Ok so i was going to do part 2 of my corners report, and that is coming when I get the time (likely tomorrow friday or Sunday.), but something else came up that I wanted to address, the recent revelations by both Rob Portman and Hillary Clinton that they support Gay Marriage. More to the point the media reaction to said revelations.
See the media is treating it like a bold new courageous step and applauding it, but really its nothing of the sort.
Now look I'm not condemning or against gay marriage, I'm all for it. Honestly unless your trying to/are sleeping with me I could give two fucks about who your sleeping with. Whatever floats your boat is fine with me, has no impact on my life at all, and I wish you all the best, and I think you should have all the same relationship options I do.
The problem is this, Rob Portman and Hillary Clinton did not suddenly wake up in the last week and go "hmm you know I just realized, gay people getting married has nothing to do with me", they both reached that point months ago, if not years.
So for months or years they basically just lied about it.
Just check Rob Portman's own explanation if you dont believe me
'"I've come to the conclusion that for me, personally, I think this is something that we should allow people to do, to get married, and to have the joy and stability of marriage that I've had for over 26 years. That I want all of my children to have, including our son, who is gay, My son came to Jane, my wife, and I, told us that he was gay, and that it was not a choice, and that it's just part of who he is, and that's who he'd been that way for as long as he could remember,"
Now look a "traditional values" conservative flip flopping on said traditional values when its his/her own family is nothing new. But what makes it a noticeable act of cowardice is that his son came out to him in 2011.
Now if his son coming out in 2011 led Portman to reconsider, rather quickly as he claims his first reaction was, "Love. Support,", he's been pro gay marriage for some time.
In fact in 2011 when giving the commencement address at U of Michigan law school, 100 students walked out due to his public stand on gay marriage. By Portman's own admission, this was after his son came out.
Same with his working to defeat the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, last year. the Act would make it illegal to fire someone for being a homosexual.
In fact last year he was being considered for Vice President on the Romney ticket, and while he claims he told Romney, he still didnt say anything different publicly.
Instead he waited not only until Romney picked someone else for the VP slot, but after the election, and until the lull period before the 2014 election (and a few years before his own reelection campaign will have to start for 2016) when most people arnt paying attention.
Lying/supporting bills you dont support to cover that lie, then coming out when no ones looking isnt courage.
A similar case can be made for Hillary Clinton. It was her husband who signed DADT and DOMA into law in the 90's, and she herself came out against gay marriage when running for president in 2008 (as did Barack Obama for that matter). Now in 2009 her husband came out in favor of gay marriage, but it took Hillary until now, after she exited public life, to join him.
Now look I dont doubt that in the 90's both Clinton's were opposed to gay marriage, and just because they are married doesnt mean they have to agree on everything, so its possible Hillary was telling the truth in 2008 that she still opposed it.
However that doesnt change the fact she waited until she was no longer in any political office to reveal that she had changed positions.
This despite serving as Secretary of State under the first president in history to be openly in favor of gay marriage. As is the Vice President (2nd consecutive VP to be in favor) so its not like she'd have been going against the administration.
Just saying, waiting until you no longer have the power to change anything before revealing you'd like to change something isnt courage.
And as a side note, honestly we should hit Obama on this same issue. Personally I never believed him in 2008 when he said he was against gay marriage,but I cant prove it.
What I can prove though is that likely the only reason he came out in favor is because Joe Biden pushed him into it last year when Biden said the administration was for it. Now Biden has been known to say some wacky things, but he's never misrepresented the position of the Administration.
In otherwords it was such a well known fact privately at least by the beginning of last year that Obama was pro gay marriage that Biden felt comfortable enough saying it publicly not knowing the president was still not telling the truth publicly.
Look dont get me wrong, I'm sure the pro gay marriage movement is trilled to have the support of Portman, Clinton and President Obama, and likely all 3 of them have helped ensure being in favor of gay marriage quickly becomes the political norm. So in that sense yes, they did us and the idea of actual equality a big favor. We just shouldnt conflate helping a movement, but only when its politically safe to do so/you'er forced into it as an act of courage,
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