If you thought that losing control of Congress would mean we would hear less about Republican sex scandals, you were wrong. Two recent revelations about Republican elected officials continue the drum beat about hypocrisy within the conservative movement.
The first, and the most notable is that of U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-LA) who was "outed" as a "John" who used the services of a scandalous escort service in Washington D.C. The other is State Representative Bob Allen (R-FL), who was busted soliciting an undercover police officer for oral sex. Allen even offered to pay a paltry twenty dollars for the blow job (must not have been that cute of an officer, but I digress).
I am not a fan of undercover police sting operations against gay men because they nearly always turn into entrapment operations. I happen to be somewhat of an expert in this area because the organization I work for has worked on hundreds of these cases. In 1998 we published a ground breaking report entitled "Bag A Fag" which chronicles the problems with these operations and the laws used to terrorize gay men.
We may never know if Allen actually committed a crime or not, because police frequently lie in these cases in order to make an arrest and humiliate a gay man. I won't dwell on these operations here but for more info on it see Between the Lines.
But of course the two men caught in these situations (one presumably straight and the other presumably gay) are both big moral crusaders. They have been leaders in introducing and supporting legislation that hurts gay and lesbian people and they claim to be strong supporters of heterosexual monogamous marriage. Problem is they don't really practice that. They have been caught with their pants down, literally -- in front of all their constituents.
The Family Research Council is rushing to the defense of Vitter because at least he admitted his "sin." Defenders of Allen are already saying the public should be kind to him because of all his years of service. WHAT?!?
We are truly living in an M.C. Escher picture if this logic holds up. Christian conservatives coming to the defense of Vitter but not Bill Clinton? Christian Conservatives hiding behind public service when one of their own is caught soliciting a homosexual act of prostitution in public? They have no qualms at all about the moral gymnastics they are performing and they still hold their head high and vote for these jerks because they are Republican.
Be prepared for more revelations soon, because where there is power, there is sex. And where there is chest-thumping conservatism there is shocking hypocrisy.
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4 Comments
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The part that cracks me up still is that Allen wanted to pay the cop $20 to allow Allen to give him the blowjob. Now there's just a couple things wrong with this picture...
First, what does that say about Allen's faith in his ability to give good head? By God, what happened to the American value of putting all of your best effort into something? Who thinks, "Well, I'm going to have to make it up to him for the disgraceful service I'm about to perform, so I'll toss him a yuppie foodstamp and call it a night."
And secondly, what kind of politician does this make him? He's willing to give the blowjob AND cash? What kind of negotiation skill is this? What are the taxes like in his area of the state? "You need a tax increase? Here - take my 1st born child too!" Don't count on this guy to be a fiscal conservative.
Bil Browning | July 12, 2007 6:02 PM
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I guess that whole bit of people crusading against the thing they see in themselves holds true.. Cant really say I'm surprised that a few of those who most dislike the homosexual populations end up getting caught for the very thing they chastise.
I must say that it is not really shocking of course that the Family Research Council is running to the aide of Vitter. Should we really be surprised any more that an organization would assist someone who has given them so much of a compelling argument. It doesn't say anywhere that they don't have to be equally hateful.. as someone once told me "there is no such thing as equal opportunity hate.."
Kevin Lahti | July 12, 2007 6:27 PM
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Maybe the Family Research Council defends Vitter because Vitter's offense at least involved heterosexual activity, but Allen's was an attempt at gay sex? Who knows ...
... and Bil, check out a picture of Bob Allen and you will need no further explanation about why he has to pay to suck dick. The next GQ cover he not exactly ain't.
A. J. Lopp | July 12, 2007 10:59 PM
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Besides all the great points already mentioned, what gets me about this story is that he had to pay. Leaving aside his physicality for a moment, I have met more than a few gay boys who would gladly give it up for free. And those boys, thank God, are not that hard to find.
Bloggernista | July 13, 2007 8:34 AM
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