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Friday, August 12, 2011

We're Not Going to Take It Anymore

Posted by on Fri, Aug 12, 2011 at 4:55 PM

A crowd waited at the Iowa State Fair for 90 minutes to hear Michele Bachmann speak. She showed up, spoke for all of three minutes, and then quickly left—pissing off supporters who wanted an autograph—after a 17-year-old gay rights activist confronted Michele and Marcus for their anti-gay bigotry. The Des Moine Register:

She said she was going to shake hands but left the makeshift stage quickly when 17-year-old civil rights advocate Gabe Aderhold of Edina, Minn., loudly questioned her husband Marcus about his counseling techniques to “pray the gay away.”

Earlier in the day Gabe let Tim Pawlenty have it too. Right fucking on, Gabe. One day soon these bigoted Republican pols are going to realize that we're not their punching bags anymore. They're ours. Via Towleroad.

 

Comments (29) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment
bigg 1
I applaud that young man for his bravery. More of us should follow his example.
Posted by bigg http://biggblah.blogspot.com/ on August 12, 2011 at 5:02 PM
Zebes 2
In before trolls start complaining that the punching bag comment is an endorsement of violence against poor oppressed Christians and conservatives.
Posted by Zebes http://www.badrap.org/rescue/index.html on August 12, 2011 at 5:02 PM
gloomy gus 3
"They're ours." So, so good.
Posted by gloomy gus on August 12, 2011 at 5:04 PM
Mark in Colorado 4
So many young gays have so much more courage than earlier generations. It really is breathtaking.
Posted by Mark in Colorado on August 12, 2011 at 5:26 PM
pissy mcslogbot 5
I applaud Gabe, but truth be told, the Bachmann duo seriously brought their A game diva mode to Des Moines showing up almost 40 minutes late, giving a three minute pep rally devoid of anything, then making a quick and hasty escape to a pre-positioned golf cart only to be whisked out of the gates of the Iowa State Fair(even skipping the obligatory Iowa Pork Producers BBQ grill station, a total diss)...

kinda hard to beat that ;)
Posted by pissy mcslogbot on August 12, 2011 at 5:33 PM
6
Fucking awesome. Gabe Aderhold is my new hero.
Posted by fallen angel on August 12, 2011 at 5:42 PM
7
Hot damn. Back in the early 1970s, when Faygele ben Miriam, Chris Billey, Patrick Haggerty, Chuck Strago, Rae Larson, Tom Weaver, Shan Ottey, Fran Patrick, and all the rest of us rabble rousers from the Malden Avenue house and the Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities were staffing the barricades in the battle for equal rights it never occurred to me that way down the road youngsters easily young enough to be our grandchildren would be following in our footsteps, standing up to bigotry and hatred.

Gabe Aderhold, you and your fellow activists are my new heroes. Keep up the good work!
Posted by PaulBarwick on August 12, 2011 at 6:13 PM
8
Good job, Gabe! Having to confront individual voters like you, in a non-stage-managed fashion, is one of the very few advantages of our nominating process, which so over-emphasizes ground-level, retail politicking in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Posted by Functional Atheist on August 12, 2011 at 6:18 PM
easternstar 9
I wish I could have had Gabe's courage when I was his age. Way to go!
Posted by easternstar on August 12, 2011 at 6:18 PM
10
It looks as if he totally stole the media spotlight too.
Look how notepads and recorders swooped in on him and he just started talking to them.
Stay on message Gabe.
Posted by jnonymous on August 12, 2011 at 6:23 PM
pissy mcslogbot 11
From the Des Moines Register:

"Aderhold, 17, is gay and said part of his reasons for speaking publicly is to bring awareness to gay issues after the death of a family friend – a 15-year-old gay boy who lived in Bachmann’s district and who committed suicide in 2009 after being bullied.

“It is her responsibility to address social issues in her area, and there have been six suicides in the last year from being bullied in her district,” Aderhold said to The Des Moines Register prior to heckling Michele Bachmann today at the Iowa State Fair.

His interview with The Register was interrupted by Caleb Humphrey, an Eldora resident and Army veteran of the Iraq war who disapproved of his actions.

“Here, I’ll tell you this,” Humphrey said to Aderhold. “You’re not going to have too much fun being gay when you ain’t got no money.”...

huh? having no money means no gay fun?
okay then...love this part


..."Bachmann, who said she was going to shake hands with people in the audience, quickly left the area."

ha-ha!
Posted by pissy mcslogbot on August 12, 2011 at 6:59 PM
12
Everyone deserves to be respected for who they are.
Michele and Marcus deserve to be respected for who they are.

Are they really your punching bags, Danny?

That isn't very nice......
Posted by one for all and all for one on August 12, 2011 at 8:29 PM
Posted by pissy mcslogbot on August 12, 2011 at 8:36 PM
14
A hometown hero for me! Yay Gabe!
Posted by KlooKloo on August 12, 2011 at 8:39 PM
Amnt 15
@13 - Don't worry, Marcus got his chance:

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/08/1…
Posted by Amnt on August 12, 2011 at 9:46 PM
venomlash 16
@12: We're disrespecting them not for who they are, but for the bullshit they're trying to impose on others.
And thus are the clairvoyant powers of Zebes proven.
Posted by venomlash on August 12, 2011 at 9:53 PM
the idiot formerly known as kk 17
God bless you, Gabe Aderhold.
Posted by the idiot formerly known as kk on August 12, 2011 at 10:21 PM
Clever_Innuendo 18
How does he not collapse from the weight of his massive brass balls? :P
Posted by Clever_Innuendo http://www.facebook.com/clever.innuendo on August 12, 2011 at 10:22 PM
19
You idiots. As a gay man, it far more important to get Barack Obama out of the White House than gay marriage. And if you ask why, that only means you lemmings about to be led off a cliff. Same sex marriage is a given across America. It will happen. My partner and I want it to happen. But first things first. Get real.
Posted by There is a lot more at stake fellas on August 12, 2011 at 10:27 PM
venomlash 20
@19:
>2011
>still taking political advancements for granted
Posted by venomlash on August 12, 2011 at 11:08 PM
21
@And who are you going to put into the White House instead of him? O enlighten us.
Posted by sadini on August 12, 2011 at 11:36 PM
22
Thank you, Gabe!!!!
Posted by JayJonson on August 13, 2011 at 6:56 AM
23
that was unbelievably awesome.
Posted by ng53 on August 13, 2011 at 8:52 AM
Catalina Vel-DuRay 24
If 19 is a gay man, I've got a wife and kids back in Omaha.
Posted by Catalina Vel-DuRay http://www.danlangdon.com on August 13, 2011 at 9:22 AM
Jason Eckelman 25
@21. Right? Is Mitt Romney going to continue to not defend DOMA in court? Is he going to follow through on the end of DADT? It's just nonsensical that anyone can say with a straight face that gays would be better off under Repub administrations. It's all about money for the log cabin types; they don't want to pay taxes, period. Everything else can be rationalized away. It's pathological
Posted by Jason Eckelman on August 13, 2011 at 10:07 AM
26
Absolutely classic photo of Michelle...

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/files/…
Posted by Get Real on August 13, 2011 at 10:28 AM
i'm pro-science and i vote 27
RE: "One day soon these bigoted Republican pols are going to realize that we're not their punching bags anymore. They're ours."

That's the spirit!

From what I'm reading Bachmann was intimidated away very easily by a brave teenager. Yet she's running to be commander in chief of the USA
Posted by i'm pro-science and i vote http://www.prettyopenended.com on August 13, 2011 at 12:02 PM
28
@25 Every one, not just gays, would be doing a hell of a lot better if we got both Republican Light and Republican Classic out of our government and put someone actually liberal in charge.
Posted by redwulf25_ci on August 13, 2011 at 2:25 PM
29
you go Gabe....tell these assholes the way it is....my only regret ...not being there with you....!
Posted by asteroid on August 14, 2011 at 12:30 PM

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