This sort of story just perplexes me to no end. Not because Mr. Crutchley donated $2,300.00 to the McCain campaign, but the fact that the story was deemed worthy for publication in the first place.

Did I miss the memo or addendum that states donating towards Republicans and failing to follow the Monolithic LGBT Democratic Collective Voting Bloc may result in revocation of LGBT membership?

Senator Obama and Senator McCain are from the same Plutocratic Aristocracy.

Someday I am hopeful that we the People, might actually wake up and discover that neither "party" cares about us, let me repeat this...

They don't care about us. - AT ALL

All they care about is retaining the power, having us fund their private AAA rated health insurance, private lifetime pensions, and all the other ways they can squeeze us dry in order to maintain their aristocratic lifestyles.

Welcome to Feudalism 2.0.

Manhunt is such a garbage site to begin with. College aged guys spend more time making fun of it than surfing it. Hopefully it'll die out within the next few years.

Alli - Pretending that both Obama and McCain are exactly the same strikes me as shortsighted and destructive. I would like to see more viable political choices than just having a Republican and a Democrat to choose from, but particularly in terms of GLBT issues, Obama is a far better choice than is McCain. Yes, both oppose same-sex marriage. However, Obama supports ending DADT. Supports equal opportunties in employement. Supports hate crimes. McCain opposes all of those things.

Any queer person who votes for a Republican certainly has the right to vote for whomever they like. I'm not trying to take that right away from anyone. However, I don't understand why a queer person votes for a Republican and I think they are voting against your own self interests.

Of course, LGBT issues are one concern among many so it may be hard for those who are queer and are otherwise conservative to make a choice. Fortunately, for me, I tend to line up on the left on most issues so the conflict is not between voting Democrat or Repbulican but between voting Democrat or Green (or another "third" party).

I wrote this earlier today in response to another issue specifically that McCain has said that he could choose a pro-choice VP, but not a pro-gay rights one. It is apropos this thread.
My letter to John McCain:

Dear John;
It is in a sad way quite reassuring. Every time that Obama drives me, a banking attorney, away from him, you go and do or say something that makes him look good, or at least far less dangerous.

Banking, John, Banking...you are driving away LGBT banking and legal professionals, and people in those professions who are sympathetic to us.. Quite a trick, really. By tradition, before you and other Republican leaders crawled into bed with the mad men that make up the Evangelical Right, The House of Morgan and similiar "families" were the mainstay of the Republican Party.

I was once a Tory, for God's sake. I am a fiscal conservative whose views make Milton Friedman look like a radical Keyensian. I am a social liberal, though. In the Republican Party I'd be closer to Theodore Roosevelt. He probably wouldn't be welcome in the party either. Consequently, those of us who channel long gone "Bull Moosers" have run off to the Democrats.

Sure, the WSJ is still your cheering section and utters not a murmur when you treat a woman reporter like the c*nt that you think that your wife is. But then, Rupert Murdoch would die before he wandered away from a party that offers the best chance of a permanent aristocracy and permanent peasant class as the result of it's economic policies and its authoritarian silencing of dissent. The rest of us shudder as we think of the editorial policy of the "Grande Dame of Wall Street" being in the hands of that particularly uncouth buccaneer. We shudder even more as we wonder if the Republicans have any fiscal policy other than the dangerously intense concentration of wealth in the hands of a few.

It dovetails rather neatly with the goals of your Evangelical Allies; the re-creation of an economic feudalism with the impoverished masses sucking down the opiate of Fundamentalist Christianity as opposed to Roman Catholicism in a return to a political and financial Dark Ages. Endure your sufferings, it is God's will. And vote for your oppressors.

I am afraid that that kind of political manifesto, clear yet unstated and unspoken, will not entice or hold us to your side, John. We will vote against short term riches as we take a longer view, the kind of longer view that the centuries old banks that employ us take. We will look nervously over our shoulder as we imagine the possibility of a Judge Roy Moore on the USSC, reversing Lawrence, and sex police coming into our offices to arrest us.

I hate to do it, but I am going to steel myself and vote for Obama, John, though he is not exactly an advocate for either economic policies that I favour, or for my status as an LGBT. I may have to have a shot or two of Jemmies before I do it, John. But I will do it.

Why? Because as disappointing as I can imagine an America under Obama being, that disappointment is just a fraction of the sheer terror and fear that I possess of an America ruled by you, because you wouldn't rule it, the ideologues and Domionists around you, far lesser men than Eisenhower, Theodore Roosevelt, William McKinley or nearly any other Republican other than Bush II had, will run your country for you.

CRUTCHLEY STEPS DOWN AS CHAIRMAN

It sounds like Manhunt has been absolutely hemorrhaging members -- Crutchley has "stepped down" as Chairman.

Albert Basso wrote in the "comments" section over at Towleroad (Aug 15, 2:55:23 AM):

quote: "Apparently MANHUNT has asked Crutchley to step down. This is the reply That I got from them this evening:

STATEMENT FROM LARRY BASILE, FOUNDER AND MAJOR SHAREHOLDER OF MANHUNT

There has been a depiction this week of MANHUNT being Republican.

All my life, I have never voted to the right, and have always been generous to 20th Century Democrats, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, HRC, and the NGLTF.

I was arrested at the Supreme Court and FDA in Act-Up actions, and was the founder of the Grass Roots Gay Rights Fund, which over the years has raised more than $800K.

I was the Treasurer of Out Week magazine, which was a powerful force in its time.

I began giving Obama donations in March 2007, and I have sent several checks that have yet to be reported. The hat and t-shirt I wear say “Obama for President”, as does the sign in front of my house. I refuse to live in a country that is so marred by war and hate. To me, Barack is by far the best candidate, probably better than we deserve.

It should be known that Jonathan Crutchley’s donation to McCain left the entire Board in disbelief.

I am disappointed that we have lost some customers, and I understand the anger. It is too bad for the web site if we lose customers, but PLEASE never refer to me as a Republican. I consider it an offense.

Earlier today, at the request of the Board, Jonathan has stepped down as Chairman.

Sincerely,
Larry Basil

from: http://www.towleroad.com/2008/08/mccain-takes-23.html?cid=126521168#comment-126521168

I used to live in Massachusetts, and when you live in a state where gays can legally get married, adopt children, sue for job/housing discrimination, and be protected from violence just because of who you are, you don't truly understand what goes on in the other 49 states.

Voting for a president who does not (currently...remember, he's done a flip flop since 2000) support gay right affects everyone in all 50 states. Live may be wonderful in Massachusetts, but try come living in the middle of this Redneck haven, and maybe Johnathan Crutchley may think differently.

Hahahahahaha. Well, their goal is pretty conservative: everyone gets fucked!