Cheney Panders To Gay Voters
I know I'm a bit late on this story, but I've been a bit swamped this week. How nice that Cheney suddenly appears to discover a spine, of sorts, in his back, vis a vis giving everybody in America the same rights, no matter who they have sex with. Of course, it takes having a gay daughter for him to pull back from the fundamentalist party line, although he does conveniently weasel in the "states rights" issue. That didn't seem to work too well back in Civil War days: "Oh, we'll have slaves down here in the south, and you northerners keep your damn mouths shut!" Wouldn't it be nice if the small minds currently in power were able to make policy without the "some of my best friends are..." example staring them in the face -- and at the dinner table, at that?
She is gay and he is... sad.
Frania W. at August 26, 2004 7:27 AM
Isn't it amazing how parents will flex and bend, or even contort, their strict religious views to allow them to keep a relationship with their children?
I experienced this with my own christian fundamentalist parents. When I began cohabitating with my girlfriend and rejected christianity and told them I was agnostic, they knew I would choose simply not to see them if they critisized or judged me in the name of their religion, the way they had so many others while I was growing up. Rather than let that happen, they suddenly loosened up their views on such matters.
It always seems to change things when it's someone close to you; not "us vs them". Perhaps there's karma at work in Mr. Cheney's life?
Jeff R at August 26, 2004 9:25 AM
It's pretty pathetic when fair policy depends on somebody actually experiencing the need for fairness in their own life. I guess abstract thought is a little too much to expect from fundamentalists. What's weird is how America is, philosophically, largely, this backward place, with people running their lives according to religion. Much of Europe seems to be secular. Well, Frania (and thanks for dropping by)...do you agree?
Amy Alkon at August 26, 2004 9:36 AM
'It always seems to change things when it's someone close to you; not "us vs them".'
In that way, homophobia seems easier to change than racial/ethnic bigotry. Someone you love isn't going suddenly going to sit you down and say, "I've got something to tell you. I'm black."
Lena at August 26, 2004 9:43 AM
it's nice that cheney flexed a bit and in his heart he probably feels a lot more compassion for his daughter and perhaps gays in general than he shows the world, but pardon my cynicism: i see this move as him trying to have it both ways. show a little humanity, get a couple gay votes while toeing the party line and not alienating the base.
david at August 26, 2004 9:55 AM
Then again (regarding the admitting you're black remark), there's Tony Pierce:
http://www.tonypierce.com/blog/bloggy.htm
Amy Alkon at August 26, 2004 9:57 AM
David -- you're absolutely right. he's trying to get the non-smart gay vote.
Lena at August 26, 2004 10:15 AM
And check out this raging homophobe who's singing at the RNC next week:
http://snipurl.com/8omb
Amy, I think you could have a field day analyzing this guy in a column.... An awful lot of talk about "thrusting homosexuality" for someone who has "cured" himself of being gay.
Frank at August 26, 2004 3:26 PM
Thank you, Amy, for the welcoming words. Love reading your lines! Now for my grain of salt: Europeans have learned the hard way that when religious fundamentalists hold the reins of government, citizens and the country pay a bloody price. Up to a very recent past, wars of religion, the most cruel of all, took their toll in Europe. Countries of the European Union must be secular. The French dÈputÈ who, a couple of years ago, came to the AssemblÈe with a bible because, on religious grounds, she wanted to have the abortion law overturned and was also opposing the creation of the PACS (Pacte Civil de SolidaritÈ) almost lost her seat because religion was the "raison díÍtre" for her stand on both issues. Let's wait and see how the new minorities in Europe are going to want to interpret the meaning of freedom of religion and speech.
I tend to agree, but with a twist, with David RE Cheney "toeing the party line... not alienating the base." Mr. Cheney, who must have known for a long time that his daughter was not going to marry a man, is letting the secret out now (or was I the only one not to know?). I really do not see why HE has to broadcast to America and the World that SHE, his adult daughter, is gay. Why a public confession on HIS part? It may be an embarrassment to him but it's HER life and none of our business. This "news alert" a few days before the beginning of the RNC sounds like, maybe, just maybe, sad dad is not going to stay on the ticket. Added to the insignificant problems America faces, this important news could tip the scale.
Frania W. at August 27, 2004 6:12 PM
"Mr. Cheney [...] is letting the secret out now (or was I the only one not to know?)."
The secret was out in 2000, when his daughter's sexual orientation was dangled as bait for the gay vote. Right now he seems to be making a lame attempt to win back the gay community, after Bush and others fought so hard to have us marked as second-class citizens through the FMA. Kerry isn't the only flip-flopper in the race.
Lena at August 27, 2004 9:03 PM
So I was the only one not to know. That shows where my priorities lie.
Frania W. at August 28, 2004 10:23 AM