The Real Reason Gays Go Gaga for Halloween

Give me your fearsome ghouls and your flaming gays, your slutty zombies and your zany queens, for it is time for Halloween.

Halloween isn’t just a holiday for LGBT people; it’s an institution, but why? Sure, there are the obvious parallels. A gay person grew up wearing masks, and to many of us, every day was Halloween until we opened those closet doors. We are highly trained at hiding our true selves, so the celebration of costume and disguise is a natural marriage for us. But for today’s generation, where “gay” is hardly the terrifying pronunciation that it once was, this explanation doesn’t hold much weight.

I guess you could make the connection of queers delighting in the chance to express themselves in ways that society usually deems lewd and inappropriate. This holiday is one that praises all the frights and fetishes that we are told to cover up. But then again, that is what Gay Pride is all about. The gay community is a requiem for sexual liberation, so for many, Halloween is just another Saturday night at the club.

No, Halloween is the national gay holiday for the fact being LGBT is an extension of expressing who you want to be, regardless of who is scared of it. Regardless how liberal the community you live in may be, the global reality is that being gay is still considered a perversion, a subversion, and even an abomination. Some of us may rarely have to address this reality, living in progressive hubs where gay is practically the norm. But others know all too well what a healthy group of people in the U.S. thinks about your “lifestyle.”

Living in Dallas, even I forget just how odd I am to some people simply because I am gay. And for a minute here and there, I might even convince myself that my life, my relationship, and my sex are now just the boring norm. But just a few miles outside of my bubble, and the sometimes-painful realization that I am an “other” swiftly reminds me of my alternative position in society. And this is a good thing …

Being gay isn’t a fetish. But for many, it is a fantasy. For gay people, the fear of exploring your fantasies, which, in turn, become reality, can almost be second nature. So when Halloween comes around, people on the LGBT spectrum aren’t afraid to revel in their proclivities, whether they are ghoulish, garish, or slutty as hell, because in the eyes of the judgmental peanut gallery, we represent those things every day.

At some point in a gay person’s life, you realize that you will always be a freak to some. Trying to change yourself is impossible, so eventually you relish in your freakdom and wait as the onlookers creep closer to your side of the line.

Halloween is one time of year when everyone is allowed to be whoever he or she wants to be. But for gay people, it isn’t as much of a stretch.

So throw on those hooker heels and paint those faces a fright, because soon, very soon, it will be Halloween night …

TYLER CURRY is an activist and the author of A Peacock Among Pigeons, a new children’s book that celebrates diversity. Get your copy at www.apeacockamongpigeons.com.

Photos courtesy of Miguel Angel Reyes. See more at his Facebook page.

Tyler Curry

www.advocate.com/commentary/2015/10/29/real-reason-gays-go-gaga-halloween

Resolved Question: How can Uncle Ben Carson be considered so smart when he says such stupid things?

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Another Debate And More Proof That The Republican Party Is A Mess

At this point, the Republican presidential race has violated all the laws of electoral physics. Candidates who would seem eminently qualified for office have poll numbers that look like a toddler’s age, and candidates who seem eminently qualified for psychotropic medications are in the lead.

Last night’s debate only confirmed yet again that just when you thought the party had hit bottom, the candidates take a shovel and start digging deeper.

Related: Everything You Need To Know About The Republican Debate Without Actually Having To Watch

For a debate that was supposed to be about economics, the topics ranged far afield. That provided Ben Carson the opportunity to prove yet again he was a homophobe while denying that he was.

“I believe that our Constitution protects everybody, regardless of their sexual orientation or any other aspect. I also believe that marriage is between one man and one woman. And there is no reason that you can’t be perfectly fair to the gay community,” Carson said in a flight of illogic. “They shouldn’t automatically assume that because you believe that marriage is between one man and one woman that you are a homophobe.”

Of course, Carson didn’t try to resolve the contradiction between being fair and denying basic rights. That’s because he’s the real victim. “This is how they frighten people and get people to shut up,” Carson said. “You know, that’s what the PC culture is all about, and it’s destroying this nation.”

You have to be Carson’s age to even talk about a PC culture, let alone imagine that it’s real.

The debate was disastrous for other reasons as well. The moderators were by any standard just awful. The candidates appealing to the tinfoil hat brigade (looking at you, Donald) were subdued. In fact, if anything as a group the outsiders solidified their standing.

In particularly, Ted Cruz was among the candidates who came off the best, which should be a wake up call to everyone worried about the creepiest Senator being the GOP nominee. Cruz has been running a below-the-radar campaign. But it’s also a smart one. He’s prepared to scoop up all the voters when the kiddie candidates like Trump and Carson implode.

Meanwhile, the man who was supposed to be the frontrunner, Jeb Bush, is vanishing before our eyes. He had almost no time during the debate and he did not use the time he had to cover himself in glory. Following on the news that he was cutting back on his campaign spending, Bush’s debate performance is going to cement the perception that his presidential hopes are in a death spiral.  

Making predictions in this campaign environment is foolhardy. Who could have predicted that anyone would take Donald Trump seriously and that someone with Jeb Bush’s credentials would be in the single digits?

The only thing that’s clear is that the Republican party is a mess that only promises to get messier.

JohnGallagher

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DEBATE: Prime-Time Event Mostly on Economy, But LGBT Issues Come Up

Tonight’s prime-time Republican presidential debate on CNBC, like the earlier debate between lower-polling candidates, focused on economics with little attention to social issues — but the latter did arise, especially with Ben Carson.

Carson, the retired neurosurgeon who’s recently overtaken Donald Trump in some polls, was asked about his service on the board of Costco, rated one of the most gay-friendly companies in the nation, and how that squares with his views, which are antigay by most measures. He responded that it’s possible to be “perfectly fair to the gay community” while believing that marriage should be limited to opposite-sex couples.

He dodged a question, though, about price increases by drug companies, most likely a reference to the proposed 4,000 percent rise in the price of Daraprim, a drug used to treat toxoplasmosis, an infection that can be particularly severe in people with HIV. He deflected the query by saying government regulations are the biggest culprit in rising drug costs. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie then jumped in and said, “We don’t need Hillary Clinton price controls.”

Clinton and President Obama came in for much criticism from the 11 candidates in the mainstage debate, with participants claiming “big government” solutions to problems just create more, and that the nation needs less government and lower taxes. They fought over who has the best tax plan and also excoriated the mainstream media for supposedly favoring the Democrats.

In the first Democratic debate, the candidates got “fawning questions” from the media, said U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who objected to the tone of questions in tonight’s debate. “This is not a cage match,” he said.

One of the questions that raised his ire was moderator John Harwood’s opener to Trump, citing his lofty promises about cutting taxes without adding to the deficit and building a wall to keep out undocumented immigrants. “Is this a comic book version of a presidential campaign?” asked Harwood, to which Trump replied that it wasn’t a nice way to ask a question.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, though, questioned some of the tax schemes put out by Trump and others, saying they are “fantasies.” Kasich, as a governor and former U.S. senator, said he actually has experience with balancing government budgets.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida also took a swing at the media, saying in a discussion of super PACs, which can do unlimited spending on behalf of candidates, “Democrats have the ultimate super PAC, and it’s called the mainstream media.” He said that last week’s congressional inquiry of Clinton about the terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya, while she was secretary of state, showed her to be a liar, while the media characterized her performance as a triumph.

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina said the economic policies espoused by Clinton and Obama hurt the middle class and especially women, and that she was a better choice than Clinton to be the nation’s first woman president. “I may not be your dream candidate just yet, but I assure you I’m Hillary Clinton’s worst nightmare,” she said. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, meanwhile, talked about his years fighting the “Clinton machine.”

Huckabee objected to a question about whether Trump has the moral credentials to lead the nation, saying he didn’t want to give Trump extra time, but he said the business tycoon would make a much better president than Clinton.

Trump, as usual, touted his record in business too, although the questioners caught him in a lie about his criticism of Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg, who has endorsed increasing the number of a certain kind of visa that allows workers with technological expertise to come to the U.S. He denied that he criticized Zuckerberg, but some research found that the criticism was on his own website.

The candidates also sparred about the best ways to assure the continued existence of Medicare and Social Security, with Carson and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush endorsing private savings accounts as an optional alternative to Medicare, and some candidates suggesting means-testing for Social Security recipients or raising the retirement age.

Christie got perhaps the biggest laugh of the evening when the CNBC’s journalists asked if betting on fantasy sports should be regulated as a form of gambling. “We have ISIS and al Qaeda attacking us and we’re talking about fantasy football?” he asked. “Who cares? Let people play!”

And although the debate focused on economics, some candidates did find time to emphasize their “family values” cred. Cruz bragged that he was proud to lead the congressioal fights against Obamacare and Planned Parenthood. And Carson said, “We should never give away the values and principles that made America a great nation in the name of political correctness.”

Mostly, though, the night was about the candidates’ support for smaller government. “I want a government so small I can barely see it,” said U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, contending that “liberty thrives” when government is small.

The audience at the Coors Events Center at the University of Colorado in Boulder was also small, just 1,000 people. The arena holds 11,000, but the number of tickets was limited at the request of CNBC, NPR reports. “The way it was explained to us by CNBC is the event is meant for a TV audience, not so much for a live audience,” Ryan Lynch, the executive director of the Colorado Republican Party, which got 200 tickets, told NPR.

The university received only 150 tickets, leading some students and staff to object. “The undergraduate student body is over 30,000-people strong,” said senior Aaron Estevez-Miller, who told NPR he and other students would be protesting outside the arena.

Boulder is a very liberal city, where President Obama received 70 percent of the vote in the 2012 election. But hosting the Republican debate provided an opportunity “to really broaden the kind of viewpoints for our students to hear,” university spokesman Ryan Huff told NPR.

Trudy Ring

www.advocate.com/election/2015/10/28/debate-prime-time-event-mostly-economy-lgbt-issues-come

Ben Carson: Opposing Same-Sex Marriage Doesn't Make Me Homophobic

WASHINGTON — Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson said he thinks marriage should be between one man and one woman, but that doesn’t make him a homophobe. In fact, he said, it’s the people who criticize opponents of same-sex marriage who are the real problem.

“There is no reason that you can’t be perfectly fair to the gay community” if you’re opposed to marriage equality, Carson said during Wednesday’s GOP debate. “This is one of the myths that the left perpetuates on our society. This is how they frighten people and get people to shut up.”

Carson said American culture has become too politically correct, and people who accuse others of being homophobic on the same-sex marriage issue are “destroying the nation.”

“The fact of the matter is, we the American people are not each other’s enemies,” he said. “It’s those people who are trying to divide us who are the enemies.”

Carson has previously said prison makes people gay, compared same-sex marriage to bestiality, joked that Christian bakers might poison cakes for gay people and said Congress should remove judges who rule in favor of same-sex marriage.

Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, who was texting supporters throughout the GOP debate, responded to Carson’s claims.

“Discrimination against the LGBT community is not a myth,” she texted. “It’s a reality for too many Americans and it’s wrong.”

For the latest updates on tonight’s debate, visit our liveblog.

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HRC Commends Obama Admin for Support of Trans Student Challenging Discriminatory Restroom Policy

Today’s action by the Department of Justice sends a crucial message to schools across the country — transgender youth are valuable members of our community who are entitled to full protection of the law.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/hrc-commends-obama-admin-for-support-of-trans-student-challenging-discrimin?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed