... FYI ... Looks like there is a new Log-Cabin Republican:

http://www.nytimes.c...mehlman.html?hp

Yes this is a man who oversaw the explicitly anti-gay policies of the Bush regime. There is a long history of closet cases working for/as the oppressor. That said, this is bigger news that it first appears. Another subtle step toward the goal of marriage equality in the US. The more people from a right wing ideological background supporting us, the better. Work from the inside, the same as the recent historical court victory in California, it involved right wing conservative people coming to the conclusion gay people are protected for equal treatment under the constitution.

Times do change.

Times do change.

Not fast enough. In any event, I welcome Mehlman's work for equal rights, late is better than never, but personally I will always consider him a Grade A sleazeball for working to oppress gay people under Bush. Even Dick Cheney who is clearly a war criminal, would not support Bush's hate the gays rhetoric and policies because he did not believe in them.

Edited August 27, 201015 yr by Jingthing

... of course Mr. Cheney's daughter mary might have something to do with it:

http://en.wikipedia....iki/Mary_Cheney

... just indicating what might have influenced Mr. Cheney's attitude.

Edited August 27, 201015 yr by jazzbo

... of course Mr. Cheney's daughter mary might have something to do with it:

http://en.wikipedia....iki/Mary_Cheney

Of course. So what. There is no excuse for what Mehlman did whether he knew he was gay then or not.

BTW, to those who don't know US politics, calling Mehlman merely a Bush "aide" is very misleading. As former chairman of the Republican National Committee, he is now the most powerful republican party member to EVER come out of the closet.

Edited August 27, 201015 yr by Jingthing

Here's a link that backs up my theory that the Mehlman affair is potentially a MUCH BIGGER DEAL in the gay civil rights struggle than it superficially appears --

http://www.slate.com/id/2265175/

This is a big deal. Mehlman managed President Bush's re-election campaign in 2004 and chaired the Republican National Committee from 2005 to 2007. Many influential Republicans have worked with him and respect him. He makes it harder for them to think of homosexuality as a behavior. They now know somebody who is gay. Or, as Donald Rumsfeld might have put it, they now know that they know somebody who is gay.

Edited August 27, 201015 yr by Jingthing

Here's a link that backs up my theory that the Mehlman affair is potentially a MUCH BIGGER DEAL in the gay civil rights struggle than it superficially appears --

http://www.slate.com/id/2265175/

This is a big deal. Mehlman managed President Bush's re-election campaign in 2004 and chaired the Republican National Committee from 2005 to 2007. Many influential Republicans have worked with him and respect him. He makes it harder for them to think of homosexuality as a behavior. They now know somebody who is gay. Or, as Donald Rumsfeld might have put it, they now know that they know somebody who is gay.

Quite interesting. Of course, over in Europe, a number of city mayors are openly gay. Germany's Minister of Foreign Affairs brings his boyfriend (husband?) to the official meetings. The PM of Iceland is openly lesbian. It was time that the coming-out spilled over to the US.

It may be a rumour, but isn't there a gay or lesbian mayor in a major US city as well? I think it was in a conservative state. Texas?

Yes the mayor of Houston Texas is a lesbian.

The difference here is someone who was powerful from the right wing explicitly ANTI-GAY republican party. Elected officials from the more liberal democratic party is nothing new. Gay congressman Barney Frank is one of the most powerful congressmen (and a constant target for the right wing republicans) and of course a democrat. Plenty of gay republicans of course, but always closet cases until they are outed or arrested in airport toilets, and usually openly involved in oppressing gay people, as was Mehlman. Of course the first openly gay American elected official was the Martin Luther King of American gay politics, HARVEY MILK (San Francisco Supervisor), who was the victim of a political assassination in 1978. Interestingly, three of the major pioneering gay American politician/activists were also Jewish, Harvey Milk, Barney Frank, and Franklin Kameny, co-founder of the Mattachine Society who petitioned the Supreme Court in the ancient year of 1961 --

"a persecution and discrimination not one whit more warranted or justified than those against . . . other minority groups."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/29/AR2006092901249.html

Edited August 28, 201015 yr by Jingthing

Times do change.

If the former chairman can come out as gay, what next? Mehlman's obviously going to get a book deal and that tome will be on every nightstand of the reportedly huge number of GOP congressional staff who are closeted. If Mehlman becomes a "leader" once again, perhaps the GOP is better off burying its homophobia before the deluge of self-outed "Republicans on a personal journey."

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:9a4BXkv27l0J:crooksandliars.com/bluegal/declining-ken-mehlmans-coming-out-party+mehlman+bashing+muslims&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk

Apparently he's turning his attention to Muslim bashing now. Unfortunately Americans, especially the right-winged variety, have to have someone to hate. Republicans particularly need to divert attention from their failed economic policies and lack of coherent leadership. If you can't attract people with fresh ideas, get their attention by blaming someone else for the problems you created and are unable to solve.

I think Islamophobia is out of range of the topic of this thread but thank you ever so much for sharing. Melhman claims he is now going to work for gay equal marriage rights. The issue in this thread is will that help much and do we want the help of a former rat fink like him.

To clarify my point, Mehlman is not in power anymore in the R party, he USED to be in power. He will most definitely NOT be in charge or involved with using wedge issues such as opposing building of mosques for the R party. He has volunteered to help with the gay equality cause and that may be powerful because a lot of the R people still respect him (I don't). I am sorry, if people want to veer off topic to talk about Muslim issues, be my guest, but it is still obvious that has nothing to do with the topic or the gay forum. I get your point that the R party does use wedge issues to whip up support. I think for the time being they will continue to use the gay issue to gather votes in the districts it works for them. Mehlman coming out is a step, but not the end of this show.

Edited August 29, 201015 yr by Jingthing

Yes the mayor of Houston Texas is a lesbian.

The difference here is someone who was powerful from the right wing explicitly ANTI-GAY republican party. Elected officials from the more liberal democratic party is nothing new. Gay congressman Barney Frank is one of the most powerful congressmen (and a constant target for the right wing republicans) and of course a democrat. Plenty of gay republicans of course, but always closet cases until they are outed or arrested in airport toilets, and usually openly involved in oppressing gay people, as was Mehlman. Of course the first openly gay American elected official was the Martin Luther King of American gay politics, HARVEY MILK (San Francisco Supervisor), who was the victim of a political assassination in 1978. Interestingly, three of the major pioneering gay American politician/activists were also Jewish, Harvey Milk, Barney Frank, and Franklin Kameny, co-founder of the Mattachine Society who petitioned the Supreme Court in the ancient year of 1961 --

"a persecution and discrimination not one whit more warranted or justified than those against . . . other minority groups."

http://www.washingto...6092901249.html

OK, I missed your point. I am not very familiar with daily politics in the US, and I hadn't heard any of the names (except for Harvey Milk) before.

"... he is now the most powerful republican party member to EVER come out of the closet." --Jingthing

Yes, most of the Republicans were led out of the closet in handcuffs!