemmings will give millions of dollars to the liberals who perpetuate this crap and continue the lie that Republicans are the racist, sexist, bigot homophobes. No doubt Ian and his funky bunch will circle the wagons and defend this defamation and politics of destruction.
I’d bet there’s a connection between these ass clowns and the website I asked you about, Dan.
This advertisement proves to me that the gay left is really not serious about debating gay equality issues.
It is their life-style that keeps the anti-gay message alive & well.
This message needs to be redux with Hillary’s or Obama’s name used instead of the Mayor.
BTW,
Where are Ian and Gilda? Spending time in the bathroom with the half-naked pics of Putin?
#3 – TGC, next time issue a “spew alert” with that epigram. Now I have to clean the coffee off of my monitor…
😉
Regards,
Peter H.
Thank god for closed primaries. I don’t think some of these “activists” could stomach registering as a Republican to fix the race.
Off Topic: ‘Gays Too Precious to Risk in Combat’, Says General 🙂
#4
Sorry Pete.
#7
I was going to sent that to you the other day, but got sidetracked.
TGC in #1, I think you’re right; it does seem there’s a connection between that website and this ad.
What I find most interesting is that here we have a leftyhomo who is criticizing not just the Republican with the most pro-gay record, but I’d say the candidate with the most pro-gay record of both parties.
I’d like to give credit where its due, but I dont know whether I’m seeing the first example I’ve ever seen of a gay leftist putting what he believes is best for the country ahead of his sexual-political agenda, or if he is simply so brainwashed into thinking republican=antigay that he is lashing out reflexively.
Why do I suspect the latter?
#10
I agree
Will, I think it’s that so many on the left just have a reflexive repugnance to Republicans.
It’s as if their main mission is defeating Republicans rather than promoting a society more open to gays.
Those stereotypes weren’t created by the videomakers. They’ve been passed around and down by many of the people in the GOP. So now they get to look at them again. Like a cold running thru a family’s home, the hate has come back to the GOP…
The video is precious and funny. Rudy’s flip-flopping is not. But, then, did we think you would actually deal with that? Of course not.
#13
I’m not sure that this is much more than the usual liberal fear mongering. It’s pretty much the same as Verry/Leftwards “outing” Mary Cheney or when the left “outed” Santorum’s staffer. Remember the response was pretty much “so what?”.
The funny thing is that Giuliani’s position is the same as Bush’s which is the same as Kerry’s which is the same as Shrillary’s which is the same as Obama’s which is the same as Edwards’ (shall I go on?). And which of those five are the supposed homophobes?
Give us a frickin’ break, sean. If he had a D after his name, y’all would be showering millions of dollars on him. You and the rest of your liberal clan are absolutely full of it.
Mocking gays and fear mongering for political advantage. Talk about lower’n a snake’s ass in a wagon rut.
Horsehockey.
Those stereotypes exist for one reason and one reason only, because a certain fairly sizeable segment of the gay community displays those characteristics and thus stand out from the rest of society. Often on purpose.
Have you never seen the flambouyance on display at any gay pride parade or disco? Are you going to suggest to me that Will and Grace is written and performed by Republicans? I suppose Priscilla Queen of the Desert is a GOP production? Harvey Fierstein and Ru Paul are Republican operatives?
I read an article on Gay.com about gay-marriage which claimed (and I paraphrase here, but its very close), “lets face it, monogamy isnt realistic for most gay men, open relationships are here to stay.” And theres probably a great deal of truth in that. Is there any doubt that gay men are far more promiscuous than the rest of the population?
If anyone is guilty of perpetuating stereotypes, its the gay community itself, not the GOP.
“…one consistent with the ideas of the founders of our great nation — and of the GOP.”
That’s quite a huge stretch. Very few in the GOP are proponents of Constitutional government, although it’s pretty much zero on the Dem side.
So, Sean, are you saying that it’s not okay when the GOP uses them, but it is when a gay Democrat uses them to hurt a Republican?
And Crow in #16, in the very passage that you quote, I indicate that the idea of liberty is consistent with those of the founders of our party, but alas, all too few elected Republicans give them more than lip service today.
Oh I’m sure you’re right.
After all, my main mission isn’t promoting a society more open to gays either. My main mission is doing what I believe best for the country. For example, while I think society should be supportive of gay relationships, I believe how we arrive there is important. I’m not willing to trample the constitution for gay marriage.
And in similar fashion to them, I believe its very important for the good of the country to defeat Democrats, so I could totally respect them for finally putting their political beliefs ahead of their sexual-political agenda….if only their political beliefs werent based almost entirely on lies, misinformation and ignorance that directly resulted from them putting their sexual political agenda ahead of whats best for the country.
oops, i should say lies and misinformation that they adopted because they put their agenda ahead of whats best for the country.
While Kincaid does a good job of taking Davis to task, unfortunately he overall view on gay issues is similar to that of the gay left. He writes, “Achieving a society in which we have equality is my goal.” Most conservatives recognize that equality cannot be achieved through legislation, but believe that governments have been “instituted among Men” to secure the rights of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
hey now, don’t miscategorize my views. Before you assume that being pro-equality means being leftist, take a closer look at what I truly espouse.
I don’t think that equality is often achieved by some central government demanding it. However I do believe that governments, large and small, have the obligation to remove their own impedements to equality under the law (e.g. DADT, marriage equality, Arkansas’ anti-gay-adoption laws).
We can disagree on whether there should be hate crimes legislation (I’m not convinced there should be any at all, but if they do exist then they should not exclude the third largest group of victims). We can even disagree about ENDA (I favor it).
But there really cannot be any disagreement about whether our government should be the instigator and supporter of institutional discrimination against a block of its citizens based on nothing more than orientation, and animus towards gay citizens.
And that ain’t leftist. It’s libertarian.
Timothy, it’s the rhetoric of “equality” that troubles me. And the very expression, “marriage equality,” troubles me, as if a union between two individuals were the same as any other merely because it’s a union between two individuals.
Conservatives have long recognized the tension between liberty and equality. And understand the difference between guaranteeing equal rights and promoting the impossible-to-achieve goal of liberty. And they have constantly preferred liberty to equality.
I’m not exactly sure what your penultimate paragraph means. I agree that the government itself should not discriminate. But, a libertarian, the very name of his political philosophy contains the root word for freedom, understands that freedom means leaving people alone to live their lives as they choose. And sometimes that means allowing certain practices which we personally abhor.
You can’t just call yourself a libertarian while advocating ENDA. It undermines the very notion of property rights and freedom of association.
If you really do differ from the left, then use different expression to define what your goal, perhaps by saying instead of “Achieving a society where we have equality,” you could write “achieving our society where we are free to live our lives as we choose.”
And the very expression, “marriage equality,” troubles me[…]
The phrase is a rhetorical ploy, but it’s not as odious as the expressions “defense of marriage” or “protecting marriage” (or “pro-family”) used by opponents of gay marriage. It’s laughable that groups call themselves defenders of marriage when what they’re doing is actively opposing marriages.
Perhaps same-sex marriage supporters should label themselves with the term…”same-sex marriage supporters.” But then opponents really ought to call themselves “Marriage Limiters” or “Marriage Provincialists.”
OK… well if ya think I need to use a certain lexicon then sorry, you’re just going to have to disapprove of me.
‘Cuz I think that’s just downright silly.
So I guess you’ll just have to think of me as “leftist”. I won’t cry.