Aravosis and fellow gay bloggers such as Michael Rogers are becoming the most powerful of voices for gay men and lesbians to surface in years--without using the traditional tools of political activism.
Aravosis and Rogers share similar goals with traditional activists. But to witness how powerful their tactics are, merely mention their names in D.C.-area gay bars and watch the closeted conservatives scatter. "I'm told some people on the Hill are afraid to go to gay bars and introduce themselves using their real name for fear their name will end up in my e-mail box," says Rogers. "If only they knew gay bars are really the one safe place for them. I hate going to bars."
Rogers runs BlogActive.com and RawStoryQ.com. He's a 41-year-old D.C.-area blogger whose controversial outing campaign has exposed more than 20 gays who work for conservative causes and politicians. He got his start working on gay issues in a more traditional arena, as a successful marketing consultant and fund-raiser for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, GALA Choruses, and the Funding Exchange. Before that, after coming out in 1986, he cut his headline-grabbing teeth as a member of ACT UP.
Senate majority leader Bill Frist scheduled a vote on the antigay Federal Marriage Amendment just two weeks before the Democratic National Convention. Rogers got mad and assembled fliers that were handed out at D.C.'s gay pride celebration. With the demand DO NOT PROTECT HOMOPHOBES AND THE PEOPLE WHO KEEP THEM IN POWER, the fliers encouraged people to e-mail Rogers the names of closeted conservatives. His inbox was immediately flooded.
Rogers's biggest coup came from an anonymous source who sent taped audio messages from the MegaMates personals phone line, allegedly recorded by conservative Republican U.S. representative Ed Schrock of Virginia, in which the caller solicited casual gay sex from men.
Schrock backed out of his reelection race. In a press release he said, "After much thought and prayer, I have come to the realization that these allegations will not allow my campaign to focus on the real issues facing our nation and region."
Rogers--from gay rights groups including HRC and the Log Cabin Republicans, for outing congressional staffers who are not elected public officials. But in spite of the negative reaction, Rogers says some of his best sources are people at D.C.'s leading gay groups.
This is on H&C.
Umm, both of them?
Proposed Title for a future smash hit in Country Music:
I'm a Gay Black Mormon Biker -- and I vote Republican!
Cheers!