Thompson doesn't hate gays enough for the Evangelicals' liking

[CrossLOPER]

Uh, did you miss the part where it says 'satire'?

Did I forget a smiley again?

[Lemur]

There's an old piece of research that may shed some light on the tortured relationship between the G.O.P. and homosexuality:

Men he had observed having anonymous sex in a public place often turned out to be ardent champions of law and order. Unable to control themselves in that part of their lives, they put on the defensive “breastplate,” redoubling their efforts elsewhere: “Motivated largely by his own awareness of the discreditable nature of his secret behavior,” wrote Humphreys in his dissertation, “the covert deviant develops a presentation of self that is respectable to a fault. His whole lifestyle becomes an incarnation of what is proper and orthodox.”

Now, before any of our right-wing Orgahs go ballistic, I am not implying that all or even a substantial portion of Republicans are self-loathing gay people. Rather, I am trying to come to grips with a small portion of G.O.P. leaders who are fervently anti-gay, while also being gay. The list is extensive -- start with Roy Cohn, move on to Terry Dolan, David Dreier, Ken Mehlman, Armstrong Williams, Mark Foley, and of course Larry Craig. And that's just a starter plate of prominent figures who have been, one way or another, outed. Never mind the openly gay Republicans, they don't count for this mental exercise.

So here's the lemur's theory: Take a political party that presents itself as the law-and-order, traditionalist wing. Add in a small minority of men who have uncontrollable urges and dark secrets, and want to assume the mantle of respectability. Also mix in a portion of the base that is truly, honestly against homosexuality and any expansion of gay culture. You get an explosive formula, no?

Again, I am not saying that Republicans are all self-hating homos, so please don't build a strawman to knock down. I am trying to come to grips with some contradictory trends within the Republican leadership.

Thoughts?

[CrossLOPER]

Thoughts?

Republicans are mostly self-hating homos?

[Xiahou]

Again, I am not saying that Republicans are all self-hating homos, so please don't build a strawman to knock down. I am trying to come to grips with some contradictory trends within the Republican leadership.

Thoughts?

What?
I'm not at all sure what you are saying.

[Proletariat]

I don't understand the 'coming to grips' bit, either. What is there to come to terms with? Republicans have alot of hypocrites? If this is such a shock to you that you need to 'come to grips' with it, I'm a little surprised at your ...naivety.

wait a minute ...who the hell are you and where did our resident prosimian cynic go?!

[Devastatin Dave]

This threads soooo gay....

[Strike For The South]

I really hate the people in charge. Like really. Iraq welfare school anyother issues that we could slove but noooooooooooooooooooooooooo. The gays.agaun. Who do these people think they are!!!!! THERE GAY WHO CARES WHY DOES IT MATTER????????? I blame this all on old people. There the ones who vote old people and people who think they know whats right those are the people who vote and screw us.

[HoreTore]

I really hate the people in charge. Like really. Iraq welfare school anyother issues that we could slove but noooooooooooooooooooooooooo. The gays.agaun. Who do these people think they are!!!!! THERE GAY WHO CARES WHY DOES IT MATTER????????? I blame this all on old people. There the ones who vote old people and people who think they know whats right those are the people who vote and screw us.

Reason, sense and intellect. Perfection.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Bad spelling aside, of course, but one can always blame that on alcohol

SFTS '08!!

[Lemur]

I'm not at all sure what you [n]are[/n] saying.

I don't understand the 'coming to grips' bit, either. What is there to come to terms with?

I'm just playing around with cause and effect when it comes to the weird relationship between closeted gay men and the Republican leadership. Came across an account of research from the fifties about how "degenerates" would sometimes gravitate toward the most upright, conservative, moralistic positions they could find. It finally sheds some light on why there is a steady drip-drip-drip of morals scandals. I reprinted the relevant portion, and contrasted it with the fact that there is a portion of the base that is honestly opposed to all things queer.

And I tried to make it painfully clear that I was not trying to paint the entire Republican party with a single brush. Terribly sorry this makes for such an unsatisfying meal.

[Devastatin Dave]

And I tried to make it painfully clear that I was not trying to paint the entire Republican party with a single brush. Terribly sorry this makes for such an unsatisfying meal.

Uh-hu

[Xiahou]

I'm just playing around with cause and effect when it comes to the weird relationship between closeted gay men and the Republican leadership.

Mark Foley and Craig were part of the Republican leadership? Most of us never heard of them until their respective scandals broke.

[Goofball]

Mark Foley and Craig were part of the Republican leadership? Most of us never heard of them until their respective scandals broke.

I would think that having been elected to the U.S. Senate and/or House, the highest elected offices that party members can hold other than President or VP, would qualify them as Republican leaders. Certainly if I were Joe Blow card carrying Republican rank and file member I would think of Republican legislators as my party's leaders, anyway.

But you guys are showing by your arguing over small semantic points that you really have missed the thrust of Lemur's post.

[Proletariat]

Okay, I still don't get it. The psychological connection is high school level psych. In what party are you going to find closet homosexuals other then the one that doesn't not endorse gay 'rights'? Where are you going to find more closet homosexuals? In the Catholic Church where it's forbidden, or in a park in San Francisco?

[Crazed Rabbit]

I'm just playing around with cause and effect when it comes to the weird relationship between closeted gay men and the Republican leadership.

What relationship? As Xiahou said, who heard of Foley or Craig before this?

Came across an account of research from the fifties about how "degenerates" would sometimes gravitate toward the most upright, conservative, moralistic positions they could find.

And that New Jersey Governor? You're using a study that's 35 years old, you think political positions, like acceptance of gays, has changed since then?



CR

[Lemur]

Okay, that was deeply unrewarding. The only person who raised any ideas even remotely related to the substance of the post was Crazed Rabbit, whom I thank for stopping by. You make an excellent point about the changing attitude toward gays.

DevDave, Prole, Xiahou, I wasn't trying to rain on your parade.