Commentary

The Outing of Larry Craig?

Where is the article?

http://www.newwest.net/index.php/city/ article/idaho_sen_larry_craig_denies_allegations_of_same_sex_affairs/C108/L108/
I also fixed the link in the story above. Just hit my name.

Jill Kuraitis

You're right--outing is "an odd and unsettling thing." I don't believe that I could ever out someone, even a hypocrite who did do damage against fellow gays, for one basic reason. It's bad enough to feel you must be closeted, but to believe that you must mask suspicion of your own homosexuality by trashing gays brave enough to be out--well, that must create your own private little hell. And yes, it would be a much kinder world if everyone could come out and stay out, without fear of the possible repercussions.

I’m not American, and must admit that I’ve never heard of Larry Craig before reading this article and the earlier one by Jill Kuraitis. I normally don’t think outing someone is a nice thing to do, but if he indeed had sex with men, while voting for a number of anti-gay and gay-unfriendly bills, he deserves to be outed. Come to think of it, if it is true, (and let’s face it, where there’s smoke, there usually is a fire), he actually should have an even worse fate than just being outed.

Yes, outing is "unsettling". But, how hypocritical is it to live in a closet and vote against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act? Self preservation and protecting his political career appear to be Larry Craig's only objectives. I have no problem with outing a self-serving hypocrite. He deserves a taste of some real discrimination from within his own party and from the GLBT community. The passage of ENDA could end the need for closets.

I think this a BIG step for Idaho to see that Gay people can be people they Love and adore like Larry Craig. Larry has done something wonderful for the Gay community by showing you can Play with hot studs and still serve the Potato heads of Idaho who believe in who, and what he is about. You go girl!

I grew up in Idaho, and attended the University of Idaho during the 1970s. As a (male) student government official, I had dealings with Larry Craig, and had the startling and uncomfortable experience of being "chatted up" by Larry Craig during the course of a meeting. I was surprised then, as I am now, that Larry Craig hadn't been outed (by the LGBT community) or ousted (by his Republican fascist friends) because he was so obviously gay or bisexual.

I am at the same time both saddened and angered that a powerful Senator can sell out other LGBT people for mere political power and influence.

Kim Smith, Eugene, Oregon

If I remember correctly, when the rumors began flying about Larry Craig's secret life, voila, a wedding happened quickly. Arranged? Who knows and who cares. However, for Larry to sell out other LGBT people is certainly Republican, but still despicable. Perhaps he should join the Jim West (former Spokane Mayor) and Mark Foley Club.

Idaho is about 50% Mormon, if any gays want to hold office here they may want to keep it to themselves. Of course they can shout it from the rooftops and achieve public service failure by shooting their campaign in the foot.

It is ironic that the sabatours in this case are gay. One step forward, two steps back.

"Larry Craig is no idiot" is an awfully nice thing to say for one so highly competent at greasing the skids for resource-extracting corporations. He serviced Boise Cascade well by facilitating their logging of old growth -- before they "washed their hands" of the logging business.

His expertise (and that of his string puller -- ?-- former Idaho senator James McClure) was also put to use as head of the group in the Senate responsible for strategy related to the Republican party's shift to the extreme right. His speech patterns even mimic those of charlatan TV ministers.

The guy is a bought, sold, and delivered creep.

All this talk about the outing of Larry Craig makes me laugh because as others have mentioned, those of us living in Idaho have known for well over a decade. Indeed, it's been talked about in Washington for probably just as long. The only one Craig has been fooling is himself . . . and maybe his wife.

Now, the continued selling out of our nation's people and resources -- that's a tragedy :-(

You libs crack me up. When the Foley scandal hit it was the libs that soiled their pants over it! Another Gay Pedophile is outed but because he is a Republican you pounce... had he been a DEM you libs would have defended him.

wasn't larry craig president of the gay young republicans at university of idaho in the 1970's? look it up.

Joan Opyr wrote the column that should have been written in the Idaho Statesman long ago. Of course, now they are forced to face up to what everyone already knew. I agree with Joan that the loathsome thing about Craig is his hypocricy and his deep-shit Republicanism that calls for denial of one's nature. He did not have the guts to do the right thing; few people in advanced positions do. But...and it's a big BUT...in this day when the Bush brand of Republicans have so screwed up America, both home and abroad, I'll take any advantage possible to get Craig out and a less radical person in. Aren't there any Republican moderates in Idaho?
Aren't there any Democrats? Used to be!!! What happened to them.
Jim Santa Fe

"What of the cripple who hates dancers?

What of the ox who loves his yoke and deems the elk and deer of the forest stray and vagrant things?

What of the old serpent who cannot shed his skin, and calls all others naked and shameless?

And of him who comes early to the wedding feast, and when over-fed and tired goes his way saying that all feasts are violations and all feasters law-breakers?

What shall I say of these save that they too stand in the sunlight, yet with their backs to the sun?

They see only their shadows, and their shadows are their laws."

Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

Yeah, H., what about all that? What about all that
old utterly out-of-date prophecy, not only Gibran, but
all the others dating back a couple of thousand years,
that don't mean diddley squat today?
Let's talk about Socrates: To thine own self be true.
If Larry had just NOT taken such an anti-gay position
in the Senate for many years! He's painted himself into
a corner, and he can rot there.
Good Luck Idaho - and God save you from prophets
and shadows.
Jim SF

So many Republicans are bogus creeps and this is another example. Republicans in the know have long known Craig is gay, but as long as he tows and votes the BS party line, then all is well. Wake up.

When you're publicly advocating anti-gay policy the apparent hypocrisy of your private life becomes very, very relevant.

I look forward to the day when the fact of a person's sexuality is about as exciting to the rest of us as hearing that they collect stamps.

@ Jim:
The Prophet is a poem, not a prophecy, written in 1923, hardly "a couple of thousand years" ago.
Kahlil Gibran was not a prophet but a poet, much like William Shakespeare, whose play Hamlet contains the line "To thine own self be true," which is based on Socrates' adage "know thyself."

The dumbing down of America is no joke!

But yeah, Craig painted himself into a corner. It will be interesting to see what happens.

There shall be no national catharsis, until we see the senatorial toilet tramp make a blubbering mea culpa live on C-Span. Let the paddling begin!

See the latest story at NewWest.Net/Boise -

If people like Craig didn't push political hot buttons like Family Values and the like, his sexuality would have been a non-issue, but because he is a member of a party that, at this point, would never allow a Gay, Black, Female or Non-Relegious individual as a vocal member, he could never be open aboput such things. However, i must say that he should not be compared to Gay men. He is a deviant. Had he engaged in the act somewhere else, even if he had paid for it in some alley, i wouldn't care, but invading the privacy of a fellow bathroom attendant...that's just creapy. It's hard enough to use a public restroom as it is, let alone with someone tapping your foot and rubbing the bottom of your stall.

Realize, we are taking exception to his hypocrisy and creapy nature, and not that he might or might not be gay. Let's not put a mark against Gay folks.

Now that shit has hit the fan, and Larry Craig has been found propositioning for sex with men at a Minneapolis men's room, it is time for the Idaho Statesman newspaper and the Lewiston Tribune newspaper to address squarely the issue of Craig's hypocrisy in being a closet gay man, and voting against the interests of other GLBT people. Who is the Statesman and the Tribune trying to protect? What interests are being protected? In Idaho, the one-party (Republican) state seeks to protect its own interests above the interests of the people to clean government. If Idaho had a two-party system, opposing views would be aired, and clean government would come to Idaho.

I continue to be saddened by Larry Craig's lying and obfuscations. When will the newspapers of Idaho put the public good above their private interests?

Craig's immoral, deceitful, disgusting, vile and illegal behavior is what should push those in Idaho to get rid of him. Who is larry craig? He's not been honest with himself or anyone else. Maybe if they saw the real larry craig, they wouldn't have voted him in time and time again. When the grey haired loyal republicans finally wakeup and realize their party if full of self-loathing gay men bent on power threw lies, it's going to be ugly for them.

I'm a Republican and I also reside in Idaho. I think we've all known for a long time he's gay (possibly bi-sexual but the marriage is supposedly a charade from reliable friends in the know), but being gay does not mean you act on your sexuality. I truly believe Larry Craig loathes his gayness, and he "acts out" when he can no longer suppress it or when he believes he deserves to be outed because his gay impulses are truly immoral. The whole thing is tragic, and even more so when he denies it so vehemently. I don't find him being gay or with gay impulses as a problem, I find that he has lied to us, used poor judgment and utilized his position as a senator to try and persuade the police he needed to overlook his indiscretions. Besides resigning, he should pays his debt to society (not the one he pled to, but for soliciting sex in a public place) and that he gets the counseling he needs. Otherwise, he'll be tormeted the rest of his life.

What's the big deal? Ain't none of you ever see a gay legislator before? Fer crying out loud, he's a conservative from Idaho, how'd you expect him to vote anyway? And is soliciting sex in a toilet any worse than giving Monica Lewisky the angry pirate in the Oval Office? Live and let live I say. Ar...Ar.

Senator Larry Craig vs President Bill Clinton, whose worse?

We all sin, R's or D's.

R's know they sin and resign.

The D's on the other hand excuse their sin and don't resign.

Sandy said:

"Craig's immoral, deceitful, disgusting, vile and illegal behavior is what should push those in Idaho to get rid of him."

Did you push for Clinton to resign for his immoral, deceitful, disgusting, vile Oval Office behavior And for lying to the citizens over and over about it?

Regarding the crime of solicitation, I wonder how many hets have been arrested for solicitation? If police really wanted to treat gay people and straight people equally, why not send a police woman dressed in a halter top to a cowboy bar at closing time, and see if she gets solicited! :) Or if the police are concerned about sex in public places, why not send police cruisers to "lovers lanes" where straight teenagers go on Friday nights?! My guess is they ignore public sex by straights, and target only gay people! ---

9-4-2007

Self-righteousness always carries the danger of a backfire.

The Republicans have had a pretty good run with their "holier-than-thou" approach. However, the odds seem to have broken against them.

In place of problem-solving and leveling with the people, the tendency to try to evoke moral indignation seems to be wearing thin, as a political ploy.

Now, when they seek to change the subject from the excesses and failures of the G.W. Bush Administration, and how to correct them, to the imputed sins of others, perhaps the public, even voters way out on the right, might be moved to say, "Hold on a minute. That's not what we need to talk over."

Besides, Larry Craig is right. He's not gay. He's H-O-M-O-S-E-X-U-A-L.

All the best,

Harvard Hollenberg

I was just reviewing this thread after not looking at it since last year because I was going to post a link on another blog until I noticed that about 50 comments had been removed.

Daryl L. Hunter

What do you call a gay-homophobe? Will a new term come from this recent pattern, or has one been created already?

I am a straight person. I didn't choose to be straight, just as one doesn't choose to be otherwise. I am labeled a breeder and a homophobe. Nice, huh? I have no problem treating all sexual persuasions equally - but not with any more favor than another. I would like to know, however, why homosexuals seem to be so anxious telling the world about their sexuality? I don't run around telling people I'm straight! I think maybe it's so others will know they are available for sex? hat was NOT a slap in the face; just an observation and I will gladly stand corrected.