Tweet
(Sorry, couldn't resist inserting this graphic! — Pam)
crossposted on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters
I was in the middle of writing something good about the Carrie Prejean situation but then I got knocked on my ass by the following:
A South Carolina politician with a lengthy antigay voting record who has denied that he is gay is lying, according to blogger Mike Rogers.
Rogers, whose work outing closeted politicians who vote antigay figures heavily into the documentary Outrage, reports that South Carolina Lieutenant Andre Bauer has reportedly flirted with several gay men, and one source has admitted to having sex with him.
Two former Bauer staffers said the Lt. Governor spent hours alone with young men in hotel rooms on at least three occasions. The staffers also said the men he spent time with were not staff members with no particular reason to spend time with him.
Bauer, who is unmarried, told The State newspaper in June that he was not gay.
“One word, two letters. 'No.' Let's go ahead and dispel that now,” he said in the interview. “Is Andre Bauer gay? That is now the story. We're a long way from where we were a week ago. We have diverted what the real topic should be here: Is the governor capable for carrying on the duties for which he was elected?”
However, openly gay South Carolina legislator Linda Kentner has been vocal about the secrecy of such gay lawmakers in her state who prefer to keep quiet… like the Lieutenant Governor.
Being an lgbt resident of South Carolina and therefore privy to certain things . . .
I ain't saying jack until things are confirmed. I'm too pretty to be sued.
Okay – just one thing but not necessarily about Bauer. Being an lgbt resident of this state, I am privy to information regarding many public figures who are in the closet. Some discussions may be just rumors, but trust me when I say that there are a lot of closeted public figures in this state. Some names will shock you.
It's a bizarre conundrum
Don't worry. My piece on Carrie Prejean's counsel will be coming soon. But being a resident of South Carolina, this was too good not to mention.
36 Comments
Bauer and Crist can form a coalitionMaybe set up weekly meetings at the Green Iguana…just a thought.
An imagined conversation…Andre Bauer: Mark! What are you wearing?! Where’s the matching outfit from the Adidas store that my assistant Chad sent over?
Mark Sanford: Uh, to be honest Andre, I didn’t feel comfortable in those clothes. This is what I wear when I run.
Andre: Ugh! Could you at least take off those tube socks? They don’t look right on a cyclist.
Mark: Well, we’re not gonna look like professional cyclists on this stupid tandem bike anyway.
Andre: Oh my GOD! Look at those yellow pit stains on that t-shirt you’ve got on. How did your wife let you leave the house with that thing on?
Mark: Pit stains? Oh, I guess it is a little yellow…
Andre: UGH! And it smells. How long have you worn that thing? My shirt is made with microfibers that prevent odors.
Mark: Can we just get this over with?
Andre: Wait a minute? I think I should ride up front.
Mark: But, I’m the governor.
Andre: The governor who is dressed like a dork in tube socks and a pit-stained t-shirt! Look at how great I look. And, I just got this cool new haircut.
Mark: Okay, okay. Jeez, you’re worse than a woman.
Andre: What is that supposed to mean?!
Mark: Nevermind.
Andre: Shhhh. Here come the photographers. SMILE!
Brilliant work Mikea queer to watch for!
Bauer, who is unmarried, told The State newspaper in June that he was not gay.Oh, please! I just checked online; the dude was born on 3/20/69! He’s 40-freaking years old, handsome, and “he hasn’t found the right girl yet”??????
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s a bizarre conundrumI think that happens a lot in those human societies that are the most fiercely homophobic. (For instance, the Vatican comes to mind immediately.)
I wouldn’t be the slightest bit surprised if things in Alabama, Idaho, and Utah were the same.
Seriously though, this is a tough callBecause at some point we as a community are going to have to make a decision. We consider ourselves mature enough to stand up and declare who we are but is that really maturity? I think for most of us it is a necessity. A real need to live a life of integrity and sanity in the face of those who would bring us neither.
I don’t think we reach the level of true maturity until we begin to understand that the images and enemies we struggle against are not so easily fought off by everyone like us. And that only our compassion and camaraderie for those who have either feared to stand with us or even gone so far as to betray us, will truly define our character as a community.
It won’t ever matter if he is gay or straight. What matters is that he shouldn’t have to stand alone if even the specter of him being gay is any kind of justification for his persecution or bullying on the political or public level. So what if he is gay? How does that justify any other response than to be respected as a human being. We should not miss the idea that an enemy or a friend should never have to endure what we fight against everyday with our lives: That no one should be discriminated against for their sexual orientation.
LOLYou are bad, Pam ;p
LOL!!(Somebody has spent a few too many hours with serious fashion queens! ;-)
The imagined dialogue is excellent!)
What you say is true. We are not yet at that place, but that is certainly the goal as far as I’m concerned.As to his being outed, since he has chosen a life in politics, and also has chosen to vote extensively in a manner that makes life for his fellow South Carolinian gay citizens more difficult, not less, I have no problem with his hypocrisy being exposed as such.
Others feel otherwise, but that is how I feel. If he was simply living quietly on his own that would be a different matter, but no politician lives such a life, and if he is gay, but chooses to vote such that others live worse lives simply on account of being homosexual, I have no problem with that aspect of his hypocrisy being exposed to publicity.
One of the best ways to clean out rot is to expose it to light.
In any case, the combination of an unfaithful governor who has made significant use of his office to conduct personal business while charging it to the state as official business, and a closeted gay lieutenant governor is going to make life difficult for the South Carolina GOP for a season, isn’t it?
Go to his MySpace pageHe has photos with friends and that one on the tandem bike with Sanford above.
This man really sets off my gaydar. He is defintely a cutie, though.
And, I know a “family” photo when I see one.
Wherefore anti-gay?I get that Bauer is conservative. I get that he’s a Christian who infuses religion into his politics.
What I haven’t been able to unearth is any concrete legislative action taken by the Lt. Governor that seeks to actively harm the LGBT community, or seeks to cement our position as a second-class citizenry.
While I’m not opposed to outing closeted lawmakers who are truly anti-gay, I’ve not seen anything to suggest that Bauer has ever done anything concrete. In the comments section on his blog, Mike Rogers said that Bauer used the phrase “traditional marriage” in a letter of support for Mike Huckabee’s Presidential campaign … which leads me to believe that that’s the extent of it.
So … are we now going to start outing closeted Democrats who are essentially neutral on gay issues? Just asking …
I have to agree with you on this oneon both the “cutie” part as well as the “family” aspect.
I don’t have a problem with the exposure of his hypocricy eitherI just don’t think we should forget that in many ways our ridicule looks an awful lot like the kind of ridicule that our worst enemies would utilize. castigating him for being a hypocrite is one thing, castigating him for being gay is a whole “nother” thing. Its one of those issues I think where a round teasing from the community is bound to happen but after that, we should remember that we just can’t choose our family. Besides the timing on this is so very obvious. He crossed the governor and is calling for his resignation and those who know all about him in the party are not about to see him rise to the position of governor–probably for the fact that he is gay. I think he knew things would come out this way which is why he volunteered not to run for the office if the governor stepped down. The man got shanghaied. Which may be what he deserves for his stupidity and betrayal but we should recognize the hatred behind what they are doing to him as well and maybe not be so quick to hop on top.
Oh Laaaady!
he’s hugging the gym teacher?he really thinks this will throw anyone off the scent? omg.
any relation to Gary?
Like another queer (cough-Crist-cough) governor is gonna make or break the RNC
honest to godBetween Bauer and the worst-kept secret in Alabama (Troy King), these southern queens would do so much for the equality movement if they just stopped playing games and came out of the closet to show that this part of the country is already being governed by FOD. The GOP could burnish its image if it would only stop the gay-bashing and encourage gay Republicans to come out and blast the fundevangelicals once and for all. Then they will have nowhere to run — except to the church, where they need to keep their views in the first place.
Wanna have some fun?
Unfortunately, there would be no way to perform this experiment without potentially harming whichever gay Dem is used, but…
Alter this paragraph slightly by replacing the references to Bauer with references to any out gay male elected official, plant the ‘story’ over at Free Republic and see how long it would take for the comments to say that this is ‘proof’ of illicit behavior and grounds for removal from office.
Sorry for suggesting this – but watching christiansts self-immolate via logic implosion is for me what watching Cops was for Bill Hicks.
OMG, That is wicked. Funny, one of the main characters in it looked like the young Patricia Charbonneau.
I’m not suggesting Mike was a party to thisBut I really smell a rat (Mark Sanford) with this “coincidently” damaging info staffers all of a sudden gave up on Bauer. It smells like when FOX outed Shepard Smith right after he criticised the lack of federal response to Katrina, in MS.
Supporting Huckabee and “traditional marriage” — something which, of course, doesn’t even exist — makes Bauer anti-gay.Reporting on the public aspects of the lives of public figures — such as if they have a family or not and what it looks like or doesn’t or if they now or ever have been married and to which gender if they have or would be — isn’t evil. Because being gay isn’t any more evil than being straight. Nor is it any more shameful or private. Who we love and the families we build are things Americans are proud of, and it speaks ill of the character of any public figure who would want to deny those he or she professes to love the most.
If, after erasing the buzzwords, your question is “Are we now going to start telling the truth about all politicians who are LGBT?”, my only reply is that I certainly hope so.
There’s nothing wrong with telling the truth. There’s nothing wrong with being gay. There’s nothing wrong with telling the truth about being gay. Anybody who disagrees is free not to become a public figure. And anyone that delicate and dishonest absolutely shouldn’t be.
Can’t find legislationI’ve seen several sites that say Bauer introduced anti-gay legislation but can’t seem to find any of them…
I did see S.C. Legislature in action with:
- Ok’ing the ownership of alligator jerky
- Senate resolutions to thank MALISSA HUMPHRIES AMBROSE for her yummy homemade loaves of bread and
GALE RIGBY KENNEDY for her yummy homemade cakes
- And their official Ronald Reagan day (which is Feb. 6th in case you’re interested)
…but no anti-gay bills.
Anyone have any suggestions?
my guess is Mike Rogers will give more legistative details on Bauerhe sounded like he’s gonna do a media blitz on the story
This is trueBut in essence the RNC is a crabs in a bucket style party. Not only pulling down on anyone they can on the inside for any reason but in many respects expanding that over-reaction to the rest of this country for no other reason than a desire to affirm their own power. You would think this would be a time when the vaunted Log Cabin Republicans would rally around many of these guys to help keep these boats afloat, or are there any of those guys even left?
And in turn probably doing the homophobic RNCs job for themThey know the writing is on the wall for Sanford and if you ask me Bauer knows it too. But the party doesn’t want “a gay” in power when Sanford falls. So conveniently the story gets out that the Lt. Gov, is gay. Hoping for enough of a scandal to either shore up the Gov., or get rid of the Lt. Gov., or both. Either way they are hoping for enough of a scandal to take the attention off the Gov.
OUTSTANDING!
They could tap Lindsey Graham for temporary governor, if they fear a big nancy queer governorROFLMQAO!
YUCK!the thought of “tapping” Lindsey Graham made me throw up in my mouth a little.
He sure is..purty!!
Yeah, I’m having a hard time with this, too.The guy has been outed and re-outed already. I thought by now everyone knew he was gay and just sort of humored him. But I don’t see evidence that he’s ever been a clear opponent of GLBT equality. Everything Rogers gives us is more innuendo and allusion than fact. On the other hand, Rogers is skilled at a great many things and none of them is writing, so maybe the evidence is there, just not clearly presented.
unfortunate choice of wordsPICK Lindsey Graham…and btw I wouldn’t tap Lindsey with Mehlman’s tool…..ugh ugh ugh!
It’s not a tough call for me…..Our most vicious opponents are members of our own community. Their thinly veiled disguise no longer provides cover for their gay exploitation. Every one of them should be exposed.
I can’t get behind this stuffI have to say, I don't approve of Mike Rogers a bit there. I'm sorry, but I can't convince myself forced outing and homo-hunting are okay just because the person is being a hypocrite. Even if they're participating in forced outing and homo-hunting. You can't reduce oppression with the tactics of oppression.
I would agree.