Where the Vile Pretend to Be Virtuous
My mood had soured on the Values Voter Summit before I even arrived. On the subway ride to the Omni Shoreham Hotel, where the three-day Loonypalooza was taking place, a mentally ill homeless person desperately begged for money. A woman reached into her pocket and handed the destitute man a $5 bill.
A jowly, pink-cheeked college Republican, wearing a finely pressed blue suit and a Values Voter Summit badge, wobbled off the subway car. He jabbed his meaty finger in the air and declared that this generous woman was “responsible” for the beggar’s homelessness because she was “enabling” him. His preppy friends enthusiastically nodded in agreement. The presumption, it appeared, was that the only thing preventing this man from sharing in the opportunity society was a warm bath, a new suit, and a vote for the Republican Party.
Once inside, I picked up my badge and entered a room with display booths. One of the organizations presenting was Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays. Notably, there appeared to be no actual “ex-gays” working at the table, but there were a couple of antigay activists.
My observation was echoed in a tweet by Political Research Associates: “HA! Sandy Rios [an antigay activist] asks if anyone in the audience knows an ‘ex-gay.’ No one raises their hand.”
http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2013/10/17/op-ed-where-vile-pretend-be-virtuous
