Have you all been following the story of Sam Adams, the handsome gayor (Gay Mayor) from Portland, OR? He's in hot water for lying about hooking up with some young buck, who was either 17 or 18 when it happened-- the jury is still out on that.Some people (gay and straight) are calling for his resignation, either for the lying or for the sex. As someone who first hooked up at 15 (and thought I was a real stud because I'd bagged a 23 year old) the sex part doesn't bother me. When a guy (gay or straight) hits his late teens he's thought about sex so much that he's no longer innocent in his mind, and he'll spot any real opportunity and take it. In fact, I bet if you asked an honest 17-year-old straight guy, he'd say he'd nail a hot woman in her 20s, 30s, or 40s in a heartbeat. Guys, ya see, are guys.
Lying? Well, the second you lie then you make your act seem evil, dirty. People stop trusting you and then you're in a whole other mess of crap.
That all said, I don't know a heck of a lot about the gayor's case (I just wanted to brag about bagging a 23 year old when I was 15). I heard about the story on NPR one day and it's since faded. But I did read a great editorial from Byron Beck who talks about when gays play "the gay card" and what that causes. It's an interesting take, not so much on the Sam Adams story but how it reflects larger issues of queer identity and sex.
It's short. Check it out.
2 comments:
I live in Portland and everyone here has a different opinion about him. I could care less that he was with a 17/18 yr old. I guess it disturbs me a little, only because he acts like he just really liked the kid. We all know he just wanted a young buck. Anyway, if he wouldn't have screamed "This is just a homophobic attack on my character!", I would be more on his side. He played the gay card and then we find out he did it. That's where he lost me. Having said that... I think he should stay mayor. He will end up doing a good job. If we kicked out every politician who screwed around there would be no one left in office.
It's rarely the crime, but the cover up that usually has the most impact. If Bill Clinton had said, under oath, he had an intimate relationship with Lewinsky, the Republicans wouldn't have had anything to run with.
That being said I tend to agree with Kelkane. Don't go around acting as if you did nothing, and then once sworn in confess your trist.
To be fair, it seems that both he, and the young man he was involved with, say it was a sexually platonic relationship.
BUt, again, it's not the act that may do him in, it's the sin of omission that may be his downfall.
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