Posted on 04/27/2015 2:50:53 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
New York City-based gay businessman Ian Reisner recently hosted a “fireside chat” with Sen. Ted Cruz in Manhattan. You read that correctly: a successful LGBT community member invited one of the most notoriously anti-LGBT politicians in the U.S. to his home. His business partner, Mati Weiderpass, even posted a photo of the two together on Facebook (seen above).
Ian Reisner and Mati Weiderpass are called “pioneers in the gay hospitality industry” by The New York Times. The piece talks about how “opposition to President Obama,” the single best president on LGBT issues, was a focal point of the evening in their shared apartment.
Now, Reisner is trying to pretend like he had absolutely no idea about Cruz’s ideology, which is patently absurd. Here is his apology in full, taken directly from Facebook:
“I am shaken to my bones by the e-mails, texts, postings and phone calls of the past few days. I made a terrible mistake. I was ignorant, naive and much too quick in accepting a request to co-host a dinner with Cruz at my home without taking the time to completely understand all of his positions on gay rights. I’ve spent the past 24 hours reviewing videos of Cruz’ statements on gay marriage and I am shocked and angry. I sincerely apologize for hurting the gay community and so many of our friends, family, allies, customers and employees. I will try my best to make up for my poor judgement. Again, I am deeply sorry.”
People aren’t buying it. Keith Gibbons comments, “It’s inconceivable that any well-informed, aware adult in this country could not know where Ted Cruz stood on issues affecting the LGBT community.” That comment alone has already received hundreds of likes. Similar sentiments are offered down the page.
The scrutiny is grounded. Reisner has done this sort of thing before, hosting a fundraiser for Republican Senator Ron Johnson just this month.
One may assume Reisner is just a self-loathing gay Republican, but that would be too simplistic. He recently hosted a “Ready for Hillary” event too.
So what’s going on here? Two things: Israel and privilege. Reisner buys into the awful pinkwashing narrative that the government of Israel attempts (often successfully) to sell the West to keep focus off of its occupation and human rights abuses.
It’s true that LGBT rights in Israel far surpass that of its neighbors, and this is important. But when it becomes a shield from serious discussion of Israel’s West Bank settlements, violence in Gaza or even domestic racism and abuse, LGBT rights become a bargaining chip rather than an example of genuine cultural ethics.
Neither major U.S. political party is off the hook, but the Republican Party has become a propaganda machine for the current Israeli government, going as far as to invite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress, despite a conflict of interest given he was facing an election and used the space as a campaign stump speech. (See Human Rights Watch for an overview of the current human rights issues in Israel.)
On privilege, it goes without saying that Reisner is a very rich man. And his affiliation with GOP politicians shows a disregard for the plight of regular Americans who are negatively impacted by conservative social and economic policies while Reisner reaps the benefits.
Even if Reisner was totally unaware of Cruz’s specific views on LGBT rights, which rings false, he is certainly aware of what Republican ideology is. From attacks on welfare for the poor to denying women comprehensive healthcare and preventing restraints on corporations that safeguard citizens from exploitation, the GOP has a clear and consistent platform.
Reisner is only sorry that he’s being held responsible for his actions by people he expected to fall in line and show up at his place of business.
LGBT Americans are not that stupid, and neither are conscientious consumers of any demographic. They will rightly stand together and reject this bald-faced attempt at customer retention and damage control.
We should hold our business owners to a standard of ethics, and being sorry after-the-fact doesn’t absolve Ian Reisner of his sins.
I’m not suggesting Reisner can’t find redemption, but if he wants forgiveness, he should show genuine remorse by promising to use the money he makes from his customers to forward everyone’s rights and be transparent in executing this change of heart.
(Editorial Note: Weiderpass has posted the apology on his private Facebook profile with an accompanying apology to his friends. The reason for focus on Reisner is that his apology is completely public. We will not be linking Weiderpass’ private profile but have verified its existence.)
So Cruz’ gay supporters turned on him already?
Both of them! LOL No, they’re trying to save their businesses...
As has been said before, liberals will not tolerate anyone who wanders off the servation.
As has been said before, liberals will not tolerate anyone who wanders off the reservation.
“People aren’t buying it.”
Neither am I. This guy knew Cruz’s positions from the get-go.
The Gaystapo Fagtivists shutting down another business.
The rabid Far Left are much like the Red Guards. These two business owners have strayed from the Party orthodoxy. According to the New Red Guard, the response to any straying is:
You disagree or dissent, which means you are a traitor
You must be hated
You must be destroyed
You must be killed. (We’re not quite there yet, but wait)
Kudos to whoever coined the term “Gaystapo.” Homosexuality and Nazism are no strangers: Hitler’s brown-shirted Sturmabteilung (SA) (Storm/Assault Detachment) led by Rohm recruited many homosexuals.
I also liked Cruz’s coinage of “liberal fascism” and “liberal fascists.”
wow. what a wuss. with an apology like that I have no sympathy toward him.
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