Today Eli and I went to a memorial service of an acquaintance. I didn't know the deceased, but I know his partner of 23 years.
After I sat down I noticed the man sitting next to us looked familiar. And indeed he was. It was the former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. Turns out he was friends with the departed and his surviving partner. Enough so, that he gave special remarks during the service. Enough so that he choked up delivering those remarks.
Before he stood up and walked to the front to speak, he said to his companion sitting next to him, "I didn't see anyone here who mattered?" And looked to her for confirmation.
Hmm. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he meant someone he should acknowledge, like another Member of Congress. Uh, no. Clearly, in his grief, he wasn't forgetting to be political...although I don't know what he said in his remarks that could have possibly caused any more stir than the mere fact that he was at a gay friend's Memorial Service.
Yes, Right Wing Conservative Republicans have gay friends. They can shed tears for them but they just can't cast votes for them in Congress.
I've no doubt Newt was there because he valued his friendship with the two men. I just wish he would reconcile his personal life with his public life, and tell his friends on the right that their anti-gay policies are a house of cards built on a foundation of hypocrisy.
6 comments:
I'm... shocked, I guess. I would have thought that Newt Gingrich would whip his own mother rather than attend a gay funeral. I thought that he was such a political animal that he would have never even taken the chance of being seen there.
Dammit, Scott, now I have re-evaluate my opinion. I hate that.
I thought I saw Sen Carl Levin there too. I found it most interesting his comparison with Snow and Russerts' funerals he had attended recently and how he emmulated the fullness of Louis' parnters life...and even more interesting that he was a fellow band widow... its hard to hate band widows :-)....ok if i must! BTW.. Eli did very well for such a long service. BV
And let the people say "Amen."
"They can shed tears for them but they just can't cast votes for them in Congress."
That really says it all. Disgusting.
Scott,
I just came across your blog after I googled "Newt Gingrich gay" and saw this post. Interesting that he had a gay friend AND attended his funeral. Makes me think even less of him that he has a good friend who is gay and still is an outspoken leader against equal rights for gays.
I have a Newt story of my own. My partner (also named Scott) and I and our 4 year old son just so happened to be in an elevator with Newt a few months ago at a resort hotel in Wisconsin. It was just our little family and Newt. Scott did the proverbial elevator speech to a mute Newt --- something to the effect of "Mr. Gingrich, whatever you choose to do politically in the future, I hope you are respectful of our family (pointing to all 3 of us). One day we would hope to get married to provide better security for this little boy." He just stared at us and we got off at our floor while he stayed on.
Our 4 year old was oblivious to the exchange but upset at Newt for his own reason --- our little guy wanted to push the elevator button and the Grinch (or should I say the Gingrich) had quickly beat him to it. Newt wins again! . . . What a guy.
Kevin (Portland, OR)
ahaha, beating a 4 year old to push the elevator is funny, kind of gain respect for him hearing that.
Anyway, just wanted to point out that the man's ringtone is Dancing Queen.... just saying.
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