In Mehlman Matter, Gay Left Blogger Prefers Principle to Revenge
Twice in blogging about Ken Mehlman’s coming out, I wrote that there would be some “decent gay lefties” who would not go for this good man’s jugular, treating him instead him with decency and “dignity despite disagreeing . . . on matters political.”
Due to my busy schedule these past few days, I haven’t been able to check the blogs as much as I would like so am grateful for readers like Eva Young of Lloydletta’s Nooz who alerted me to one leftie who has been relatively kind to Mehlman. To be sure, John Aravosis, while refraining from attacking Mehlman personally (as have some of his left-of-center blogging colleagues), does spew a good deal of vitriol against the GOP (and engage in a bit of overheated rhetoric), he welcomes Mehlman’s coming out, saying he’s “more interested in equality than revenge.”
Now, you all know I have trouble with that term; I’m concerned more with preserving the blessings of liberty and, as many libertarian and conservative philosophers and pundits, recognize the tension between that American ideal and the notion of equality.
That said, John sees Mehlman as a potential ally in pursuing his goals and challenges his critics, “If someone can explain to me how it advances our civil rights to spurn Mehlamn’s offer of help, I’m all ears.”
I simply want my civil rights more than I want revenge. It’s the way good politics works, I think – and it’s the way politics used to work in this country – putting the potential to move forward today ahead of your legitimate anger about yesterday.
Now, I may quibble with John about our supposed lack of civil rights. But, he is willing to put his principles over personality. And in my book, that should count for something.
It’s too bad he can’t just can the bile against the GOP and understand that not all those who oppose gay marriage are anti-gay. That said, like his leftosphere colleague Pam Spaulding, he has, in recent months, shown a greater commitment to principle than party and hasn’t aped the lickspittle attitude of the gay organizations.
If we do see success next month in repeal of Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell (DADT), we’ll owe a lot to leftie bloggers like John and Pam who did their utmost to hold their party’s feet to the fire when they party enjoyed a majority in Congress — and held the White House.
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*nods* We should reach out to those on the other side of the political fence, and compliment the work they’ve done.
That said, at times it feels like reaching out makes one end up like Tyr.
Comment by The_Livewire — August 27, 2010 @ 8:28 am - August 27, 2010
Sorry, but most of the GOP’s position is fundamentally anti-gay. The rest is hardly better. Most of the opposition is anti-gay, the rest is just silly legalese that doesn’t make any sense. You, Dan, are in the latter group, because you make excuses and minimize the breadth and intensity of the anti-gay sentiment in the party, which ultimately puts you in the way of gay marriage.
Which group I find more reprehensible is irrelevant. If you oppose gay marriage because you hate gay people, I don’t have much respect for you, and if you de facto oppose gay marriage because party loyalty is more important to you than the Bill of Rights, I don’t have much respect for you, either.
Comment by Levi — August 27, 2010 @ 9:54 am - August 27, 2010
Wasn’t he the one who “outed” Bruce a few years back?
Bullshit. The gay left is more anti-gay than anybody. The fact that you excuse it and project it onto others makes you a particularly reprehensible POS.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — August 27, 2010 @ 10:18 am - August 27, 2010
Ah there Levi goes again.
Levi, there is no ‘right’ to SSM. Your precious judges said so. It’s not a ‘civil right’s’ issue.
Then again, you’ve been shown to believe in no government system that doesn’t follow your whim.
Comment by The_Livewire — August 27, 2010 @ 10:19 am - August 27, 2010
[…] In Mehlman Matter, Gay Left Blogger Prefers Principle to Revenge […]
Pingback by GayPatriot » The Civil Rights’ Paradigm Doesn’t Work for Gay America — August 27, 2010 @ 12:34 pm - August 27, 2010
Good for John. As for the rest of the gay left that can’t or won’t stop hurt feeling from clouding their good judgment, if their calls for blood alienate an important strategic ally in their cause, then they deserve every obstacle to marriage equality they get.
Comment by Alex in Denver — August 27, 2010 @ 3:58 pm - August 27, 2010
Nooo! NOOOOOOOO!
The Gay-KK demands that he be punished for his conservative indiscretions!
.
Comment by gastorgrab — August 27, 2010 @ 4:08 pm - August 27, 2010
#2: “Most of the opposition is anti-gay, the rest is just silly legalese that doesn’t make any sense.”
Ah, now there’s that eminent Constitutional scholar side of Levi that I love to hear from. Of all of Levi’s personalities, the law professor is my favorite–the one who informed us that some parts of the Constitution are more important than others, that some parts should be enforced and others ignored, and that the essence of freedom and democracy is liberals in black robes deciding what they think is best and telling the rest of us to stop being such bigots and get with the program. Remember him? Professor Levi? He’s so comfortable with his knowledge of the Constitution and his mastery of constitutional jurisprudence that his lectures sound effortless–almost as if he’s making all of it up off the top of his head.
Comment by Sean A — August 27, 2010 @ 4:08 pm - August 27, 2010
Good for John Avarosis for being relatively civil — but I have to wonder what his tone would’ve been if Mehlman had not immediately thrown his support behind the Boies-Olson team, and had instead defended the legitimacy of Prop 8 on state’s-rights grounds. Or if Mehlman had openly voiced a personal preference for same-sex civil unions INSTEAD of same-sex marriage.
If, in short, Mehlman had taken any stance on the marriage issue other than the one most fashionable in gay circles?
Comment by Throbert McGee — August 27, 2010 @ 6:49 pm - August 27, 2010
Levi @ 2:
The Bill of Rights says nothing about marriage or marriage laws. Nothing at all.
How absurd to be lectured on “silly legalese” by someone who didn’t know this.
Comment by Classical Liberal Dave — August 28, 2010 @ 1:33 am - August 28, 2010
Anyway, Mehlman sure as hell knew who he was in 1990, even if he didn’t admit it. I find it absolutely unbelievible that he has “only just” figured out who he is 20 years later. No one is that oblivious when they are fucking other guys in law school. What bullshit. He made a fortune, and a name for himself, fucking over his brothers. Now, he presumably wants to live an open life and get married, and “suddenly” he discovers he’s gay. Fuck him.
Read more: http://www.queerty.com/how-did-ken-mehlman-get-the-d-c-press-corps-to-hide-his-secret-20100827/#ixzz0xuQE1nWk
Comment by steve — August 28, 2010 @ 10:00 am - August 28, 2010
I guess since we’re no longer hating on the gays, the coast is clear for GOP homosexuals to exit the closet. As long as we still have Muslims and Mexicans to hate on we’re still in business.
Mehlman is, was and always will be fraudulent scum.
Comment by steve — August 28, 2010 @ 11:33 am - August 28, 2010
Actually, Aravosis is more like the rat who talked up the Titanic begging for a place in the rescue ship.
It is ironic beyond compare to see those who so thoroughly sold themselves for Obama and for Obama Party for decades whine about being treated like used-up prostitutes.
Aravosis has seen the polls and knows what is happening to the “consulting” dollars that his Obama massas have been paying him for years to do their “dirty work”, so, in true opportunistic fashion, he desperately tries tacking back somewhere close to the center.
But fortunately, people still remember what he has done to Republicans for over a decade, and the Obama administration knows that he’s a guaranteed vote for the Obama Party.
Must suck to be treated with contempt by both sides, John. And I bet it’s getting harder and harder for you and your sidekick Sudbury to make your monthly rent. Maybe you should have thought about that before you and your goons tried to get Bruce fired, tried to get numerous other gay and lesbian Republicans fired and socially ostracized, and generally made it clear that you would do anything Obama told you to do.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — August 28, 2010 @ 4:19 pm - August 28, 2010