Several readers have written to ask why I haven't weighed in on the (latest) scandal out of my home state of Arizona, with Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu's being exposed as a self-hating closet case who eagerly backed anti-gay candidates while railing against immigrants as he dated a Mexican man of questionable legal status. (The ex-lover says the sheriff threatened to have him deported if he didn't keep their relationship a secret, an allegation that's now being investigated by the state's attorney general.) What can I really say about it? The never-ending hypocrisy of the Republican party is nothing new -- especially where "the gays" are concerned. Do as I say, not as I do. About the only thing I can add is that I'm so grateful to Governor Bob McDonnell and his attorney general, Ken Cuccinelli, for turning Virginia into the laughingstock of the nation for a while. (Arizona needed a break -- and Florida can't do it all!) The Arizona I remember in the '80s was a place that was conservative, but reasonable. When people realized their Republican governor had gone too far -- he was a blatant racist -- an openly gay activist was able to rally the citizens to impeach him ... and succeeded! That could never happen now. Everything's about doubling down. The right will stand by its own no matter how far they go, as seen with (fellow gay Arizona Republican) Jim Kolbe and others continuing to stand by Babeu, who has clearly become a liability. The pendulum has swung so far to the right now that I just cling to my birth certificate that shows I was born ... in Michigan.
11 comments:
I agree with all of what you have written except for you falling into the silly cliche of referring to gay men with female pronouns.
Being both gay and an Arizonan I am not aware of any anti-gay rhetoric on the sheriff's part. Nor am I aware of any railing he has done against immigrants. Illegal immigrants, yes. Immigrants, no.
If I am mistaken, please convince me otherwise without referring to me as self-loathing or self-hating since you seem to have that definition down pat.
@ Kenneth
"She's the Sheriff" tag made me laugh out loud...best headline on this story I've yet seen. Ha!
And Mark in Phoenix, sounds like Arizona is a PERFECT fit for him. Enjoy Jan Brewer honey!
@Mark in Phoenix: You are correct about the misuse of the literal definition of "railing" (against gays), so I have updated the post to make my point clearer.
However, I DO consider people -- especially GAY people -- who knowingly, willingly and eagerly back anti-gay candidates to be "railing" against us. And that describes what Sheriff Babeu has been doing for YEARS ... on the campaign trail, on Fox News and at CPAC, which wants nothing to do with gay people, even gay Republicans.
How could a gay veteran support John McCain while the senator did everything in his power to keep "don't ask, don't tell" the law of the land? (A GAY veteran!) It's disgusting AND, yes, self-loathing. How can the sheriff work to elect Mitt Romney who not only doesn't support full LGBT equality -- I know, Obama doesn't either -- he is backing away from the gay rights he once bragged about supporting? (If Obama's "evolving," Romney's completely regressing.) That is unconscionable.
As for the boyfriend ... if you can't see the problem there -- whether the allegations turn out to be true or not -- then I don't know what to tell you.
I'm really not "looking for a fight." I just can't see how any gay person -- Republican or Democrat -- can excuse behavior like this. And to top it off, he's now making himself out to be the victim!
Mark is right -- and furthermore: You are assuming that "Jose" is telling the truth. You are also pursuing the incorrect notion that anyone who believes that "marriage" is between a bride and groom as opposed to two "grooms" is "anti-gay." By your definition, classical Greek civilization, which involved a great deal of man-on-man love, was "anti-gay," as it never occurred to the Greeks that what they had going with their warrior buddies and eromenoi was "marriage."
Further -- calling Sheriff Babeu "she" -- now THAT is "anti-gay." Personally, I think the sheriff is rather hot, and not effeminate at all.
@Mike. Um, no.
ITA Kenny w/ur post & ur comment here. Thanks for weighing in on this. The "she" thing is funny & especially cuz u know it would really bug him. He seems like a very scuzzy character. And what about the sleepover w/Heinz?
Someone please explain to me why someone who is gay, in or out of the closet, can be a republican?
He is hot, especially in uniform!
It's the hypocrisy, fucktards. The sheriff must know about this kind of stuff.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/02/babeu_could_face_trouble_over_ex-lovers_uncertain_legal.php
i agree with Daniel on your 'tagline' - She's the Sheriff - i snorted.
reminded me of my friend Albert who was at one of his leathermen meetings; one of the guys said, "Who started this 'she' shit?"
they all pointed at Albert & said, "She did."
Mark in PHX: Did you read about this abuse of power by the sheriff, LIVING with a 17-year-old boy from a school this guy ran? When you're in the closet there is always a dark side.
http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/documents-babeu-ran-private-boarding-school-with-history-of-physical-abuse
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