Anderson Cooper Discusses Prop 8

Anderson Cooper and guests discuss the passage of Prop 8:

Comments

[Lakefield1981]

There will be a time - 50 years down the road when this might change.

Ugh - I can't believe California did this. I really wanted to visit the place now I have no desire to give that State any of my money.

[Jon]

That closet case has no business discussing queer rights. Shame on him.

Someone should smack that man, and not in a good way.

[bill]

Jon, everyone comes out when they are ready, not when you are. Just because he does not follow your timeline or your way of thinking does not mean he gives up all his rights to speak out. This is the George W Bush way of thinking, you are either 100% with me, or you have no right to speak.

As a respected journalist, Coop is in the business of speaking about the issues in the news. "Queer right", as you call them, are issues in the news, and it is his business to discuss them in a fair and balanced way.

Maybe if we start to allow people with other opinions to speak or live, we will get the same respect in return.

[corrective_unconscious]

>Maybe if we start to allow people with other opinions to speak or live, we will get the same respect in return.

Although gays and lesbians are not the ones preventing people from getting married or adopting children or serving openly in the military or being protected from arbitrary discrimination.

We know who the bigots are. And the closet cases.

[bill]

"We know who the bigots are"

My point was attack the issues, not the person. Obama won the election because he attacked McCain on the issues. McCain lost because his camp made personal attacks on Obama. Name calling, and suggestions of violence, are not the way to make progress. (Alhough, I am sure that "smack" comment was really just a joke, right?)

"And the closet cases"

If nobody is allowed to discuss "queer rights" until they come out, as suggested by both your comments, then we lose many voices of support. Do we also believe that only black journalists should be allowed to discuss black issues? Only Christian journalists should be allowed to discuss Christian issues? This sounds as fair and balanced as FOX News.

As a gay man and a liberal, I believe Anderson Cooper has the right to live his personal life as he chooses. He has the right to live it in private. He has the freedom to make his own choices. And his personal life and views should not cloud his impartial journalism. If we can't even support our own community and grant them the freedom to choose, what makes us think we should get support from others to allow us the freedom to choose.

[corrective_unconscious]

>Maybe if we start to allow people with other opinions to speak or live, we will get the same respect in return.

This is a completely backwards assertion of causality is my point. There is no need to "tolerate" bigots. The hate gays and lesbians face has nothing to do with whether we are respectful of homophobes or not.

I agree the situation with non overtly homophobic closet cases is "grayer," but it's clear that coming out is helpful and is to be admired. What that implies about adults who never come out is not so flattering.

None of this means anyone ever claimed only black people should be able to discuss issues of race. No one said or implied that.

Str8 people who wish to support g/l/b/t rights are to be congratulated. I don't believe Anderson Cooper falls into that category, personally.

[Jon]

It is hypocritical for closet cases to speak of Queer rights (when defending them) because one of the biggest things people can do to support Queer Rights is to come out of the closet! Visibility is huge when you're an invisible minority. So it ridiculous when you have people who are setting our movement back talking about Queer rights - And it's a slap in the face by the networks. Give us someone straight, or someone out of the closet. Someone who is honest.

More shameful are the closet cases who speak out against Queer rights like Rev. Haggard or Larry Craig.

[bill]

“Give us someone straight, or someone out of the closet.”

OK, let me see if I understand what you are saying here.

As an employer, if I suspect that my employee is gay, but that employee has not announced his sexuality publicly, I should refuse to assign that employee to any stories that relate to “queer rights”. I should only assign those stories to reporters who have announced their sexual orientation publicly. And any employee who has not publicly announced his or her sexual orientation should be denied the same access and treated as a second class citizen.

Now I fully understand what Gay Rights are all about. Granting rights only to people who agree with your idea of who should come out and when. Its NOT about treating everyone the same. Got it! 

[Tom]

Attention:
Here is a listing of People whom Donations to Mormons for Prop 8.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pe2023SzWXxE8wYX5qWeoIw
Please check your state and city and call or write the people from the list and tell then you will not be patronizing their business. Because of there support to Prop 8. You will have to do a google search but you will be able to find their address, and phone numbers.