"Yeah I caused his suicide, and I hope he burns in hell!!"

Thank you Dan. I think this distinction is important. When a politician makes the citizens' sexuality a political issue, he opens himself to the inspection of his own. It is perfectly just.

Here here! I couldn't agree more!

Seems to me it would be a fine political move to put more politicians on the defensive. Do the whole, “lady doth protest too much” routine. Any politician or religious leader who comes out swinging full-force against gays and gay issues, should have to face accusations that they themselves are gay. We all should imply it, preach it, yell it… “Dr. Dobson, considering how much he preaches against gays, is likely gay, watch for the coming headlines.”

Just start doing this, all of us, everyday. Anytime you hear a public figure speak against gays, just comment, “Must be the ‘Larry Craig’ syndrome” (or Haggard, Crist, Limbaugh, etc). Make this the new norm: any public figure who says gays are an abomination, probably gay. Do this everywhere, all the time, all of us.

Because considering the track records here, if they’re against gay, they probably are themselves…

Zzzzzzzzzzzz.

Awesome. A while back you wrote something along the lines of "The closet is it's own punishment." That is so true for the nobodies, but for the Larry Craig's of the world, it isn't enough.

From The Trial by Pink Floyd:

Since, my friend you have revealed
Your deepest fears

I sentence you to be
EXPOSED before your peers

Tear down the wall!!!!!

the big names don't commit suicide. however, right here in the pacific northwest, one judge did, back in the late '80s. a story in the PI was going to expose his closeted lifestyle and alleged rape of teenage boys while teaching at lakeside. this may have been before many of the strangers staffers moved here.

http://www.astonisher.com/archives/gary_…

If there's one thing I hate more than homophobia, it's hypocrisy. The world would be a better place without the Crists, Craigs, and Haggards.

Couldn't agree more.

GLBT youth commit suicide in staggering numbers. Several times the number of straight youth. This obscene suicide rate is the direct result of a social and religious climate fostered by the likes of Craig, Crist, and Haggard. How many gay youth in Haggard's church killed themselves because he told them from the pulpit it wasn't okay to be gay? How many gay youth in Florida have killed themselves in Florida because their government tells them it is not okay to be gay?

If Crist, Craig, or Haggard kills himself tomorrow, I for one would not shed a tear. I wouldn't feel the slightest bit of guilt. Good riddance.

@4, I think that would be the wrong way to go about it, by making those types of accusations it could easily be interpreted as implying that being gay is something to be ashamed of, which of course it is not.

Good Morning Dan,
I just now found out Crist is gay reading your piece. But, I also read about a year ago he was engaged to be married to a woman. How can one be assured he's gay? Is outing somebody necessarily proof? Are men who claim straight orientation but confide to you (us, anonymously to be sure) that thay have sex with men occasionally, gay? Where does one substantiate this?

Look, I think Haggard and Craig are fools and clearly fighting their inner inclinations. And, I don't expect you to have empathy for these fellows if they did themselves in (Clearly, there wasn't any empathy when Dan White took his life although he was a homophobe and not gay as far as I know). And, we most certainly don't wish it. I just think it is still extremely difficult for some men to come out even in 2009. Who are we to judge? You have great confidence, Dan. And many like you come out themselves. But, I'm not so sure that even the most tolerant societies will ever resolve the inner struggles of some men to come out publically.

Well said Dan! Stones and glass houses...

11, I agree, and to add, we don't want to come off as The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

I don't understand -- where's the evidence that Crist is gay, other than the silver-fox status, gay face, and rabid anti-gay voting record?

Is there anything else?

15 & 12: Go see Outrage. You'll be satisfied.

could not agree more.

@11. I agree with your sentiment, except that *they* DO act as if there's something wrong with being gay. So, if they're so ashamed of their own sexual desires (perhaps they once had a dream that gave them the willies, or perhaps they're more like Haggard) or whatever their issue, let them know that it's safe and okay to come out of the closet now, we'll accept them.

But if they say to the whole world there's something wrong with the gays, they're probably hiding from their own sexual issues and we should make sure the world knows it.

I absolutely agree. These men are strong advocates for the denial of human rights to others. That makes their personal practice of that which they publicly denounce fair game.

Very nicely expressed, Mr. Savage. I am moved by the force and clarity of your argument.

Well put Dan. I agree.

Ta-Nehisi's parsing is very typical. His hypothetical hand wringing is , you know, we would all feel really, really bad if one of these hypocritical cock-suckers offed himself and turned out to be - horrors - not gay!! . Craig, Crist, et al, deserve what they get, which I hope is outed.

Don't know why the Stranger didn't edit my first comment. This is the final version:
Ta-Nehisi's parsing is sickening. His hypothetical hand wringing would let these jerks off the hook, because you know, we would all feel really, really bad if one of these hypocritical cock-suckers offed himself and turned out to be - horrors - not gay!! Yeah, right. Craig, Crist, et al, deserve what they get, which I hope is outed.

@Dan: I concur with your main points. But as to your statement that "There were closeted gay men at the highest levels of the CDC at the onset of the AIDS epidemic—men appointed by Ronald Reagan—too paralyzed by fear to take action": could you provide a reference or a hint as to where to look for more info on this? It's the first time I've heard this specific accusation.

I was baffled and enraged all through the early stages of the AIDS crisis at the government's miserable failure to organize a response. Every subsequent time a medical crisis looms (SARS, avian flu, swine flu, etc.) and the government swings into action almost overnight, the scab is ripped off all over again.

It's in Outrage, Rob, and it was news to me too. It made my head explode. Go see the movie.

I agree wholeheartedly, Dan.

These men, and others like them, have lots of blood on their hands – yet they will never be held responsible for all the pain, suffering, embarrassment, self-loathing, depression, and death that they have caused and lives that they have ruined by promoting hate-driven policies.

The decision to be out is a private choice UNLESS that individual has chosen to actively work against the rights of GLBTQ individuals and their families. Once that individual decides to actively work towards repressing the rights of others, they no longer deserve the protection and anonymity that being closeted allows.

Dan, question: when you write these letters, more or less, to other media people, do you actually send them copies of what you write? I think what you do is great and this was a great post, but did you actually send it to the writer you were addressing? I sure hope so.

@24, I know what you're saying because I've been in the closet and I've used those diversionary tactics and more. For those still closeted, by the way, being pro-gay is a lot easier now than it was 25 or 30 years ago. The thing is that "keeping your mouth shut" or "acting ever-so-bored-and-neutral" CAN be anti-gay if you're, say, an upper-level closeted CDC official (as Dan describes) who fails to push forward the AIDS research, treatment, and prevention programs that are needed.

The other thing is, everyday life can also plop situations of similar moral import (if fewer worldwide consequences) in front of you without warning: the friend who comes out to YOU, the co-worker being harassed, the child caught with gay porn, etc.

Anyone who lives sufficiently long will collect many memories of acting with either cowardice or righteousness. Smashing down the closet door tends to reduce opportunities for the first and increase opportunities for the second, and sometimes people need it done for them.

the closet doesnt mean you work against gay people. it means you pretend to be straight when you are not.

Outing people who are gay who actively work against gay people is fine. Hypocrites get called out. period.
much like my friend Liz said today regarding the Prejean thing "People who live in glass houses shouldn't run around topless getting their picture taken."

This is very well written Dan. I couldn't agree with you more. When I was younger and knew I would awlays be gay, I wanted to kill myself; for 2 reasons, my families unexceptance, and the constant anti-gay remarks I heard from celebrities and politicans. I know one thing, I will never like Stephen Baldwin again, the loud mouth bigot, doesn't know anything. People are actulay saying it, but no one seems to be reporting it. They are actualy arguing that we are taking away their rights to take away our rights.

Re the Reagans who were incapable of walking a few blocks from the White House to view the Names Project AIDS quilt: Nancy's good friend and 'walker' was Jerry Zipkin, who was gay as pink ink. Not to mention all of their "closeted" H'wood friends. And let's not forget Lee Atwater, Karl Rove's Svengali and the ratfink designer of Bush 41's presidential success , who probably died of AIDS (otherwise why does he have a quilt?). Public figures do not deserve a private life if - by their own actions - they make the private lives of others fresh hell.

@ 34: You'll never like Baldwin again? Meaning, you liked him at some point? Yikes!

I guess I disliked him less when he was only a douche bag, as opposed to the christian douche bag that he is now.

Well said, Dan.

I working as a technician at USC School of Medicine and County USC as a student in the late 80s to mid 90s. We were studing the translation of the tat, rev, and nef genes on HIV 1, we had a grant from the NIH. The research we were doing was not unimportant, but it may always feel like it was too little, and way too late. The CDC reported 60,000 deaths due to AIDS during Reagan's two terms in office. Perhaps, my niece and nephews would have had the oportunity to know their grandfather, but he is one of the lost 60,000. Now, I think I'm going to go cry.

Dammit, Dan: I know you know better.

The past tense of "to lead" is "led." Not "lead." "Lead" pronounced like "led" is a metal.

I missed the memo, but how do we *know* that Charlie Crist is gay? I'm not one to mistake rumors for reality. Is this as concrete as the knowledge that David Vitter, Elliot Spitzer, and Jim Baker solicit prostitutes?

I missed the memo, but how do we *know* that Charlie Crist is gay? I'm not one to mistake rumors for reality. Is this as concrete as the knowledge that David Vitter, Elliot Spitzer, and Jim Baker solicit prostitutes?

While I understand these sentiments, I'm hesitant to cheer on the use of these peoples' sexuality as a weapon against them. You can assert their worthiness as targets (and I wouldn't argue that by any means) but perhaps we should consider not so much the message we're sending so much as the message that's going to be received. I mean, we're using outing as a means of humiliation but are people going to revile these figures because they're hypocrites or merely because they're gay? The people who would care about the hypocrisy already aren't voting for them and the people who would care about the queerdom will just prop up another closeted / hetero gaybasher, possibly a worse one.

I'm just not comfortable with outing as an act of aggression in any case, I suppose. It's not that I fear the legitimacy of the practice in general (high school, where I would assume most spiteful outing takes place, is pretty savage regardless of the national political climate) or the prospective health of these people in particular, I just don't see the use. If you're going to use such a destructive tool (and it is), it ought to be effective towards some goal, and I don't see the goal. I don't see it harming the anti-gay movement in the long run, they've got first principles that are durable in their irrationality.

@42

Humiliating the selfish hypocrite is a worthy goal, but as Dan pointed out the pain for them doesn't last long. They write a book, cook up a new scheme, rarely kill themselves, etc. etc. Their whole life has been one of denial, and usually their spouses and kids are happy to keep playing the same game (hi Mrs. Craig).

But - when you out someone like Craig or Crist or some other right-winger, it humiliates not only him but THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR HIM. The average conservative voter cares a lot more about being humiliated than a two-faced politician does, and these voters are the core of the anti-gay movement. Sure, they will mumble about how "anyone can sin" and their opinions might not change on paper, but it takes the wind out of their sails in a big way when their hero turns out to be a lying cocksucker. It calls into question their assumptions, their instincts, and their holy cause. It makes them feel like idiots. It weakens them. And strengthens us.

Someone like Crist would never kill himself for the same reason that he has never once been given pause while hypocritically spreading homophobia.

It is the thick-skinned politician part of Crist that will allow him to go on living, probably rather contentedly, no matter what is said about him, true or untrue.

All politicians have the same thick-skin. Therefore, no one should feel the slightest remorse at the outings in "Outrage."

Doing so would be like feeling sorry that those Wall Street guys gave up their bonuses this year when they had been getting paid tens of millions of dollars per year for dozens of years prior.

Well said. We will always win in the end.

@ Dan: Classic Frank rule, which is fine by me.

If you're closeted for personal reasons, fine, it's your personal business. But if you make it public business, by acting in homophobic douche baggy ways, then it will be made public, as you started it.

Excellent piece, as usual, Dan.

I'd have to say my number-one pet peeve is hypocrites, followed closely by liars and stupidity.

Craig, Crist and the likes exhibit all three.

KvP, I have to say I agree. It's been bothering me as to whether I should go & support a film that outs anyone (no matter how repugnant) because of the precedent it sets. I mean, it seems to me that people can interpret it as being ok to out anyone you disagree with and that creates an unsafe atmosphere.

Besides, I haven't been convinced that it serves its purpose. Are people who don't support gay rights going to vote for a candidate who supports gay rights because (s)he's straight when they find out that the candidate who is against gay rights is gay? Even if they get the hypocrisy thing, will they really change their votes to vote for something they don't believe in? I'm just not sure.

This scandal story is a classic case of what happens in certain public restrooms that are usually well known to solicit homosexual activity.This guy's definitely gay and definitely knew what he was doing. Would we question the circumstances of this incident if it were a normal citizen being charged? I'm sick of politicians and celebrities getting the benefit of the doubt because of their status.