- Ken Mehlman
Gay blogger Mike Rogers, a pretty reliable source when it comes to these things, is reporting that former Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman, who served as President George W. Bush’s 2004 campaign manager, is set to come out of the closet — in an Atlantic magazine column to be published Friday or early next week. Before leading what Rogers calls “the most homophobic national campaign in history,” Mehlman served as chief of staff to Texas Congresswoman Kay Granger and legislative director for Texas Congressman Lamar Smith. From Rogers:
So, how can Ken Mehlman redeem himself? I want to hear from Ken that he is sorry for being the architect of the 2004 Bush reelection campaign. I want to hear from Ken that he is sorry for his role in developing strategy that resulted in George W. Bush threatening to veto ENDA or any bill containing hate crimes laws. I want to hear from Ken that he is sorry for the pressing of two Federal Marriage Amendments as political tools. I want to hear from Ken that he is sorry for developing the 72-hour strategy, using homophobic churches to become political arms of the GOP before Election Day.
And those state marriage amendments. I want to hear him apologize for every one of those, too.
And then there is one other little thing. You see, while you and I had the horrible feelings of being treated so poorly by our President, while teens were receiving the messaging ‘gay is bad’ giving them ‘permission’ to gay bash, while our rights were being stripped away state by state, Ken was out there laughing all the way to the bank. So, if Ken is really sorry, and he very well may be, then all he needs to do is sell his condo and donate the funds to the causes he worked against so hard for all those years. He’s done a lot of damage to a lot of organizations, while making a lot of money. A LOT of money. It’s time to put his money where his mouth is. Ken Mehlman is sitting in a $3,770,000.00 (that’s $3.77 million) condo in Chelsea while we have lost our right to marry in almost 40 states.
THEN, and only then, should Mehlman be welcomed into our community.
Read more at blogactive.com.
UPDATE: The Atlantic’s story is now up:
“It’s taken me 43 years to get comfortable with this part of my life,” Mehlman said. “Everybody has their own path to travel, their own journey, and for me, over the past few months, I’ve told my family, friends, former colleagues, and current colleagues, and they’ve been wonderful and supportive. The process has been something that’s made me a happier and better person. It’s something I wish I had done years ago.”
It’s called integrity and he has none. He has delayed our civil rights and perpetuated a climate for young gays to continue doubting who they are. Hope our gay community does not aline themselves with this jerk. Obviously, he can not be trusted and is self serving.
I hope he drops dead hateful queen.
May he never get laid again the pig
In short, he can either go jump in a lake, or join the Log Cabin Republicans as their poster boy!
Come on, people. We ask for tolerance, for others to accept us as we are, but we bash Mehlman? That’s not tolerance, that’s hate. Let’s be better than that.
I suppose I’m glad that Mr. Mehlman has found some personal peace. But he must begin to make peace with the millions of gay and lesbians who he actively suppressed through his leadership on the RNC and as President Bush’s campaign manager.
For Mehlman, this means publicity, talk shows, and renewed fame. For so many regular gay and lesbian people the policies which he supported, endorsed, and actively pushed, they actually suffered.
I don’t join Mr. Haberman pejorative attitude about Log Cabin Republicans. It’s very easy to chant about gay rights in a room full of people who agree with you (at least in talk, not so much action) about equality. But it takes triple the courage to confront people in political discourse with whom you disagree.
Surely Mr. Mehlman’s revelation is merely his personal journey. He has much to do to make amends with the community he has now outwardly joined.
I am very supportive of Mr. Mehlman finding his “personal peace” and accepting himself for who he is. With that said may our paths never cross. He has done enough damage!
This isn’t the case of some guy coming to a realization after years of self-denial and angst. That could be understood and forgiven and has been done before, and the community will do it again.
This is the case of a guy who was reaping the benefits of the gay male community – a community that wasn’t easy to build, and isn’t easy to maintain. This is a man who was fully self-aware with his desires and who intentionally enables to this moment the very people who vote in ways that do real actual damage to our lives.
HE turned his back on US for personal gain. If WE turn our backs on HIM it’s for survival.
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