Uh, Juan? Rick Warren wasn’t interested in “disagreeing without being disagreeable” until he got his way on marriage equality—that is, until same-sex couples in California were stripped of their right to wed and the marriages of more than 18,000 same-sex couples were nullified. Warren couldn’t “agree to disagree” on same-sex marriage when it was legal; he couldn’t refuse to perform same-sex marriages himself while tolerating the rights of other Californians to avail themselves of the rights and responsibilities of marriage. Only now that same-sex marriage has been banned—only now that Warren got his way—does he suddenly want everyone to make nice.
See how that works?
Rick Warren importuning people to “disagree without being disagreeable” now is like a bully saying “violence is never the answer!” right after he’s bloodied some other kid’s nose. Listening to people give the bully credit for having his heart in the right place isn’t much comfort for the kid with the blood running down his face. And I predict that Rick Warren—and the Mormon Church and the Catholic Chuch—will go right back to being very disagreeable after Prop 8 is repealed and same-sex couples are once again marrying in the state of California. You can bet on it.
“do deeply closeted gay male celebrities not come out of the closet because if they did, the ‘movement’ would expect them to become activists, even if they don’t give two shits about equality? hmm?”
and i don’t mean sean hayes or ricky martin, but george clooney, leonardo di caprio and keanu reeves.
I can’t say with any absolute certainty what motivates deeply closeted gay male celebs to remain in the closet — as I’m not one myself, and don’t know any. But I don’t think it’s an expectation that they will have to become super activists if they come out. While not on Clooney or Reeves level, gays haven’t heaped expectations on Neil Patrick Harris since he came out.
But I expect the reason most hugely famous closeted stars — most of whom became hugely famous in a flash, with one big hit movie — keep their sexuality hidden for financial reasons primarily. You’re not going to pull in $20 million per movie if no one will cast you in leading roles in action movies and romantic movies. A Cruise or a Leonardo di Caprio aren’t just actors; they’re stars, which means they have to be “the kind of men women want to have and other men want to be.” Straight audiences won’t accept an openly gay guy in that kind of a role — women don’t “want” gay men (‘cept as friends), and straight men don’t want to be gay men.
It’s money, I think, not the expectations of the “movement.” And I don’t think more big stars would come out if the “movement” didn’t demand so much of them. Most rank-and-file gays and lesbians ignore the “movement,” and the stars could too.
WAIT JUST A MINUTE!!
Wait, wait, wait . . .
Clooney, Reeves, and Di Caprio are gay? I’m serious with this question. I’ve never, ever heard this…
kate winslet calls dicaprio ‘my best friend’. ’nuff said. clooney owns a villa on lake como which is something no straight american dude does. and keanu? do ya have to ASK? i forgot matthew mcconaughey. impossibly beautiful girlfriend? gay gay GAY!
thank you, dan, you are astute and articulate as always.
I don’t think I could subvert who I am and the fight for justice to money. No amount of money is worth that. But I do remember people subverting who they were and what they believed while the Nazis murdered their way across Europe.
Dan,
Straight women do “want” gay men. It’s just he whole . . you know . . he’s going to laugh at me thing.