We were disappointed when TV host (and out lesbian) Rachel Maddow didn't question Republican Mike Huckabee about his recent crazy assertions that gays don't have to worry about hate-motivated violence like African-Americans do, or on his stance that same-sex couples deserve no legal protections, or even on those instances where the Republican leader equated committed gay relationships with bestiality. When pressed by Think Progress about her reluctance to engage Huckabee on his festering homophobia, the liberal commentator responded: "I weighed whether or not to ask him about his anti-gay views, but I really don't care about them very much." I would respectfully submit to Maddow that her viewing audience and fans care Very Much about Huck's opinions on these issues. In case she hasn't noticed, equal rights haven't yet been granted to gays and lesbians in this country. But never mind. LGBT Americans have found heroism in a straight man who DOES care about equality and isn't afraid to challenge the Huckster on his prejudice against gays.
Enter the intrepid Jon Stewart. When Mike Huckabee recently appeared on Comedy Central's Daily Show to promote his new book, Do the Right-Wing Thing, the progressive comic took this Christian bully by the horns and wrestled his intolerance to the ground. Okay, there wasn't any actual wrestling going on - but Stewart debated the folksy politician in a sincere and thoughtful manner that left little doubt in viewers' minds which of them knew the true meaning of the word "compassion." Two priceless quotes from the interview:
Huckabee: The basic purpose of a marriage is not just to create the next generation but to train our replacements. (It's ironic that evangelicals falsely accuse gays of "recruiting" when in fact that concept drives their entire ministry.)
Stewart: I think it's a travesty that people have forced those who are gay to have to "make their case" that they deserve the same basic rights.
Although we still have great respect and admiration for Rachel Maddow, our Puppy Love is reserved for those who confront the opponents of equal rights unflinchingly: Keith Olbermann, Frank Rich, Arianna Huffington and Jon Stewart, to name but a few.
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If anyone trivialized the whole argument, it was Huckabee. We're denying people basic civil rights because of a word? By their definitions, I can't be married either. I'm agnostic. I can't be married in the eyes of "god". So why does the state allow me to marry?
The one thing Jon should have said, especially when Huckabee brought up the polygamy issue, is if we were to bring the definition of marriage back to biblical times, polygamy would be allowed. Well...actually one more point...Huckabee said that if we allowed gay marriage, we would have to allow every other type of union. How does that work? Besides the obvious speciousness of that argument, by their logic, we have to prohibit anyone from marrying if we are to prohibit some from marrying.
Posted by: Wendy | December 12, 2008 at 01:29 PM