The jokey/assholey post I wrote yesterday about Randy Boehning, the anti-queer North Dakota state legislator outed by a guy he was trying to pick up on Grindr, is being slammed as biphobic. But the jokes and assholery were directed at Boehning—his actions, his excuses, his hilarious Grindr handle (TopMan! With an exclamation point!)—not at bisexuals or bisexuality. I noted in the post that Boehning was being tagged with gay label all over the Internet despite the fact that he said he’s also attracted to women. Into men and women? That’s a bi guy, right? Like Simon said: Bisexuals have as much right to representation in this great nation’s moronic sex scandals as everybody else. But according to Twitter/Tumblr logic correctly describing someone as bisexual is… biphobic?
“You know what will really help end biphobia? MORE BIPHOBIA!” ~Dan Savage
— R’ Emily Aviva Kapor (@EmilyAviva) April 29, 2015
@EmilyAviva oh god whats he doing now
— MC ☭ (@theOFFICIALmilf) April 29, 2015
@theOFFICIALmilf http://t.co/mNEvdXPNkc
— R’ Emily Aviva Kapor (@EmilyAviva) April 29, 2015
Showing a little respect for Randy Boehning sexual identity—while at the same time making fun of his stupidity and cowardice—and correctly labeling him bi = biphobia. Or is it just that anything I say about bisexuality is biphobic because I said it?
Anyway…
Towleroad got it right this morning…
Boehning, who said after being outed that he is bisexual, voted against a recent North Dakota bill that would have banned discrimination based on sexual orientation.
…but TPM got it wrong:
North Dakota state Rep. Randy Boehning (R) said he was outed as being gay after he voted against a gay rights bill, the Forum newspaper in Fargo, N.D. reported on Monday.