Mary Cheney

Right wingers around the country (including Minnesota Democrat Exposer are all atwitter about John Kerry mentioning Mary Cheney in the last debate. It's depressing to see such hatred and bigotry rear its ugly head, but when it comes to the modern Republican Party, it's hardly unusual.

Dick Cheney is a greedy, contemtible ass, but I really don't doubt that he loves his family, including Mary. I also think that he personally has no problem with homosexuality, considering that his daughter is one. There haven't been any reports of huge blowups between Mary and her parents since her sexuality was made known to them, and for this I commend them.

But it is still disgusting that in order to attract the votes of fundamentalist Christians (read: hateful dumbasses) who think that faggots are evil and trying to recruit their children, Dick Cheney (and even George Bush, whom I also think is not the terribly bigoted type when it comes to gays) are going to pretend talking about homosexuality is wrong. Not only is Mary Cheney a lesbian, but it is her job to be a lesbian: she has worked with GLBT community outreach for Coors Brewery and also for Republicans. Pointing out that Republicans can be loving and accepting of homosexual family members should hardly be scandalous, except that in this case it is the Republican Party line that homosexuals need to be second-class citizens.

In one way, it makes me sad to see that when Kerry says that Mary Cheney can be a Republican, lesbian, and a fine person all at the same time, it is considered to be a stunt. But then it make me angry. Homophobic Republicans are the main reason why homosexual teenagers commit suicide at rates far higher than heterosexual teens. When Lynne Cheney implies that it is wrong to be open and acknowledge her daughter's sexuality, she literally has blood on her hands.

It must be horrible to be both homosexual and part of the fundamentalist community, but there is no reason to believe that the incidence of (unchosen!) homosexuality is any less there than anywhere else. The psychological torture that is being told that homosexuals will be sent to eternal damnation while keeping a secret and knowing that no matter how hard a person wants to stop "sinful" activity, that's who they are....well, it's not pretty. I'm reminded of when I saw some committee testimony earlier this year in the state legislature over the gay marriage amendment: one person testified that he had been "cured" of homosexuality and was now married to a woman. It was clear, however, that he was not cured by any means; his nervousness and neuroticisms showed that he was living a lie, and I thought that it was such a huge damn waste for somebody to be forced to live a lie in order to not be "sinful." How much happier would he be if only he could be who he was born to be, knowing that society accepted him like everybody else?

I'm very glad I was never taught to hate those who are different. Homophobia literally makes no sense to me whatsoever. Who gives a damn whom somebody loves? I make my choices, you make yours, and we'll all be happy. But no. In order to gain power, there are still Republicans like the Cheneys and Bushes who will gladly pander to hatred and bigotry. They will do so even though they know that if their supporters, the fundies, were in power, it would probably have been Mary Cheney that had committed suicide as a teen because she was "different" and "evil." That, in my book, makes them complete and utter bastards.