Thoughts on Ken Mehlman

In light of my very hotheaded reaction to Mehlman coming out, I figured maybe a more detailed contextualization might be warranted.  Particularly because if anyone should understand the likely pain involved regarding living in the closet, it should be a member of the LGBT community.

Moreover, I had the luxury of being born and coming of age in the latter decades of the 20th century while the former chair of the RNC was born in a rather different time.  All that aside the act of coming out, even in these heady days of increased LGBT acceptance, is a genuine act of personal moral courage.  Even though it’s been over ten years since I’ve come out I still have a strong sense memory of what it’s like to hide a vital piece of myself and feel isolated and alone.

The difference is that when I was wrestling with my sexuality I was not heading the most socially conservative presidential reelection campaign in modern political history.  Ergo I did not have the ability to exorcise my demons at the expense of LGBT Americans.  Also ergo I do not have the financial wherewithal to buy a multi-million dollar Chelsea condo earned in part due to said exorcism of demons, but I digress.

Therefore I may forgive him, but I am certainly not forgetting until he has atoned the hell out of his prior actions.  One does not get to simply dismiss the successful assist of one of the most hateful and inept presidents of these United States as part of a “personal journey.”  Particularly when a significant portion of that assist involved the erosion of the right of LGBT Americans to be, in the words of Keith Olbermann, “a little less lonely.”

So, for now, I’m giving Mehlman the benefit of the doubt that he knows all this already and has to earn his soul back.  Get atoning, Kenny-boy.  You can start by publicly outing . . . well, I’m not going to name names so let’s call them Shmindsey Shram and Shmitch Shmconnell.  You can then follow by personally apologizing for the passage of like eight million anti-marriage equality amendments during the 2004 election season, as well as the “eep!  Gays!” narrative of the Bush campaign.  From there why don’t you perhaps propose and then dedicate a memorial to all of the LGBT teens who committed suicide due to the climate of hate and intolerance you in large part helped create?  From there you can let Tammy Baldwin and Barney Frank punch you in the groin.  On CSPAN.

Finally, in conclusion, you know how you said that there’s room in the GOP tent for LGBT Americans?  You explained that LGBT people, being people, can have differing opinions and value-sets.  This is true.  This is also an explanation for why I am a very, very liberal and progressive Democrat.  Unlike you, it is not in my best interest for the wealthy to have tax-breaks.  Unlike you, it is in my best interest to have widely available and affordable health care.  Unlike you, I do not believe this is the result of laziness on my part since I average five hours of sleep a night and work my ass off from sunup to sundown.

“Differing opinions and value-sets” also explains my reaction to your statement that you couldn’t understand why LGBT Americans wouldn’t support our efforts in the Middle-east due to the very homophobic regimes in Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran.  My response?  The means our efforts are presently taking aren’t working. If anything, they’ve created an even greater cluster-f**k than before.  Maybe, just maybe, pausing to reassess and conduct a cost-benefit analysis might . . . oh I dunno . . . help? Besides, there’s something to be said for removing the plank from your own eye before seeing to the cinder in your neighbor’s.

So.  To conclude?  Get atoning.  Call me when DOMA’s repealed.