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Look at this gem of an encounter between Barney Frank and a sadsack reporter from Media Research Center-owned website CNSNews.com. (Media Matters via C&L):
Apparently feeling confident (and sufficiently homophobic), CNS decided to target Rep. Barney Frank with a question about the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell – specifically, whether he thought gay and straight soldiers should shower together. This was based on a statement calling for a ban on separate showers from the Pentagon’s report on the impact of repealing DADT that CNS had previously singled out.Frank saw this coming from a mile away. As CNS reporter Nicholas Ballasy slowly got out the words “shower with homosexuals,” Frank let out an exaggerated gasp and responded, “What do you think happens in gyms all over America?” After calling it a “silly issue,” Frank added, “What do you think goes wrong with people showering with homosexuals? Do you think it’s the spray makes it catching? … We don’t get ourselves dry-cleaned.”
Frank then turned the tables on his interviewer by quizzing Ballasy: “I know you’re looking for some way to kind of discredit the policy. Do you think that gyms should have separate showers for gay and straight people? I’m asking you the question because that’s the logic of what you’re telling me. You seem to think that there’s something extraordinary about gay men showering together. Do you think gyms should have separate showers for gay people and straight people?” Ballasy wouldn’t answer, insisting that he was “just quoting the recommendation.” Frank responded: “Don’t be disingenuous. You’re quoting those you think may cause us some problems. You’re entitled to do that, but you shouldn’t hide behind your views.” Frank again asked the question of Ballasy, who again wouldn’t answer, trying to change the subject: “So that’s the question you would pose to people who have an issue with that part of the report, the recommendation?” Frank made his point one more time, and that’s where the CNS ends the video.
29 Comments
Ballasy?Ballasy? Seriously this guys name is Ballasy? CNS either has a excellent sense of irony or is seriously incompetent.
Good take down by Rep. Frank, now if he could just get over his phobia about trans people showering with cis people. A phobia that has given the bigots an effective weapon to wield against us in so many legal fights for our rights.
Oh Barney; well done!True, you were arguing with a dining room table, but DAMN this is great stuff!
I do so love this guy some days…
Yeah, poor Mr. Ballasy…All he had to do was to mention trans women, and he would have gotten Barney Frank’s full agreement when it comes to separating showers and facilities for straight (cis) peoples’ “protection”…
“Talking to you is liketalking to the dining room table!”. LOL
Love some Barney.
“We don’t get ourselves dry-cleaned”I’m stealing that.
I’m amazed that they aired thisThey must have been seriously short on material to fill air time — or complete idiots — to air Rep Frank making them a laughingstock.
He is great fromto time
more hot gay porn scenarios, courtesy of the fundies…keep ‘em comin!
My guess would bethat they’re so clueless and irony-free they didn’t realize he had scored any points at all.
Barney you are a treasureROFLMQAO!!
Not so much of a treasureRemember that because of the very specific way that St. Barney backstabbed the trans community in 2007 (withdrawing the trans-inclusive version of ENDA and then defeating on the House floor a trans-inclusive amendment introduced by Rep. Tammy Baldwin), judges have been forced to conclude based on that action that Congress considered and specifically rejected employment anti-discrimination protection on basis of gender identity, and that therefore the Civil Rights Act does not apply and transgender people cannot be discriminated against on basis of sex.
Barney is still a bastard. An eloquent bastard, but a bastard.
I love Barney Frank…For his deadpan delivery of scathing rebuttals. It’s such a treat to watch.
He really laid into that fundie reporter. I’m glad he did, because the kid deserved it. In fact if you look closely you can almost see the look of shock on the kids face.
I spoke out as angrily when a non inclusive ENDA was proposed as anyoneBarney is a treasure, flawed with feet of clay, imperfect, but a treasure.
That will be the day…The day that cissexual gays and lesbians start vocally and consistently speaking out against the practice of throwing trans people under the bus – and against anyone who practices it – is the day I’ll believe that anything like the “Dallas Principles” are anything but words.
St. Barney is a primary architect of the leaving behind of trans people. He does it without even thinking about it.
A clever turn of phrase cannot possibly mask that betrayal.
What’s fascinating to me…Is that the argument Barney makes is the same one that trans people make when folks raise the bathroom question regarding trans people.
Including him, on the floor of congress.
hypocrisy is fascinating to watch…
I spoke about what I did, (as an individual) if you want to deny that, as a cisexual rant….whatever
Other scenariosI do wish that our supporters would remember to cite fire and police department locker rooms as other situations where mixed orientations shower together. I think it’s a closer analogy to the military and is a reminder that there are already many GLBT folks serving their communities.
But I don’t fault anyone for not mentioning those locker rooms.
the longer i’m here, the more i find myself agreeing with KittyburgerCount me in for the “wittiness does not make transphobic betrayal forgivable” side. And if you want to call the truth a “rant”, and act like easy forgiveness in this case isn’t part of a larger pattern of cis people not holding anti-trans bigots accountable… well, I strongly disagree.
Yep… fascinating and depressing.
Don’t over-generalize, not all cis people throw trans people under the busPersonally, I have always loudly and consistently spoken out against throwing trans people under the bus–long before I met my wife (who I met here on the Blend; long time Blenders can attest to that). Moreover, all of our cis friends and relatives–gay, lesbian, straight, bi–who are politically active are equally supportive of trans people in their activism. Granted, we have more politically active liberal friends and family than most people, but to their credit, they include trans rights in their activism and remind others to be inclusive as well.
I know one thing from experienceThis is where I end any of my contribution to the discussion….been there, done that, and have the t-shirt
Something I’ve heard over and over again regarding discussions of bigotryis “if it’s not about you, don’t make it about you”. It’s great if you’re “not like those other cis folks”, but pointing it out loudly is not productive.
“the longer i’m here….” lolYou’ve been here one day. Couldn’t you just let someone post about his own experience without jumping in with both feet to try to deny it? Or maybe put up a personal diary about your own experience?
his posts included transphobic apologism. i’m not okay with that.And nobody’s trying to deny anybody’s personal experience.
Actually, I was pointing it out politelyYou said,
as a general statement. Barney is no ally of trans people, but many of us here on the Blend are. I only asked that you not overgeneralize and yes, actually, “pointing it out loudly” is productive when you are making a general statement that was inclusive of any and all cis-LGB people, including allies. If you meant “most” or “some”, then you should have phrased it that way.
As to the Dallas Principles…well, if you start to think they are going to be anything more than a pipe dream any time soon, I hear there is a bridge in Brooklyn for sale.
numol != meAre we really at the point on the internet where anyone who agrees with someone else must necessarily be a sockpuppet?
Honest mistakeMy internet keeps going in and out. I did not intend to confuse who posted what; it was an honest mistake.
My last post above should start “Kitty said…” not “You said”, as I was replying to numol’s comment on your [Kittyburger's] post.
Nonetheless, I stand by my points–just not my memory for names.
As to the sockpuppet comment, I seriously hope you were being tongue in cheek; I’d hate to have to picture Lamb Chop typing every time I read one of your posts.
i just think you’re derailingAnd I stand by “if it’s not about you, don’t make it about you”. Like I said, it’s great if you and your other cis friends are not typical cis bigots, but please stop trying to make everything about that.
Not trying to derail anythingBut in the interest of not accidentally thread-jacking, I guess we will just have to agree to disagree. Believe it or not, we probably agree about far more than we disagree on.