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Are_grits_groceries

(17,111 posts)
Wed Sep 25, 2013, 05:25 PM Sep 2013

I'll say it flat out. Lindsey Graham is gay.

There's nothing wrong with that except he is a monumental hypocrite.

Linda Ketner and what she said is why I believe it. She has close ties to both the political and LGBT communities. When she made her comments about Graham and others, it barely made a ripple. Most people really don't care unless you 'do something in the street and scare the horses.' Nobody called anybody out or sued anybody. She said it in a very matter-of-fact way. She's a great character and has a great bio.
This fact will be flung in this election though and flung with a nasty edge. The Teaspitters have no manners.

This is an article about her and the comments about Graham are in it:
In what looked– at least from the outside– as one of the most unlikely outcomes of the 2008 election cycle, Democrat Linda Ketner came within two percentage points of beating entrenched Establishment wingnut Henry Brown in a gerrymandered South Carolina district specifically drawn to be an easy win for Republicans. At the same time, Obama only managed 42% in the district. Linda was the only South Carolina Democrat who came close to ousting an incumbent last year. Until near the end of the campaign the DCCC and the punditocracy didn’t have a clue. The fact that Linda is openly gay and openly progressive on social issues– and very outspoken– caused quite a few people to not even give the race a second look.
I’ve been trying to persuade her to run again in 2010 and asked her to come by and meet our community today. Before asking you to join us in the Firedoglake comments section, let me share with you a helpful bio her brother had some fun with:

- at age 8, she sent a petition with 300 signatures to President Eisenhower asking that girls and African Americans be allowed to play Little League baseball.

– age 8 also found Linda showing other early signs of activism. She uniformly drank from water fountains marked “colored” instead of the ones marked “white” and made sure to ride in the back of the bus (for which she was “thrown off” the bus more than once).

– In 1961, her widely known pit-bull stubbornness was evidenced at a piano recital. After having blown the heck out of Moonlight Sonata in 1960, she announced to her mom and dad she would not be playing in the recital of ’61. Her mother announced back– and louder– that indeed she would play in the recital… end of subject. So, Linda found a poison ivy field, bathed her hands up to her elbows in the stuff and spent the next 6 weeks wrapped in bandages. She, however, did NOT play in the recital of ’61 or any thereafter!

-In ’69 she started college and was elected President of the Freshman Class. She neglected her studies woefully and spent all of her time marching in the Civil Rights movement and plotting with her friends as to how to save the world. They had almost accomplished it (saving the world) when they graduated and were dispersed. Linda’s mom blames the 60’s for almost everything she doesn’t understand about Linda.


I asked her if she thought being upfront about being gay, even campaigning with her partner of 9 years, Beth Huntley, impacted the race. "When you lose by such a tight margin, anything could have played a role." In focus groups she found that people didn’t care about her personal sexual preference but respected her honesty. "We have more gay people serving in South Carolina than probably in anyplace in the United States; they’re just not out of the closet. We have an awful lot of people in the closet– Lindsey Graham, Glenn McConnell who’s our Senate president pro tem, our Lt Governor… I obviously lost the conservative, religious crazy vote, but I would have anyway because I’m pro-choice… It got more national attention than it did local attention; it was no secret to anybody around here." She actually won in Charleston County.
<snip>
http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/30/blue-america-meet-linda-ketner/

She is very wealthy because she inherited Food Lion money from her daddy. She financed her campaign with her money and she got little outside help. Coming that close to defeating an incumbent Republican male in a majority Republican district was amazing.
I wish she would run again. She will probably have to wait until the Tea Party crazies die down. They will die down even here.
37 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
I'll say it flat out. Lindsey Graham is gay. (Original Post) Are_grits_groceries Sep 2013 OP
He's only as gay as Marcus Bachmann lame54 Sep 2013 #1
What exactly does that mean? Are_grits_groceries Sep 2013 #5
Some say he's gay. polichick Sep 2013 #9
Here ya go... lame54 Sep 2013 #11
So what? pinto Sep 2013 #2
I agree. Are_grits_groceries Sep 2013 #3
I agree. nt bluestate10 Sep 2013 #10
You're probably correct. TheCowsCameHome Sep 2013 #4
A shitty thread. Nye Bevan Sep 2013 #6
I won't. Are_grits_groceries Sep 2013 #7
Off topic... awoke_in_2003 Sep 2013 #29
I don't like this kind of callout. He's a human too. nolabear Sep 2013 #8
He harms gay people with his support for Are_grits_groceries Sep 2013 #14
So attack him for supporting anti-LGBT causes. Nye Bevan Sep 2013 #21
Thank you. n/t Ms. Toad Sep 2013 #23
I liked her and enjoyed the comments..Thanks for posting...n/t monmouth3 Sep 2013 #12
Well, I do declare! *fans self* eissa Sep 2013 #13
This gay man doesn't consider this a call-out, particularly joeybee12 Sep 2013 #15
Thanks, Joey. Me, too. I got shitkicked months ago for saying the same thing. CurtEastPoint Sep 2013 #16
Besides, posting on DU is hardly a call-out... joeybee12 Sep 2013 #17
Likely for the same reason this lesbian does. Ms. Toad Sep 2013 #18
Well, I disagree... joeybee12 Sep 2013 #22
You are correct. Ms. Toad Sep 2013 #25
Excellent response! Sheldon Cooper Sep 2013 #33
Because it's a fine line jberryhill Sep 2013 #19
good post d_r Sep 2013 #30
Same here. xfundy Sep 2013 #20
Graham is out to anyone who isn't a wingnut idiot JI7 Sep 2013 #24
duh nt arely staircase Sep 2013 #26
So what of he is gay? Oh that's right, he likes to dump on gay people gopiscrap Sep 2013 #27
Obligatory disclaimer tularetom Sep 2013 #28
Here's the thing: (1) as a general rule, we'd prefer not to bash folk for that; though (2) struggle4progress Sep 2013 #31
Apparently the fact that he's a middle-aged bachelor Nye Bevan Sep 2013 #34
Even politicians are entitled to their private lives IMO, although if they struggle4progress Sep 2013 #36
I guess you didn't understand my post. Are_grits_groceries Sep 2013 #37
The hypocrisy is legend grahamhgreen Sep 2013 #32
It's also local kenny blankenship Sep 2013 #35

Are_grits_groceries

(17,111 posts)
3. I agree.
Wed Sep 25, 2013, 05:35 PM
Sep 2013

I said nothing was wrong with that except he is a hypocrite.
I made this statement because everybody quibbles or steps around this issue. It will be an issue in this election because of the Tea Party.

Nye Bevan

(25,406 posts)
6. A shitty thread.
Wed Sep 25, 2013, 05:37 PM
Sep 2013

He's gay, because he's a middle-aged bachelor? There's a lot of issues to attack Republicans on without getting into completely unsubstantiated rumors about their personal lives.

I recommend you self-delete.

nolabear

(41,963 posts)
8. I don't like this kind of callout. He's a human too.
Wed Sep 25, 2013, 05:43 PM
Sep 2013

He's hypocritical in that he harms humans. I don't think this is a good place to go.

Nye Bevan

(25,406 posts)
21. So attack him for supporting anti-LGBT causes.
Wed Sep 25, 2013, 06:15 PM
Sep 2013

The middle-school-style "oooh, he's so GAYYYYYYYY" is unnecessary.

eissa

(4,238 posts)
13. Well, I do declare! *fans self*
Wed Sep 25, 2013, 05:52 PM
Sep 2013

Such accusations against my person just gives me the vapors! *in best southern belle accent*

 

joeybee12

(56,177 posts)
15. This gay man doesn't consider this a call-out, particularly
Wed Sep 25, 2013, 05:56 PM
Sep 2013

given the context of the article...why do some of you straight people feel it is?

 

joeybee12

(56,177 posts)
17. Besides, posting on DU is hardly a call-out...
Wed Sep 25, 2013, 06:11 PM
Sep 2013

It won't make the national news or anything.

I tend to think some people are still in the mindset that there's something "different" about being gay (besides the obvious) so you shouldn't talk about it.

Ms. Toad

(34,072 posts)
18. Likely for the same reason this lesbian does.
Wed Sep 25, 2013, 06:11 PM
Sep 2013

It is.

If the OP wants to tout Linda Ketler - great. The article posted is about Kinda Ketler, not Lindsay Graham, aside from an inflammatory headline speculatively outing him.

The only purpose for bringing it up is to use it as something negative the "teaspitters" will rebel against. In other words - using homosexuality as something negative for political gain.

Ms. Toad

(34,072 posts)
25. You are correct.
Wed Sep 25, 2013, 06:24 PM
Sep 2013

I am not open for discussion about whether speculating about someone's sexuality, with the express intent that it will be used against him (by the "teaspitters&quot , is ever appropriate.

If you have trouble with his positions - attack his positions. Since they are in line with those who support him that isn't nearly as effective as using the speculation that he is gay as a weapon to encourage those who would otherwise support him to turn against him. Again - using being gay as a weapon is never acceptable.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
19. Because it's a fine line
Wed Sep 25, 2013, 06:13 PM
Sep 2013

On the one hand, some consider it to be particularly hypocritical for a closeted gay politician to take stances which are contrary to the majority opinion of gay people.

On the other hand, some consider it to unexceptional for a politician to take positions which are, in some sense, contradicted by a personal characteristic of said politician.

For example, there are any number of female politicians who hold positions considered by others to be "anti-women". Some of the leading voices against positions deemed "pro women's rights" have been women - e.g. Phyllis Schlafly and her organization's longstanding crusade against things like the Equal Rights Amendment and so on.

Incongruously, we accept the fact that there are those who consider their personal beliefs to be distinguishable from their positions on matters of public policy. There are any number of Roman Catholic politicians, for example, who believe that abortion should be legal as a matter of public policy, and that is a separate question from their personal beliefs on the question.

The question seems to hinge on what are "apparent" personal conditions.


For example, nobody goes running around saying "Clarence Thomas is black!" when he decides against the Voting Rights Act or "Michelle Bachman is a woman!" when she holds forth on reproductive rights.

We accept, in these other contexts, that indeed Clarence Thomas may take positions with which a majority of African Americans disagree, or that Michelle Bachman may take positions with which a majority of women disagree. But we accept these things because it is apparent that Clarence Thomas is black and that Michelle Bachman is a woman.

So, it is seen by some as unseemly that, while anyone else is able to take what are seen as positions contrary to their personal characteristics, it is somehow subject to condemnation if a person does so, and happens to be gay.

Adding to the problem is that saying "So and so is gay" is, in other contexts, meant as a general condemnation of that person. That has a different sort of aroma than saying "Clarence Thomas is Black" or "Michelle Bachman is a woman".

struggle4progress

(118,282 posts)
31. Here's the thing: (1) as a general rule, we'd prefer not to bash folk for that; though (2)
Wed Sep 25, 2013, 08:16 PM
Sep 2013

as you note, it's completely fair to point out hypocrisy; (3) making the accusation, even when pointing out hypocrisy, fails completely if one doesn't have damn good proof; and (4) if one makes such accusations repeatedly, without having damn good proof, the accuser rather than the target loses credibility

So my advice is don't even think about playing this card unless you can get damn good proof, and even then don't even think about playing the card except when the target has just said or done something that would be universally regarded as disgusting hypocrisy if the card were played

struggle4progress

(118,282 posts)
36. Even politicians are entitled to their private lives IMO, although if they
Thu Sep 26, 2013, 11:56 PM
Sep 2013

want to stick their noses into other people's private lives then I do think their own hypocrisies can become fair game

Are_grits_groceries

(17,111 posts)
37. I guess you didn't understand my post.
Fri Sep 27, 2013, 03:29 AM
Sep 2013

I said exactly why I believe he is gay. I believe Linda Ketner is a reliable source for the reasons I stated.
Nowhere in my remarks did I use the phrase 'middle aged bachelor' nor did I make any reference to his age or marital status. You jumped hard to those conclusions and thought I said that or thought that is what I meant.
If I meant to use about his marital status and age to prove my point, I would have said so straight out. Those 2 items alone are poor proof IMHO.
If you disagree with me, that is your right. However, don't draw false conclusions or attack me for something I did not say in any way.

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