Hi, Has he even thought he could be wrong? That I doubt. Often wrong, as they say, but never in doubt. ;-)) Always liked that. Wonder what Arlen may think he was wrong about.

I’m confounded by how we humans feel the need to categorize each other. What if someone just lusted in their heart for a person of the same sex? Gay? We have a bi-racial president, but he’s usually referred to as being Black. One drop, one act, one thought and it’s all over?
Just how many closeted people are in positions of power? I’m thinking about how spending a life fighting one’s natural instincts can mess with the head? I prefer to have people who are not fighting demons to be in leadership roles. Might be a good thing, yes?

Gay head of FBI, CIA. How about a gay General or Admiral? Gay head of a police or fire department? The posturing is the same as when women were seeking equality before the law.

It’s all about marriage. They fear that marriage equality will eventually end up at the Supreme Court, and if a gay and lesbian justice is sitting on the bench, well that’s one vote against their team.

Good Morning Christy and Firedogs,

ah yes The Party of Noh

Honestly, how do we know we haven’t already had a gay SCOTUS justice?

why, that’s just a ridiculous ques. . . . oh wait !

I agree. Achieving diversity is going to be a really long slog. But, I believe we are on that path now. I doubt I will see significant change in my life, but many people our age are sowing the seeds, little drops of water and it will add up, eventually. We just have to keep the faith and standing up to The Ugly where ever and when ever we can.

How about a liberal, female, redhead candidate from the hills and valleys of West Viriginia who is raising a little one? The party of noh would probably say she is way tooooo empathic.

If he and his party had paid attention to shenanigans in the financial sector instead of worrying about other people’s sex lives, we might not be in the economic mess that we find ourselves in, now.

God bless gay people. They work hard, pay taxes and contribute to the vibrancy of this country. Live and let live.

What a maroon.

Thune’s bigoted comments both made me angry and cracked me up.

My bestest gay buddy told me a couple of days ago when we were talking about potential candidates for SCOTUS that he thought Souter was gay.

Heh. Wouldn’t that change things if Souter was gay and came out soon?

It could happen; witness David Ogden Stiers’ announcement this week, coming out at age 66; he’s only three years younger than Souter.

Wouldn’t that rock the wingers’ world right to the core if a 69-year-old Justice came out?

Oh well. We can dream.

A close friend of mine for many years is a gay man. He told me that when he was young (college age) he thought teh gay was something that would go away, something he indulged in as a diversion until he got older and married. Unfortunately he did marry and father two boys, and then at some point they faced the fact that gay wasn’t a choice. It must have been wrenching to tell his young boys, but he has an excellent relationship with them (he is 70 and they’re adults now, of course), and with his ex wife.

It is entirely possible that there are many older gay men who never acknowledged it because they somehow thought it would just magically go away.

then at some point they faced the fact that gay wasn’t a choice

“They” meaning he and his wife, not his two boys.

Waaah, we need Edit!!

Actually it’s thought that there was a closeted gay President…James Buchanan, I think. Several may have been bisexual or experimented in their younger years. But admittedly there were very “Byronic” stylisms in letters of friendship for a period of time in US and European history that makes it difficult to know with certainty. That allowed men who were gay to dress a bit more colorfully, and express affection more openly than in previous or subsequent periods, as well.

The other thing is that simply because I man (or woman) is single shouldn’t signal that they are gay. This is a common assumption and often leads to people using that single status to harm them. I suspect that Souter is considered gay primarily because he is single, and is cerebral. Everybody thinks they have teh Gaydar. But unless they see said individual makin’ out with or showing intimacies with a same sex partner, or admitting that they are, I’d say back off.

Furthermore as pointed out, there are a lot of gay men that – because of culture, religion, and fear that their careers will be damaged- get married, have kids, and continue to have identity issues.

It’s a very sad state of affairs. I’ve known some gay men who because of societies stigmas have chosen to live a straight life and it usually has dire consequences for all involved. I don’t need to spell out those affects, do I? We all know the range of affects.
I also think that because the Sin that society attaches to the “Sin” of being gay, that maybe some people who have authority issues choose a gay life, those who may be bi, and want to assert their control over their life may end up bringing More gender confusion into their lives than what is healthy. I think, in probably most instances, it’s not a choice, but I also think there are other factors for other people.
What we should be working for is a place where all people are accepted for who they are and not, yet again, drawing a line in the sand.

Or what about a nominee who participated in the “four year plan” in college?

I tried looking it up on Wikipedia. No luck. What does it mean?

It never crossed my mind that because Souter was single he was likely gay.

But when a trusted gay friend suggested Souter might be, that changed the entire equation for me.

For straight folks who don’t work closely with or have many gay friends, I must say they have an underground for LGBT community news which is incredibly well-developed. (Actually, this is true of many minority communities; they use these internal networks as a source of strength.) If people in the LGBT community are suggesting it, I’m more likely to believe them than I am anybody outside the community — for what that’s worth. Ask your gay friends about Souter, take an informal poll. Can’t hurt, might be enlightening, and it might also open some dialog about the role of SCOTUS seats.

Washington Post on the opposition to Obama’s nominee.