Hate crimes passage: Nothing but a dinner party icebreaker

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09/28/2007

by Jeremy Hooper

Gay-Andrea-Lafferty Responding to yesterday's cloture vote on the Matthew Shepard Act, the always affable Andrea Lafferty of the Traditional Values Coalition says the following:

“Why are Americans seeing such an onslaught of pro-homosexual/drag queen bills being rammed through the House and Senate this month? It’s simple: the Human Rights Campaign is holding a huge love fest for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on October 3rd,”...“They want to have a legislative victory to crow about at this Pelosi event. Congress is committed to catering to the homosexual/drag queen lobby rather than being committed to the truth. And, they’re willing to exploit our military by adding this non-germane amendment to a defense budget bill. Shame on the Senate for approving this hate crimes amendment!”

We respond:

"Oh yes, Andrea, you've totally found us out. It's not about actually wishing to see a world wherein the LGBT community lives with less fear. It's not about wishing to prevent deaths like the one for which the bill is named. And it's not that Congress passed these bills after reasoned consideration of their merits. It's simply so that when Joe Solmonese and Nancy Peloi rub shoulders on Oct. 3, they can give each other a sly wink regarding the fast one they've pulled on the American people.

That's a totally rational idea, Andrea. Honestly. In no way nutty. Seriously.

Now, never mind that Pelosi is in the House, who passed their version of the bill way back in May (thus sort of negating the idea that this bill was "rammed through" this month). Never mind that gay activists have been trying for eons to get this bill passed. Never mind that conservatives and conservative groups also have various events and soirees scheduled over then next few months, with all of them needing victories to chat about at these black tie affairs. Never mind that Republican had just as much of an opportunity to rally the seven of their own part (and one Independent) who voted for these protections to instead side with the anti-gay lobby. In fact, never mind all of the data that could lead one to form a cogent understanding of how and why this truly righteous bill passed through both chambers. Let's instead do as you have, Andrea, and just form an agenda-laden, fearmongery, accusatory talking point as to why this bill had success, as those are far more convenient in terms of mindlessly spurring a torch-wield, gay-demonizing mob to action!

Andrea is 100% religious right. Our elected leadership is finally advancing this long-debated, long-awaited measure for one reason and one reason only. It's simply because Joe Solmonese and Nancy Pelosi both find lulls in conversation painfully awkward, so they have dastardly schemed a way to keep the conversation going from the first champagne toast right through the last bite of creme brulée.

Wise. Just wise."