Santorum’s concession speech is the closest he’ll ever get to an “It Gets Better” video
Of all this President’s many progressive achievements—the Lilly Ledbetter Act, Student Loan Reform, Health Care Reform, pulling out of Iraq—the one that isn’t mentioned enough in the feeds I follow is the the ending of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’
The DADT compromise enacted during the Clinton Administration made the closeting of gays and lesbians policy for the US military. It sent a message that homosexuals needed to lie or risk losing everything.
In one of the last acts of the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, this ridiculous policy was ended. And the President signed the bill into law. It was a long overdue yet historic achievement for decency and equality.
Two years later, as the weakest field of candidates most adults could imagine gathered to seek the GOP nomination, two candidates declared that they wanted to return to the dark days of DADT. Michele Bachmann, who apparently uses the policy to great success in her marriage, wanted it back, as did Rick Santorum. Most people chuckled because we assumed both were joke candidates. We were half right.
To Fred Phelps’ chagrin, Rick Santorum is America’s most famous homophobe. Under the premise that he is speaking for the big Homophobe in the Sky, Santorum has put together a record of unabashed anti-gay rhetoric that it even embarrasses Republicans. Santorum’s view of homosexuality is so backward and offensive that millions cheered as Dan Savage led a movement to tie Santorum’s Google search results to the filthiest word picture one would want to imagine.
Don’t get me wrong. All of our conservatives have barbarous policies, especially when it comes to women’s choices, war, health care and climate change. But when Dick Cheney, Howard Stern and a majority of all Americans are for gay marriage, the argument is over. And those who still argue do so to an increasingly smaller audience.
Rick Santorum’s record of saying ignorant, hateful things about gays and lesbians, his record of comparing the desire of two adults of any gender who want to be united under the law to every perversion he can imagine, it should disqualify him from a place in public discourse. (It would normally have if conservatives didn’t have an overwhelming desire to shame Mitt Romney.)
I’m not saying Santorum should be censored. In America you have a right to be a dick. But you have no right to expect to be rewarded for it.
Rick Santorum’s homophobia will not be acceptable in 2016. And the fact that it was in 2012 is a shame. And I’m sorry I didn’t do more to help make this country the kind of place where people exploit the fear of gays and lesbians are never given a national platform.
[CC image by smoMashup_]
