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You are here: Home / Civil Rights / LGBTQ Rights / Gay Rights are Human Rights / Wedge Issue

Wedge Issue

by $8 blue check mistermix|  January 25, 20149:15 am| 56 Comments

This post is in: Gay Rights are Human Rights

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dems

Here are all the openly lesbian, gay or bi-sexual members of Congress who are Democrats, and here are five of their stories. Here are the Republicans:

Are you fucking kidding me?

According to the Post, ten years after Karl Rove won an election using teh ghey to separate real America from the bi-coastal elites, Democrats are going to be making support of gay marriage an issue this Fall. As we get closer to the election, I’m sure the Post’s columnists will tell us why candidates should be Swiftboated over gay marriage, forced to have Sister Souljah moments to put the gays in their place, or reach across the aisle to deny gays their civil rights, just like Tip and Ronnie did back when it was Morning in America. But for now, the news section is reporting the truth: hating gays is political poison.

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Reader Interactions

56Comments

  1. 1.

    Baud

    January 25, 2014 at 9:17 am

    That photo would be totally more awesome if they were all holding guns.

  2. 2.

    Gin & Tonic

    January 25, 2014 at 9:19 am

    @Baud: Like that Christmas card?

  3. 3.

    Baud

    January 25, 2014 at 9:20 am

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Eggzackly.

  4. 4.

    MattF

    January 25, 2014 at 9:23 am

    And bear in mind that the difference will be at the margin. Watch it happening in Virginia.

  5. 5.

    c u n d gulag

    January 25, 2014 at 9:27 am

    Conservative POV:
    But…
    But…
    But…
    BUTT!!!
    Tab A with tab A.
    Slot B with slut B.
    Slot B – sorry!
    IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK!!!!
    EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!
    Sounds like a nightmare from IKEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ‘Please proceed, GOP… Please, please, proceed…”

  6. 6.

    Omnes Omnibus

    January 25, 2014 at 9:29 am

    Two of those folks are mine: Pocan and Baldwin.

  7. 7.

    geg6

    January 25, 2014 at 9:30 am

    That photo warms the cockles of my cold and cynical heart.

    Oh, and what Baud said.

  8. 8.

    Davis X. Machina

    January 25, 2014 at 9:32 am

    It will not work all the time, and it won’t work everywhere, but gay-baiting will still work enough of the time that it won’t disappear from campaigns. Not completely, not in our lifetimes.

    Like abortion, and guns, and a couple of other right-wing hot buttons, the minority who cast ballots based on it are super-motivated. And in politics, motivated and engaged minorities roll apathetic or detached majorities all the time.

    “Just win, baby” and not E pluribus unum, should be the motto on all of our coinage.

  9. 9.

    dmsilev

    January 25, 2014 at 9:36 am

    Key bit from that story:

    Seventeen states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriages, up from nine states a year ago.

    Things are changing fast.

  10. 10.

    Wag

    January 25, 2014 at 9:36 am

    The GOP has, in the past, had a handful of gay member who have won reelection after coming out (Rep. Jim Kolbe from AZ comes to mind), but he was effectively chased out by the Rovians.

  11. 11.

    Tommy

    January 25, 2014 at 9:37 am

    @Omnes Omnibus: That is awesome. Not sure you could win an election in my “Blue Dog” district if you were openly gay. But maybe a few years from now not sure I would say that cause in just a handful of years I’ve seen a sea change in views. I am a straight guy and I can only assume if you are gay it wouldn’t seem like it happened that fast, but it sure did IMHO.

  12. 12.

    NotMax

    January 25, 2014 at 9:43 am

    No big fan of Cory Booker am I, but do think his response when asked if he was gay signaled a welcome sea change in politics generally and cleverly acknowledged which way the winds of the majority are blowing.

  13. 13.

    Tommy

    January 25, 2014 at 9:43 am

    @dmsilev: Yes they are. My state passed same sex marriage and it will be the law on June 1, 2014. The sky didn’t fall when it was passed. Dogs where not sleeping with cats. It just happened and life went on ….

  14. 14.

    Randy P

    January 25, 2014 at 9:45 am

    @Davis X. Machina:

    gay-baiting will still work enough of the time that it won’t disappear from campaigns. Not completely, not in our lifetimes.

    Heck, judging by the NewsMax headline feed, “communism” (today) and “Hanoi Jane” (a few days ago) are still front and center in some of their psyche’s. These people age SLOOWLY. And I guess pass some of their grudges down to the next generation, even if the next generation has no idea who “Hanoi Jane” is and what they’re supposed to hate her for.

  15. 15.

    Baud

    January 25, 2014 at 9:47 am

    @Davis X. Machina:

    I’ll be interested in seeing how the 2016 GOP presidential nominee handles this issue. My guess is that he’ll try to ignore it as much as possible, with aid from the our liberal media. But will the religious base be good soldiers and allow that?

  16. 16.

    dmsilev

    January 25, 2014 at 9:48 am

    @Tommy: I’m also in Illinois (up in Chicago), and it’ll be interesting to see what the GOP does. They’ve already forced out one state party chair for the heresy of not opposing gay marriage tooth and nail.

  17. 17.

    Cacti

    January 25, 2014 at 9:54 am

    @Baud:

    I’ll be interested in seeing how the 2016 GOP presidential nominee handles this issue. My guess is that he’ll try to ignore it as much as possible, with aid from the our liberal media. But will the religious base be good soldiers and allow that?

    I think 2016 could be the election where the Tea Party runs as a third party, depending on the GOP nominee. They felt like both of the last two GOP candidates were RINOs who were forced on them. I think they revolt if they don’t get a true believer this time, especially if the establishment pick looks like he’s going to get walloped in the general election.

  18. 18.

    Tommy

    January 25, 2014 at 9:55 am

    @Baud: IMHO they will step around it. Say they care about all Americans but then not touch same sex marriage with a ten foot pole. I think the “core” of the Republican party will take years and years to come around. Also the same with the most red of red states.

    But then, or I hope somebody will found some company while at say Tulane. Could employee thousands. That person says they are leaving Louisiana cause he/she can’t marry their partner. As people feel safer about coming out about their sexuality I think this will start to happen. If a state starts to lose productive members that are a part of the GLBT community cause of their hatred to them, things might change.

  19. 19.

    tjmn

    January 25, 2014 at 9:56 am

    @Baud: Why hasn’t Cole asked you to be an FP? You and Betty are so humorous.

  20. 20.

    Omnes Omnibus

    January 25, 2014 at 9:58 am

    @Cacti: I think it is more likely that the lunatics will get their candidate in 2016. I doubt it will go well for them, but, immediately afterward, they will claim that their chosen standard bearer was a RINO.

  21. 21.

    Tommy

    January 25, 2014 at 10:02 am

    @dmsilev: I saw him on Up on MSNBC months ago, right after it happened. He seemed like the most sane person in the world at the time. I come from a family of Republicans, but mostly speaking kind of not to the far right. They are not against an African American being POTUS. And recently, seem much more open to gay people. Maybe 20 years ago not so much. I had to tell my parents the “n” word was not acceptable. Or calling somebody the “f” word, same. As others have said times are a changing.

  22. 22.

    OldBean

    January 25, 2014 at 10:03 am

    @Tommy:

    @dmsilev: Yes they are. My state passed same sex marriage and it will be the law on June 1, 2014. The sky didn’t fall when it was passed. Dogs where not sleeping with cats. It just happened and life went on ….

    We’re something like ten years in here in the Commonwealth of Ma and, spoiler alert, the negative consequences of gay marriage are approximately nothing. Exactly nothing, in fact.

  23. 23.

    Boudica

    January 25, 2014 at 10:03 am

    Now post a picture of all the atheists in Congress……

  24. 24.

    Omnes Omnibus

    January 25, 2014 at 10:05 am

    OT: Which Game of Thrones character are you?

    I got Tyrion and am thus pleased.

  25. 25.

    jayboat

    January 25, 2014 at 10:08 am

    @Davis X. Machina:

    “Just win, baby” and not E pluribus unum, should be the motto on all of our coinage.

    Thinking for the New Age (TM)… I’m so stealing that.

  26. 26.

    MattF

    January 25, 2014 at 10:08 am

    @Omnes Omnibus: I’d be surprised if a true loonie gets the Repub nomination. Cruz and Santorum, for example, are both despicable and are, in fact, widely despised within the party. Others are either not ready for prime time or N-time losers, where N is a large number. Not to mention that the RNC is doing its best to avoid a repeat of 2012’s traveling clown show.

    It’s fair to note that the Repubs don’t seem to have anyone who’s moderate, honest, and available… so we shall see…

  27. 27.

    Baud

    January 25, 2014 at 10:10 am

    @tjmn:

    Assuming you’re not pulling my leg, thanks! But it would be a bad idea to give me access to the banhammer.

  28. 28.

    Tommy

    January 25, 2014 at 10:11 am

    @OldBean: I wish my state was faster to the “game” but happy we did it. I can’t wait for the pics, like we saw in Utah, of people lining up to get married. I am a straight guy myself and I hope even at 44 I might get married someday. Find my soul mate. Why we would not allow the people of the same sex to enjoy this is beyond me.

  29. 29.

    OldBean

    January 25, 2014 at 10:12 am

    @Tommy:

    But then, or I hope somebody will found some company while at say Tulane. Could employee thousands. That person says they are leaving Louisiana cause he/she can’t marry their partner. As people feel safer about coming out about their sexuality I think this will start to happen. If a state starts to lose productive members that are a part of the GLBT community cause of their hatred to them, things might change.

    HA! Because the massively negative consequences of their awful, backwards ideology has been a huge motivator for change in the south so far…

  30. 30.

    MikeJ

    January 25, 2014 at 10:12 am

    @Baud:

    I’ll be interested in seeing how the 2016 GOP presidential nominee handles this issue. My guess is that he’ll try to ignore it as much as possible,

    I think the Republican establishment would be thrilled if the Supreme would just hand down a new Loving v Virginia and make marriage equality a non-issue. They will never pick up new gay votes (and money) as long as their foot soldiers talk about the issue.

    —
    Juiliett Class Submarine 2600 Magazine Kh-11 Reno Leitrim

  31. 31.

    Tommy

    January 25, 2014 at 10:15 am

    @Omnes Omnibus: I got Tyrion as well. Maybe it is just a ploy by him to promote himself!

  32. 32.

    Jay C

    January 25, 2014 at 10:16 am

    @Baud:

    My guess is that, given the normal pace of legal change in this country, marriage equality, two years hence, will probably still be an “issue” for Republicans (whose candidate, as you opine, will probably be in danger of inflicting severe ankle damage by dancing around it), but most likely, outside the reddest sections of the Bible Belt, not a serious make-or-break issue for general elections.

    Myself, I think that, eventually, it will come down to a Supreme Court decision, probably on “Full Faith and Credit” grounds. IANACL, of course, but it just seems to me that state-level non-recognition of SSM – when so many states, and the Federal government DO won’t pass Constitutional muster. But then, with this SCOTUS, who the h*ll knows….

  33. 33.

    Tommy

    January 25, 2014 at 10:18 am

    @OldBean: I said I hope. And I know it is only hope.

  34. 34.

    Schlemizel

    January 25, 2014 at 10:19 am

    @Baud:

    I expect them to handle the gay issue the same way they handle womens issues today. They will continue to say stupid, insensitive, ignorant shit and pretend its normal. The media will report it as if what they said was normal and a valid position. It will be another ‘he said-she said’ deal that clever goopers will be saying they need to move beyond but they will never quiet manage to get there as long as the party is constituted with the ‘people’ they currently are.

  35. 35.

    Baud

    January 25, 2014 at 10:24 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I got Hodor. :-(

  36. 36.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 25, 2014 at 10:25 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Turns out I’m Jon Snow.

    Which means I get that great looking babe.

    I’m happy.

  37. 37.

    Tommy

    January 25, 2014 at 10:27 am

    @Schlemizel: And you know that is where I have hope. My mom had never voted for a Democrat. She isn’t pro-choice and not really liberal in any form of the word. But she heard folks in the states around her saying bizarre things about women (IN and MO). She was like WTF. Voted for Obama. I don’t think the Republican party wants to lose a 67 year old white women. They did.

  38. 38.

    Fred

    January 25, 2014 at 10:40 am

    But they all look so normal.

  39. 39.

    NonyNony

    January 25, 2014 at 10:45 am

    @Davis X. Machina:

    It will not work all the time, and it won’t work everywhere, but gay-baiting will still work enough of the time that it won’t disappear from campaigns. Not completely, not in our lifetimes.

    Red-baiting hasn’t disappeared from campaigns, and the Soviet Union collapsed before many of of the college students I teach were conceived.

    The Vietnam War is still being used as a cultural wedge issue, even though the war was over with before most of the parents of the college students I teach were conceived. And Vietnam has had normalized trade status with the US for over a decade.

    Hell when you think about it, the fucking Civil War is still being used as a cultural wedge issue in some places. That was over and done with almost 150 years ago at this point.

    So yeah, it’ll still be used in political campaigns because people are fucking stupid and haters are easily manipulated.

  40. 40.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 25, 2014 at 10:46 am

    @Fred:

    Compare and contrast with the passengers in the GOP primary klown kar.

  41. 41.

    WaterGirl

    January 25, 2014 at 10:50 am

    @Tommy: I don’t know, I think jefferyw could provide some photos that prove that dogs really are sleeping with cats.

  42. 42.

    OldBean

    January 25, 2014 at 10:54 am

    @Tommy:

    I know, but the consequences of not allowing gay marriage are really a drop in the bucket compared to the consequences of the education, health care, environmental, etc policies that are in place in the south. I guess it’s not impossible that gay marriage is the straw that breaks the camel’s back, but realistically? They’re just going to blame these bad outcomes on the gays and the blacks and the immigrants and dig their heels in that much more.

  43. 43.

    OldBean

    January 25, 2014 at 10:54 am

    @Tommy:

    I know, but the consequences of not allowing gay marriage are really a drop in the bucket compared to the consequences of the education, health care, environmental, etc policies that are in place in the south. I guess it’s not impossible that gay marriage is the straw that breaks the camel’s back, but realistically? They’re just going to blame these bad outcomes on the gays and the blacks and the immigrants and dig their heels in that much more.

  44. 44.

    Roger Moore

    January 25, 2014 at 11:13 am

    @MikeJ:

    I think the Republican establishment would be thrilled if the Supreme would just hand down a new Loving v Virginia and make marriage equality a non-issue.

    Just the way Roe v. Wade made abortion a non-issue.

  45. 45.

    tjmn

    January 25, 2014 at 11:20 am

    @Baud: So not pulling your leg. I like your posts. Just can’t drink anything while reading them.

  46. 46.

    ruemara

    January 25, 2014 at 12:37 pm

    @Villago Delenda Est: Just don’t get married.

  47. 47.

    Kristine

    January 25, 2014 at 12:53 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: I’m Jon Snow. I’ll take it.

  48. 48.

    Jewish Steel

    January 25, 2014 at 2:21 pm

    FYWP duplicate

  49. 49.

    Jewish Steel

    January 25, 2014 at 2:21 pm

    Hey, where’s my rep, Aaron Schock?

    Oh, wait. You said “openly,” not “obvious, self-loathing, shitheel, closet case.”

    My mistake.

  50. 50.

    Kylroy

    January 25, 2014 at 2:23 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Hey, didn’t realize that you too were in the Madison area.

    So Wisconsin has both elected an idiotic Republican state legislature and governor, while supplying 1/4 of the gay members of Congress (one in a statewide election, mind). We’re really damn incoherent.

  51. 51.

    gf120581

    January 25, 2014 at 3:24 pm

    @Jewish Steel: Yeah, they meant “openly gay.” All the gay Republicans in Congress are still in the closet…for now. I’m sure they live in fear of winding up like Steve Gunderson (the WI House Rep and Gingrich crony who was outed by “B-1 Bob” Dornan on the House floor and quit Congress not long after).

    Think of Lindsey Graham, who, to borrow a quote from Family Guy, is so deep in the closet he’s finding Christmas presents.

  52. 52.

    Elizabelle

    January 25, 2014 at 4:22 pm

    I have no Gaydar.

    I just thought they were a better looking than average group of office types. They look like department VPs at some corporation.

    Not skeery. No cooties.

  53. 53.

    Elizabelle

    January 25, 2014 at 4:24 pm

    @tjmn:

    Yeah, I agree about baud’s posts. Always look forward to them.

  54. 54.

    Jewish Steel

    January 25, 2014 at 4:35 pm

    @gf120581:

    finding Christmas presents

    Ha! Pretty good.

  55. 55.

    kideni

    January 25, 2014 at 5:37 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Mine too! It goes to show how messed up our state politics has become that we have Pocan and Baldwin, and Sensenbrenner and Johnson. It also shows how well the Republicans gerrymandered the hell out of the state (in 2012 Wisconsin voters went for Democratic candidates in congressional and state legislative races by significant numbers, and yet we’re at 5 Republicans to 3 Democrats in Congress, and the state senate and assembly are 18-15 and 60-39 Republican).

  56. 56.

    GHayduke (formerly lojasmo)

    January 25, 2014 at 7:08 pm

    @Davis X. Machina:

    gay-baiting will still work enough of the time that it won’t disappear from campaigns. Not completely, not in our lifetimes

    Yes, it will.

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