Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Morning Edition - 10/17/07


Is There Anything Worse Than Being Gay?
Last night Idaho Senator Larry Craig sat down with NBCs Matt Lauer and discussed his June solicitation arrest at a Minneapolis airport. It’s a story of a conservative senator who admittedly says he disagrees with the gay lifestyle, but now faces judgment as a man who was soliciting sex from another man in a public restroom. To complicate matters for the senator, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct and never mentioned the incident to anyone – not his wife, not his state, not his lawyer – for close to two months. Just moments before the media broke the story, Craig told his family of what he alleges occurred that June day. The skinny is that Craig says that although he mimicked all the tell-tale signs of men who solicit sex in public restrooms, these were coincidence – some details he doesn’t recall at all. On Monday, he filed to withdraw his guilty plea and fight to prove his innocence. It would appear that as a man who feels unjustly judged, scrutinized and pigeonholed, that he would more clearly see the plight of the gay community he has shunned for so long. Whether true or not, he is experiencing the cold-shoulder and discrimination suffered by many gay men and women everyday. When Matt Lauer asked Craig what he felt about the gay life, he said he does not agree with the ‘lifestyle’ and his vote has always shown this. I nodded my head and had the eerie sense that sometimes life allows folks to plunge from their pedestals because their large heads tend to lean sharply over in judgment of others. Like Clinton’s “I did not have sexual relations with that woman,” statement, Craig asserts that he is not gay or bisexual. Meanwhile, The Statesman, an Idaho newspaper has reported of the more than twenty years of speculation surrounding Craig’s sexuality. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. All I can think of is how American society still judges virtually any crime, life choice and bad decision as a better plight than being a gay man or woman. It brings back the haunting memory of a tearful conversation I had with my mom and dad when I was about 15 years old. I asked if they would be happier if I were a murderer. There response was a simple, “I don’t know.” Here we are at the end of 2007 and the question remains, is there anything worse than being gay?

Let Loose Friday at LQs; Friday, October 19
This Friday we’re making our way to our end of summer let-loose party. Please join us at LQ for a light buffet, 2-for-1 drinks until 7 p.m., and some salsa, hip-hop, R&B and oldies. Ladies pay no cover charge before 7 p.m. and men fork over only $5. So relax, let loose and generate some heat to last you through those cold winter months. LQ is located on Lexington Avenue between 47th and 48th Street.

On Blast
Soliciting sex in a bathroom is NOT synonymous with being gay, just as being straight is NOT synonymous with buying sex from a prostitute. Do you think the bigger issue is that Senator Craig was arrested for solicitation or the allegation that he may be gay?

Keep passin’ the open windows…

9 comments:

Unknown said...

I think both. He's supposed to be a "Law-make," and he broke the law. He's also supposed to be so anti-homosexual yet his actions and past suggest a bit of a "like for like" attitude. The funny thing is that he thinks that everything can just be covered up or forgotten.

Nothing against republicans but, the minute this story broke, the republicans started to run from him like he had leprosy. At least with Clinton, Democrats still seemed to embrace him after his mishap. Even after the Hugh Grant/Divine Brown thing, we still go see his movies.

I'm generally a forgiving person, as we all should be (John 8:7), and believe that there's truly only one who can judge. One thing I know is that that MoFo Craig WILL be judged.

Tiffanie said...

The bigger issue is that he may be gay. He could have picked up a dude at a coffee shop, through casual conversation, and if it were leaked to the right media outlet, it would be a scandal. If he was soliciting a woman, it would have blown over a long time ago.

That Dude Right There said...

I'm so over this situation that I didn't really want to comment. But I will.

Can someone please tell this man that the damage is done. The problem with this country is that people view homosexuality as being a "crime" at all. Why I don't know. Like Tiffanie said, if it had been a woman that he solicited, this would not be an issue today.

Anonymous said...

I think the bigger issue is that God is the judge of all of us and Jesus loves all, that means EVERYONE. Yes, people will get knocked of their pedastals when they judge too often.
Cocoa, you have always been loved. Always. I may have been the last to know you were gay on the block (let's face it, I was too busy fighting people who called you fruitcake or sweetboy....I didn't care if it was true or not, NOBODY but Me was going to call you something out side of your name......)(hahahaha).
I don't remember the trauma you suffered (except for the night of the Hush and red underwear incident ...dangling out windows and all that jazz, and my getting body slammed on Fordham Road by the same assailant who drew a knife on my boy J'Moo, but let me digress). Where was I in my thought process? Oh, yes. Here it goes. It cannot be easy to be gay, my friend. No easier than it is to be a single, unmarried mother of three half black half white children. Nothing in life worth having - worth being - comes easy. So be proud of who you are and the people who love you. Sooner or later, the haters will take a tumble just like Larry. While you stand tall and firm in WHO you are. Not WHAT you are....feel me Pa?
See you on Friday baby!
Cas608

iii said...

The solicitation of sex is the key issue, but all the senator cares about is not being LABELED gay.

He needs to give it up. Finish his term and leave.

Dayne Avery said...

The bigger issue is that he is a hypocrite, coward, and a liar. Oh, hmmm wouldn't that make him an excellent politician?

Darius T. Williams said...

Nah, I don't think the bigger issue is that he's gay - although, I wouldn't put it past him.

Party this weekend, huh? Geesh how I miss NYC\.

C. Baptiste-Williams said...

it kills me when people go quoting their bible in a country that was based on religious freedom. if you religion believes that homosexuality is wrong... that is great but let me have my freedom and leave me alone.

the only thing worse than being gay is being gay and forced to be ashamed of what you truly are.

yet another black guy said...

the gay thing is big, but my bigger issue is his infidelity.