Pennsylvania's GOP Senator Rick Santorum said some really stupid
and nasty things about gay people in an
interview with the AP, voicing support for sodomy laws and
comparing homosexuality with polygamy, adultery, and incest. In
response, gay groups across the spectrum
denounced Santorum's remarks. The Log Cabin Republicans issued
a press release (not yet online) that read, in part:
"There is nothing conservative about allowing law enforcement officials to enter the home of any American and arrest them for simply being gay". Mainstream America is embracing tolerance and inclusion. I am appalled that a member of the United States Senate leadership would advocate dividing Americans with ugly hate filled rhetoric," said Log Cabin Republican executive director Patrick Guerriero.
The Human Rights Campaign, the large gay liberal lobby, is much
better at posting their press
releases online. Theirs read in part:
"Sen. Santorum's remarks are deeply hurtful and play on deep-seated fears that fly in the face of scientific evidence, common sense, and basic decency. Clearly, there is no compassion in his conservatism," said HRC Political Director Winnie Stachelberg. "Discriminatory remarks like this fuel prejudice that can lead to violence and other harms against the gay community."
Regarding the latter, I prefer avoiding the all-too-common activist response of denoucing language as "deeply hurtful," along with assertions that "hurtful" language will lead to violence - the underlying premise for speech codes. What Santorum said should be strongly criticized because he's a senator who wants to deny gay people our fundamental civil liberties, not because he hurt our feelings.
The Fight to Serve.
From a report by San Francisco's
KGO-TV:
On the frontlines of the war with Iraq there is something new among the rank and file - gays and lesbians fighting alongside Americans. Thirteen of the U.S.'s partners in Operation Enduring Freedom allow homosexuals to serve in the military. Still, the U.S. has a policy that prohibits soldiers from being openly gay. But that's not keeping them from serving "
And this
Washington Post editorial reminds us of just how
counter-productive the gay ban continues to be, as in the surreal,
ongoing purge from the military of gay Arabic-speaking
linguists.
--Stephen H. Miller
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