Amid all the speculation and debate concerning Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan’s sexual orientation (see here, here and here), the Rupert Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal opted to publish a photo of Kagan playing softball 17 YEARS AGO on its front page today. Personally I think the newspaper, which happens to have the largest circulation of any in the U.S., might as well have gone with a headline that said, “Lesbian or switch-hitter?”
UPDATE: Politico has more on this.
Since she doesn’t want to answer questions about her sexual orientation, maybe she’ll answer this one. “In that picture of you playing softball, were you playing for a team in a lesbian softball league?”
Calm down. Although the picture may suggest to the gay community something about Ms. Kagan’s sexual orientation, it does not–it does not–make the same suggestion to the Amercians at large. Instead, it makes the suggestion that Ms. Kagan is a real person, a softball player, a person whose free time includes sports, and someone with a competitive nature. Instead, the picture connects with many Americans in a simple, wholesome place–sports–and at a time when baseball is in its opening Spring season.
This is a good example of gays and lesbians being too self-absorbed in own own community. We are quick to take to task others who may stereotype us, but when we do that ourselves, because we can’t see the larger picture (pun intended) we hurt our own community.
Regardless the speculation, no one loses here if we are positive about this person, her accomlishments, and her nomination.