Posted on 03/04/2007 9:45:43 AM PST by A_perfect_lady
My friends, my sister, and I were hanging out at a gay bar in West Hollywood last night (yes, really) because you can buy $1 draft beers during happy hour, and my little sister can flirt with men who won't actually try to take her home. She just moved out to Hollywood to live with me and, being only 29, she still likes to party. I'm the over-protective type, so I go with her and glower at anyone who gets too close.
Because it was a gay bar, all the men I met there were... oh, what's the word... gay, yes, that's it. I fell into a very interesting discussion with a 60 year old man who looked like a cross between Leonard Cohen, a biker, and a hippie. Long gray hair, black cowboy hat, wire rimmed glasses, big belt buckle. He has been "partners" with another fellow for two years now. His partner favors sequins and rhinestones, and whenever he meets a woman, he mulls over what movie star she resembles. It's very flattering. After a few drinks, I apparently look like Rachel Weiss. (I mean, after YOU have a few drinks, not me.)
Anyway. I was talking to this fellow, Michael, and I discovered the following: He has been an electrical engineer for 25 years. He was in a band. He was in the Air Force for at least six years, did a tour in Vietnam, one in Japan, and one in Oklahoma. He got out because they were going to station him next in Turkey and, frankly, the muslim world makes him a little uneasy.
He had one daughter before he came out of the closet. He recalls giving her a small allowance and then teaching her to budget with it. He emphasized education and sounds like he was a pretty tough dad. He thinks kids today are growing apathetic, lazy, spoiled, and he is worrying about what the overall declining work ethic is going to do to this country.
He thinks if the politicians would get out of the way and let the military do its job, we could handle the Islamofascists "immediately." September 11 didn't make him cry, it made him mad. He's still fiery-eyed about it.
And taxes today! Don't even get him started about how his hard-earned money is going to support an ever-larger stream of illegal aliens who come to this country to take advantage and give little back. He loves his country, his Harley... and some guy named Tony who wears sequins. I am not making this up.
He considers himself rather apolitical because he doesn't pay attention to prevaling political trends enough to know that he is unconsciously fairly conservative.
Now here is my fear: He and many others like him will be repelled back into knee-jerk DNC voting patterns because his perception of conservative thought will be influenced by things like Ann Coulter's blaring comment at CPAC suggesting that John Edwards is... oh, what's the word she used... I can't remember right now but it was one of those words that suggests that she, the uberconservative, feels that gay-baiting epithets are respectable political discourse.
Now, before you say anything, I know what some Freepers will think.
1) If my new buddies are gay, they are simply not the stuff of which conservatism is made. "Here we go," you might sigh. "Another one trying to convince us that gays are just like you and me but for one little, tiny difference." No, I'm not saying that. But conservatism... or at least, a willingness to vote conservative, can come in many guises, and Christianity or any other such moral code is only one. Many of us came to conservatism through Ayn Rand's writings, or through an admiration for our Founding Fathers. Some of us simply grew up and realized that liberal approaches are enabling disasters that encourage humanity to sink ever further into dependence, envy, and mediocrity.
If your conservatism stems from a philosophical or religious conviction that homosexuality flouts, please consider that the salvation of souls is a separate matter from voting for politicians who take our security seriously. Please do not shun or belittle those who might potentially come to agree with you on so many points, simply because they differ from you on this one. We do not want gays, feminists, et al, to be one issue voters. Let us not be one-issue discriminators. I know we would all like for others to live conservatively. But let us not reject the opportunity to encourage them to begin by voting conservatively.
2) The other protest that I have seen already, on different threads, is as follows: Ann is a private citizen, she can say what she wants, only a fool would think that Mitt Romney or Duncan Hunter feels the same way. But I submit to you that this is what I call "insider thinking." Of course, WE know whose stance is what... we are familiar with the nuances of conservative thought. We read up on politics every single day. But compare how an outsider such as Michael (and glittery Tony) views the conservative world: much like we view the muslim world. When a mad mullah or bomb-laden extremist foams at the mouth about decimating Israel and America, we look to the rest of the muslim world as if to say politely "And do you agree?" When all we hear are crickets chirping (and a few bombs going off prematurely because some Palestinian's cell phone got pinged) we notice. And we think, ah. I see. You agree.
If we do not agree, we do indeed have the responsibility to say so, as conservatives.
In fact, at the end of the evening an incident occured that captures this second point nicely. A very intoxicated young man with a penchant for chanting hiphop lyrics in people's faces, and flicking his lighter perilously close to women's noses, tried to put his arm around me. I had already developed a dislike for this one, and gave him a slight elbow while I stepped away. Outraged, he pursued me and I gave him a good shove. My sister told the bouncer and the other guys gathered round and chimed in their outrage. Throw that guy out! The bouncer threw the guy out.
For the next ten minutes, gay men were coming up to me anxiously: Are you alright? He's gone now, don't worry. He was a jerk. I don't like him either. I hope you aren't upset. We aren't all like that. Are you sure you're alright?
They instinctively came to reassure me, knowing that as an outsider, I could not distinguish between them unless they made known their stances. And Tony said, "I may be gay, but I'm still a man. Woman are supposed to be protected, you know?"
I am not on a crusade to get other Freepers to love gays and hang out in West Hollywood with me. There isn't enough parking there as is. And I do not despise Ann Coulter, I like most of what she's said over the years. She's funny, she's witty, she makes connections that dazzle me because I never even noticed them till she pointed them out.
But I disapprove of her use of that word. I rate it almost with the N word if only in terms of its ability to project hostility, belittlement, and a deliberate attempt to hurt. I cannot tell anyone else what to do, but if anyone, gay or not, asks me what *I* thought of her remark, I'm going to tell her: Not all conservatives have the attitude that gays are not to be respected. I disapprove of Ann's use of that word, even for comedy purposes, and I hope it does not scare all the Michaels and Tonys into voting DNC just because they think that the DNC, at least, cares about how they feel.
No, it's not. So let's not sink to their level. We are better than that.
This Log Cabin Propaganda, made me puke a little bit.
I'm rather happy to be on the side of the people who thought it was funny! Anyone offended must see themselves in her statement.
I'm never being offended at being a radical conservative nutcase! Why should they be offended for being what they are!
Let Ann Coulter be Ann Coulter. She represents no one else but herself. The only people trying to connect what she said [the faggot word] to the GOP are the Dems, the Leftist MSM, and useful idiots in the Rep party who jump on the bandwagon to denounce Ann Coulter. Maybe she should go into PC rehab with Mel Gibson and Michael Richards. The Soviets used to put those who strayed from the politically correct line into mental institutions. We put them into rehab.
I get what you are saying...even if others don't....you aren't alone....Would others be spinning for Ann if she called Michelle Malkin a flip? I'm just curious...thanks for your post...you put some thought into it.
I understand she meant it as a joke. What I am saying is: it wasn't a very good one and I personally think it isn't the kind of joke that helps our cause.
Again, imagine if she'd said "You'd have to go to rehab if you say n***er, so I can't talk about Obama." This would be just... very much in bad taste, not funny, and not helpful to conservatism.
I think you're right. It serves no purpose to alienate people directly. It's also bad politics (among other things) to appear ignorant or prejudiced. Most Americans, especially centerists or independents, are very live-and-let-live in their personal philosophy. The mean spirited Sharia-lite vibe is a huge turn off to most people, and we need those people to win elections.
We lose this guy? Big deal...!
Sounds like Rudy's your guy....
Exactly. I am not saying support gay marriage, it's all good, blah blah blah. I'm saying don't sling around a word that reinforces their suspicions that conservatives hate their guts.
Couldn't agree more.
Nicely put... You sound like a "perfect lady". We need more like you and I say "dittoes" to the sentiment in your essay.
This sentence, unfortunately, reveals an attitude toward gays that is detrimental to the conservative cause. If you'd rather hurt them then convince them to vote conservative, we will all go down together when Obama or Edwards unwittingly hands our country over to Islamic fundametnalists.
See post #23.
I doubt one word uttered from Ann will make a gay person run out and vote for a democrat. Most of them do anyway. All the hysteria that went on during the Foley Poly thing would be more of a reason. Some of this wackiness over Ann's remark is a lot more ridiculous. After many threads about this one remark, the subject has been hashed and rehashed too many times. It makes me wonder why people will not drop it?
On a lighter note....i saw an episode of Seinfeld the other night and his standup at the ending bit was about homophobia...can't remember word for word but it was absolutely hilarious....wish i could find a cut and paste to put on this thread ;)
Excellent vanity. Your writing skills are enviable. A bit too high brow for the crowd usually drawn to this subject matter, however.
APf
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