I wanted to post this under Progressive Pride, but I can't figure out how to do that. So, anyway, there is a film that was just released on May 8th called "Outrage." Click the following link to view the trailer, http://www.outragethemovie.com/.
I first heard about it on the radio, and what I heard at first were people crying about their rights to privacy being violated by members of the media "outing" gay politicians who choose to stay in the closet.
At first I thought this was inappropriate. I don't think its right for anyone to "out" someone else before they have done it themselves. However, after seeing the trailer, I am wondering if these people deserve to be "outed" because of the hypocritical way in which they have represented the people while serving in public office.
So I thought I would ask gay members of the ProU community what they think about it. What should hold precedence, exposing hypocrisy, or respecting people's right to privacy, especially in regards to sexuality?
First of all, public figures don't really have the same right to privacy that normal citizens enjoy.
I fully support the outing closeted public figures who legislate against the basic civil rights of gay people. Why? Because I think that it is important that people like this gain the perspective of finding themselves on the receiving end of the discriminatory attitudes and laws which they promote. Every time one of these politicians, for example, vote against a bill that would protect LGBT citizens from discriminatory firing, it seems both fitting and appropriate to see that politician placed in the position of having to fight for his job when the rabid homophobes find out. I put the whole experience into the "you made your bed and now you get to lie in it" category.
TTFN,
Blackout
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A question of love.
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Check out Progressive PRIDE, a Gay-Straight Alliance for the Progressive U community.
especially, "it seems both fitting and appropriate to see that politician placed in the position of having to for his job when the rabid homophobes find out."
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"I fully support the outing closeted public figures who legislate against the basic civil rights of gay people."
Would you also support outing closeted politicians that are supportive of gay rights?
No politician deserves protection from the facts, but is it any of our business how they enjoy themselves in the bedroom as long as no laws are broken? For example should reporters and interviewers be encouraged to press this type question during campaigns, or would it be seen as an anti-GLBT line of questioning? Or another way of asking would be: is a witch hunt acceptable vs your allies as well as your opponents?
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends upon the unreasonable man."
- George Bernard Shaw
Would you also support outing closeted politicians that are supportive of gay rights?
Not really. If a politician isn't hurting my community, I am content to let him (or her) take his own sweet time about coming out, or not, as he wishes. Of course, this is NOT to say that a supportive politician in the closet has any more of a right to keep his private life a secret. The same rules for being a public figure apply, regardless of his stance on the issues. But I am personally not motivated to go after people who aren't going after me.
As for witch hunting my allies, have you ever watched the feeding frenzy that almost invariably happens when a closeted gay candidate is outed during a political campaign? Heck, even most openly gay candidates are regularly faced with opposition that can only be described as virulently anti-gay. As for pressing the issue during campaigns, the public figure rule applies here as well. When you run for public office, NOTHING is off the table. If someone isn't prepared to deal with reporters asking about the most personal and embarrassing aspects of one's private life, then they probably shouldn't be running for office in the first place.
TTFN,
Blackout
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A question of love.
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Check out Progressive PRIDE, a Gay-Straight Alliance for the Progressive U community.
"If a politician isn't hurting my community, I am content to let him (or her) take his own sweet time about coming out, or not, as he wishes. Of course, this is NOT to say that a supportive politician in the closet has any more of a right to keep his private life a secret."
I asked because it seemed that by promoting the use of this tactic FOR your cause you were tacitly sanctioning it when it is used AGAINST GLBT people. Not that you could stop its use in either case. I was just surprised at your position.
"There is but one indefectibly certain truth, and that is the truth that pyrrhonistic scepticism itself leaves standing, — the truth that the present phenomenon of consciousness exists."
- William James
what some of the claims in the movie are?
But the wiki says this...
TTFN,
Blackout
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A question of love.
---
Check out Progressive PRIDE, a Gay-Straight Alliance for the Progressive U community.
[quote=blackout]But the wiki says this...
I have heard rumors about Crist before actually. He is an interesting one. I have to admit, I can't put a story to any of the other names you mentioned.
I don't want to take anything away from Frank or Baldwin, however, why exactly is McGreevy interviewed? He was not an "openly gay politician," he was a closeted gay politician who admitted to having an affair as his political career was ending. His affair put citizens of New Jersey at risk, put his political party at risk, and put his family through trauma they did not need to go through. I do not wish to pass judgment on the man, we've all done things which are not to be proud of, and I do not know the full story. However, from what the public does know, it is troublesome when he passes himself off in interviews as some kind of crusader. He wasn't. If he had never been forced to reveal his affair, he'd probably still be carrying on as is, and it would be him up for reelection this season, not Corzine.
we can't know until we watch it, but your post points to exactly how much damage is done when people are not honest, especially our government officials.
"O, I'm sorry you took that, -I meant that for the Devil, and you have stepped in and taken the blow. Don't get between me and the Devil, brother, and the you won't get hurt." --Billy Hibbard
"Florida governor Charlie Crist"
Has declared that he is running for the US Senate seat soon to be vacated by Mel Martinez.
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends upon the unreasonable man."
- George Bernard Shaw
but I do think the trailer, which I provided a link to in the original post, pretty much makes clear what the film's agenda is. How well it actually does what it claims is yet to be determined upon viewing the film, for myself anyway, but I am sure it will be a good juicy gossip story, much better than anything on E! or MTV :) Too bad most people won't even hear or read about it :(.
Thanks to blackout there are some interesting names to investigate for anyone who is curious and doesn't want to see the film.
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