Outrage (2009)

Most people know about Larry Craig from his infamous airport bathroom foot dance. I had heard about Charlie Crist and his apparent beard from gay blogs. But even I had no idea about Ed Koch (former NYC major) or David Dreier (CA-Congress) or Shepard Smith who isn't a political figure, but is a visible public face for the anti-gay Fox News. The film highlights the hypocrisy of these closeted gay politicians who vote against gay interests and community and a couple prominent public persons who advance the cause against gays, such as Shepard Smith and Mary Cheney. Mary Cheney is a Republican puppet and essentially a non-benefit, a non-actor to the cause, a free-loader on liberal efforts. Except for the fact that at least she is out, Cheney has mostly been in fact a detriment, providing cover and is mainly a token to Republicans who essentially have no open gays in their ranks.

The additional materials are also interesting. In a Q&A, someone asks why they highlight McCarthy associate Roy Cohn as a big hypocrite, but not Joe McCarthy himself. The director seems to have found some risk in making that assertion and decided to remove McCarthy's "outing" in the movie. From the web: `Greenspun wrote that: "It is common talk among homosexuals in Milwaukee who rendezvous in the White Horse Inn that Senator Joe McCarthy has often engaged in homosexual activities." McCarthy considered a libel suit against Greenspun but decided against it when he was told by his lawyers that if the case went ahead he would have to take the witness stand and answer questions about his sexuality. In an attempt to stop the rumours circulating, McCarthy married his secretary, Jeannie Kerr. Later the couple adopted a five-week old girl from the New York Foundling Home.' and from Joseph McCarthy: reexamining the life and legacy of America's most hated senator By Arthur Herman: 'Two years later the [Las Vegas] Sun ran an article... insinuating that McCarthy was leading the fight against homosexuals in government in order to divert suspicion from himself. It mentioned that he had been seen kissing a Wisconsin Young Republican full on the mouth, had hired "tall, handsome, dreamy-eyed" David Schine, and had sent Jean Kerr off on an extended vacation to Hawaii in order to spend time alone with his homosexual lovers.' I guess I'm gullible that way, but I think McCarthy is so far perhaps the biggest hypocrite of all.

The movie was made after Mark Foley and before Roy Ashburn. In this context, the hypocrisy seems to be an on-going sad phenomenon. But f**k the public servants who hide behind the talk that it's none of anyone's business. May the Outing and Outrage continue until there are no more closeted gays in public office.