Gay Left Bloggers Find Gay-Baiting where there is none
Via the Washington Blade’s blogwatch today, we learn of two Left-of-center bloggers, John Aravosis and Paul Spaulding, accusing North Carolina Governor Mike Easley of gay-baiting.
In endorsing former First Lady’s Hillary Clinton’s bid for the White House, Easley claimed there’s nothing he loves more than a strong woman and Mrs. Clinton “makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy.”
Spauldling who, like Bruce, resides in the Tarheel State, asked, “why didn’t our outgoing governor just go ahead and say ‘faggot?.” In a similar tone, Aravosis accuses the guv of “gay-bashing.” While I agree with his commenter Jaclemmons222 that the left-wing blogger “jumped the shark,” the blogger does have a point when he observes, “Hillary and her people will say anything to get elected.“
Granted, the Governor is way off the mark with his remark. Tenacious campaigner Hillary may be, but she hardly qualifies as a strong woman. But, to suggest he’s gay-baiting suggests these bloggers are just looking for gay-bashing where there is none. Easley’s comment is certainly an example of rhetorical overkill, but it’s hyperbole not meant to be taken literally.
All he wanted to do was make a point about Mrs. Clinton’s strengths And sometimes politicians such analogies for rhetorical effect. Wrong he certainly was, but gay-baiting just because he used the word “pansy,” a word often used to denigrate gays? Hardly. The word also means “wimp.” Methinks that was the definition Easley was using.
I suggest these two bloggers stop trying to play the gay victim card. There are better ways to attack Mrs. Clinton. Showing how she shifts her views with the prevailing political winds is one way. That tendency will show how ludicrous Governor Easley’s comment really was.
A strong woman stands firm even when the currents turn against her. She would know that principle is more important than popular mood. Just ask a woman who really does make Rocky Balboa look like a wimp.
UPDATE: Blogger Michael Petrelis notes that the New York Times‘ Caucus blog has picked up on this story.
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Some people in this world are just determined to be offended.
I agree that in context, it’s plain Easley meant “pansy” merely as “wimp” or “weak person, in contrast to the fictional Rocky Balboa”. But even if Easley had meant it as “secret codeword for gay ears only for a disgusting, homosexual wimp who must be sent to the secret Wyoming gay death camps IMMEDIATELY”, there are still far more serious things in the world to worry about. Golly, there are even more serious instances of (alleged) anti-gay bias to complain about. Within the Democratic Party!
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — April 29, 2008 @ 5:30 pm - April 29, 2008
P.S. A pansy is a type of delicate flower. Metaphorically, and in this instance, Aravosis and Spaulding are rather delicate flowers. Yes… I just called them pansies.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — April 29, 2008 @ 5:32 pm - April 29, 2008
I suggest that in the New World Order when libtards like Aravosis and Spaulding take the lead in prosecuting thought crimes, it will be called “Letting A Thousand Pansies Bloom.” (My apologies to Chairman Mao for that little gem.)
I agree with ILC - I’m more worried about Islamofascists who would hang or decapitate us gay men, not Dhimmicrat governors who just use “mean words.” Let’s get our priorities (pardon the expression) straight.
And let’s not forget - had it been a governor with an (R) after his/her name, it would be all over the MSM. And besides, doesn’t conventional wisdom dictate that the Republican would be a homophobe and not the Dhimmicrat?
Hypocrisy, thy name is liberalism.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m heading down to the Montrose to see the pansies on parade. And before anyone calls me “self-loathing,” that is the term used by many a gay man down here.
Regards,
Peter H.
Comment by Peter Hughes — April 29, 2008 @ 5:53 pm - April 29, 2008
Seems like as time goes on victimhood is becoming an offensive weapon.
Comment by Kurt P — April 29, 2008 @ 6:05 pm - April 29, 2008
There’s nothing more amusing than watching liberals attack each other. It’s even funnier when the one being attacked is one they used to circle the wagons around and defend to the death. It’s equally amusing watching gay victims attack a fellow liberal as a homophobe.
If it comes down to voting Hillary for president, you know damn well they won’t hesitate to throw their votes down the crapper for her.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — April 29, 2008 @ 6:28 pm - April 29, 2008
I thought the secret gay death camps were in Texas
Comment by American Elephant — April 29, 2008 @ 6:43 pm - April 29, 2008
Dan, you were much too kind to refer to John Aravosis as a “left-of-center blogger”. He is a far left loon who owns a pathetic blog featuring a couple of other far left loons.
It says something that Aravosis remoed the American Flag from his blog. He and his gang twist and distort the information they pass along and lie if necessary to make a point; they applaud anyone overseas who has something bad to say about America, and, worst of all, they cheer every setback we suffer in Iraq. They have ignored Iran’s persecution and executions of gays, going so far on at least one occasion (and probably more often, but I missed it) to say they doubted the stories were true, implying, I suppose, that conservatives spread lies to stir up hatred toward Iran (to make it easier for the U.S. to attack Iran).
Some might call Aravosis a clone of DailyKos. T’aint true. Kos is a lot smarter and much more creative than follow-the-leader Aravosis.
Comment by Trace Phelps — April 29, 2008 @ 7:51 pm - April 29, 2008
Some of the comments on that blog are funny.
There were a few people who said that as far as they knew pansy meant a weak/cowardly male, that it wouldn’t have occured to them that it meant gay.
The responses to that were funny… basically “How could you not know that weak/cowardly male is the same thing as gay”
I love when lefty gays call us self-loathing.. we’re not the ones who have internalized every insult on earth as being a description of being gay.
There you have people who have rejected the automatic linkage of a man being weak or cowardly with being gay and you have gay guys insisting the link always be acknowldged.
Idiots
Comment by Vince P — April 29, 2008 @ 8:41 pm - April 29, 2008
BTW, didn’t Burgess Meredith’s character call Rocky a pansy all the time? I’m not familiar. Can’t stand the Rocky franchise.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — April 29, 2008 @ 9:51 pm - April 29, 2008
Do I need to do something about the pansies along my walkway? I really enjoy them, but I don’t want to offend the Avon man if he comes calling.
Comment by heliotrope — April 29, 2008 @ 11:18 pm - April 29, 2008
I think there is nothing wrong with what he said in context of how it was said, sure it was offensive but not anti-gay.
Comment by queerunity — April 30, 2008 @ 10:44 am - April 30, 2008
Just an example of a politician making a poor choice of words.
I can’t believe I’m kind of/sort of defending a Clinton supporter!
Comment by GayPatriotWest — April 30, 2008 @ 12:04 pm - April 30, 2008
Both Aravosis and Spaulding are good at looking for reasons to be offended.
I agree with Trace Phelps (#7) that merely calling John Aravosis “Left-of-center” was far too kind. He is a militant far-left hater! You were also too kind to Pam (not Paul!) Spaulding, who is a ‘progressive’ ideologue.
However I have to give them credit for going after a couple of Democrats. Their usual mantra is Republicans can do no good.
They also deserve credit for being quite amusing here:
Exactly, TGC. Exactly.
Comment by David — May 1, 2008 @ 2:47 am - May 1, 2008
[...] of Hillary’s supporters claim she’s a strong woman, so strong says one that she makes Rocky Balboa seem weak, but wouldn’t a strong woman be steadfast in support of something more significant than her [...]
Pingback by GayPatriot » Ms. Hillary: Tenacious? Yes, but Strong? Doubtful — May 5, 2008 @ 9:28 pm - May 5, 2008