White House resident comes out of the closet

[vaskidmark]

http://factsnotfantasy.blogspot.com/2011/02/americas-gay-white-house.html

A news item by Agence Press France flew under the radar of many American news media. On February 25th it reported that “The White House on Friday named Jeremy Bernard to serve as social secretary to President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama, the first male and first openly gay person to hold the position.”

OK, I really do know why the issue of sexual preference is the focus of all the attention regarding this appointment.  And I really do understand why both sides are tearing into this.  But I am seriously wondering just why the White House decided to make the sexual orientation the point of focus.

Anybody care to expound?

stay safe.

[RevDisk]

Anybody care to expound?

Sure.  Who cares that a social secretary is gay?  Maybe it's being stereotypical and/or racist, but some occupations, plenty of other folks have a positive stereotype.  Japanese gardeners, gay interior designers, German engineers, Swedish models, etc. 

It's BS, but people are often inherently illogical and not always in a negative fashion.  Buddy of mine is gay.  Dude couldn't design you a coordinated living room if you threatened him with torture.  Landing gear for an aircraft, no problem.  Color matching?  Yea, not so much.

[Gowen]

Am I the only one who is tired of people being defined who they are by what type of sex they have? 

[S. Williamson]

Buddy of mine is gay.  Dude couldn't design you a coordinated living room if you threatened him with torture.  Landing gear for an aircraft, no problem.  Color matching?  Yea, not so much.

Erm...

Matterhorn white
Polished chrome
Zinc chromate green
Flat black
Magnesium gray

  

[roo_ster]

It's BS, but people are often inherently illogical and not always in a negative fashion.  Buddy of mine is gay.  Dude couldn't design you a coordinated living room if you threatened him with torture.  Landing gear for an aircraft, no problem.  Color matching?  Yea, not so much.

"Put down the throw pillows, Bob, and no one will get hurt."

[White Horseradish]

You people are missing the real issue here. How can we be sure that is an actual gay man and not a C3PO protocol droid covered in silicone to look more human?

[Perd Hapley]

Are you saying he's a fauxmosexual?

Realistically, though, it wouldn't be surprising if some designers and decorators were just pretending, to help their careers. A few fauxmosexuals in the White House could enhance Obama's cred with some voters, too.

[longeyes]

OK, I really do know why the issue of sexual preference is the focus of all the attention regarding this appointment.  And I really do understand why both sides are tearing into this.  But I am seriously wondering just why the White House decided to make the sexual orientation the point of focus.

Anybody care to expound?

Because, quite possibly, that's WHY he was selected.  Sending a message.

Personally, I don't care, but this is politics, you know.

[MechAg94]

IMO, you will know when hiring gay (or insert your special category) people is no big deal when no one bothers to make note of it. 

Do you think we can get a reporter to ask the White House how many Irish people they have hired in the last 2 years?

I remember a radio comment last week about this.  The commenter was expounding on the great leaps and bounds made by gay people to break the stereotypes and the glass ceilings by getting one of their own hired as the social secretary.  I would try to repeat it better, but I can't do it justice. 

[lee n. field]

But I am seriously wondering just why the White House decided to make the sexual orientation the point of focus.

Anybody care to expound?

Politics.  Publicity. 

I can picture Ronald Reagan having such in his White House, and not making anything of it.

[KD5NRH]

Do you think we can get a reporter to ask the White House how many Irish people they have hired in the last 2 years?

Openly Irish, you mean.  Some guy with a carefully hidden Finnegan in his lineage doesn't count.

[Doggy Daddy]

Openly Irish, you mean.  Some guy with a carefully hidden Finnegan in his lineage doesn't count.

And, as long as people keep their Finnegans hidden, it makes no difference to me who they hire.   

DD

[Jamisjockey]

They make a big deal out of it because it gives them special interest steet cred. Gotta get the base fired up for 2012, after all. 

[MechAg94]

They make a big deal out of it because it gives them special interest steet cred. Gotta get the base fired up for 2012, after all. 

Which anyone with a brain ought to see as a back handed insult.  "Hey, we hired one of you people here at the White House.  We nicknamed him Token.  Vote for me!"

[Perd Hapley]

Which anyone with a brain ought to see as a back handed insult.  "Hey, we hired one of you people here at the White House.  We nicknamed him Token.  Vote for me!"

Even so, it does work. [shrug]

[T.O.M.]

Even so, it does work. [shrug]

That it does.  I work for a judge who has to run for his position every six years.  He made no bones about the fact that, when he hired me, he was going to use me and my background as election fodder.  It's a very conservative (Republican) county, so he played upon my military service, Eagle Scout, background as a prosecutor, married with children, etc. 

It is what it is, and for better or worse it's how the system runs.

[Jamie B]

I do not care about their sexual preference.

I do care that they are not paying their taxes.

[Lee]

Am I the only one who is tired of people being defined who they are by what type of sex they have?

No...and quit calling me Hand some.