In case you have been living under a rock, he’s the Republican
Senator from Idaho that was nabbed by police in a Minneapolis
airport men’s room for alleged lewd conduct. Craig, who is married
with three children, has now gone out of his way to assert that he
isn’t gay.
The fact is, rumors of Craig being gay aren’t new. Allegations date
back to the 80s. And Mike Rogers of BlogActive “outed”
Craig last October.
There have been mixed reactions to this latest scandal even within
our own community.
Loudest is the cry of hypocrisy; a cry that is certainly warranted
given Craig’s staunch opposition to equal rights. He’s about as
conservative as they get. Without fail, time and time again, Craig
has voted against our families on important legislation.
Hypocrite or not, many people have sympathized with Craig – even in
our own community. How many of us made fun of gays in high school
so that we wouldn’t be picked on ourselves? How many of us had
boyfriends or girlfriends so that people wouldn’t question our
sexuality? It’s a time of inner conflict and fear. Granted, making
a gay joke isn’t nearly as harmful as voting against ENDA, but
still… a parallel does exist.
But there’s also a lot of outrage being directed towards the
Minneapolis police department. These type of “bag the fag”
operations have long been used to harass and shame gays. A lot of
individuals and organizations have spoken out against these
tactics.
And as gay parents, many of us are torn. We don’t want police
singling out and targeting gay men. But on the other hand, we don’t
want lewd behavior occurring in a place where our children might
see it. It’s a tough call and there’s no easy answer.
With all the publicity and media hoopla surrounding this scandal, I
think that it is important, as parents, to recognize the less
obvious victims of the situation. Our hearts certainly go out to
Craig’s three children in what must certainly be a difficult and
trying time for them and their family.