Haha.... the new Majority Leader is gay

Matty · #1 09-28-2005, 01:48 PM

I can sure see Republicans showing up in droves for the '06 elections to support their gay leader.

JackWhite · #2 09-28-2005, 01:53 PM

Dave Dreier is gay? You sure? I'd never heard that.

Edit...well, maybe he is. He lived with his Chief of Staff, but apparently he has never admitted to anything. I am sure he will be asked eventually.

DVaut1 · #3 09-28-2005, 01:58 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Dave Dreier is gay? You sure? I'd never heard that.

[/ QUOTE ]

There's been some innuendo that Dreier and his CoS (a male) have had a 'relationship' and lived together for a while; I think Hustler magazine once ran an article asking him to come out of the closet or something. And I've read interviews with his opponent from the 2000 election (a professor at one of the UC schools I think) who admitted/claimed she knew Dreier was gay but didn't make it public during the campaign. Make of this what you will, I don't have any links.

Grey probably knows more than I do.

Matty · #4 09-28-2005, 02:07 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Grey probably knows more than I do.

[/ QUOTE ]What are you implying? ;-)

I know no more than can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dreier

DVaut1 · #5 09-28-2005, 02:14 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I know no more than can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dreier

[/ QUOTE ]

This made me laugh, a little bit (from the Wikipedia article):

"Among bipartisan polls of congressional aid staff, Dreier is consistantly ranked as the best dressed member of the House of Representatives."

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In all seriousness, I wonder how this plays out. For Dreier's sake, I hope he doesn't have to answer such questions (unless of course, he wants to).

JackWhite · #6 09-28-2005, 02:07 PM

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I can sure see Republicans showing up in droves for the '06 elections to support their gay leader.

[/ QUOTE ]

It might not be the big deal as some think. Former Wisconsin Rep Steve Gunderson got re-elected in a conservative district after coming out, as does Arizona Rep. Jim Kolbe.

I doubt many people take into account who is the party leader when deciding to re-elect their member of Congress. Nancy Pelosi wouldn't go over well in some parts of the country, but I doubt she hurts more conservative Democrats for the simple reason that very few Americans have any idea who the House leaders really are.

Matty · #7 09-28-2005, 02:10 PM

You bring up good points, but his fairyness only has to affect 1% of Republican voters to make it a big deal in the nationwide election.

Considering that some people (including some people I know personally) are so keyed in on the issue of homosexuality that they stalk people coming out of gay bars to commit acts of violence against them, I think the Republicans would be wise to reconsider.

JackWhite · #8 09-28-2005, 02:18 PM

[ QUOTE ]
You bring up good points, but his fairyness only has to affect 1% of Republican voters to make it a big deal in the nationwide election.

Considering that some people (including some people I know personally) are so keyed in on the issue of homosexuality that they stalk people coming out of gay bars to commit acts of violence against them, I think the Republicans would be wise to reconsider.

[/ QUOTE ]

You know people who wait outside gay bars to violently attack human beings? Have you called the police and reported this? If you know them by name and where they do this, they should be easy to catch and prosecute.

Matty · #9 09-28-2005, 02:50 PM

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You know people who wait outside gay bars to violently attack human beings? Have you called the police and reported this? If you know them by name and where they do this, they should be easy to catch and prosecute.

[/ QUOTE ]You would think so, but this is a common occurence at almost any gay club yet you still don't see the cops escorting people out at the end of the night. Also I live in a dark red state, and police have a very wide range of discretion about what to do on most issues. One person accused me of being gay (for hanging out with gay friends) then spit on me and threw rocks at me (while standing with a few of his friends). When I reported it the police just looked at me like "whatever, [censored]". Nothing was done.

JackWhite · #10 09-28-2005, 03:03 PM

[ QUOTE ]
You would think so, but this is a common occurence at almost any gay club yet you still don't see the cops escorting people out at the end of the night. Also I live in a dark red state, and police have a very wide range of discretion about what to do on most issues. One person accused me of being gay (for hanging out with gay friends) then spit on me and threw rocks at me (while standing with a few of his friends). When I reported it the police just looked at me like "whatever, [censored]". Nothing was done.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is certainly discouraging. Have you written to the Attorney General or any other high ranking state official? If the local police refuse to enforce the laws, is there any thing that can be done?