From the Merriam Webster Dictionary:
- a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion
- a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings
The word "hypocrite" derives from the ancient Greek word for actor, "hypokrites." Ironically, in our world, some of the real people are hypocrites, while many actors are keeping it real.
Case in point: Last week, real person Matt Moore, a blogger for the Christian Post and an advocate of the "ex-gay" movement, was discovered to be actively using the gay hookup app Grindr. The hypocrisy here is astounding: Mr. Moore professes that he has been saved from a life of homosexual sin, and he wants to stop others from engaging in this seemingly abhorrent gay lifestyle, yet he is trolling Grindr, presumably looking for gay sex.
The news is filled with examples of hypocrites like this. These are real people, working to eradicate gay behavior or to limit the civil rights of gay people, who are having a gay ol' time behind closed doors. Back in 2006, evangelical preacher Ted Haggard, who had preached that homosexuality was an abomination, was caught with a male prostitute. Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), who had voted against gay rights on numerous occasions, was arrested in an airport men's bathroom in 2007 on suspicion of "lewd conduct." The list goes on and on. There are literally dozens of examples of anti-gay politicians or preachers who have been caught literally and figuratively with their pants down.
Do we see similar scandals on the other side of the fence? Do we ever catch openly gay people who are advocating for gay rights and gay equality having secret heterosexual sex? Imagine a headline like this: "EXCLUSIVE: Neil Patrick Harris Caught in Steamy Embrace With 'How I Met Your Mother' Co-Star Alyson Hannigan." Or picture this in tomorrow's news: "Ellen DeGeneres And Jim Parsons Sex Tape Scandal! Entertainer DeGeneres and comic actor Parsons were scandalized this week when a hot sex tape of the two was leaked to the public. Big Bang indeed! DeGeneres' wife, Portia de Rossi, could not be reached for comment, but sources tell People that she is devastated."
Examples like this are laughable, of course. We would never suspect these gay icons, many of whom are vocal advocates of gay rights, of having secret heterosexual liaisons. Why? Because they are honest and do not have an agenda. If these actors and entertainers are professing that they believe in gay rights, it is because they actually believe in gay rights. They actually want to help other people. They actually want to make a difference in a positive way.
All the "real people" out there who are advocating an anti-gay agenda but are secretly turned on by anything gay do not want to help other people. They do not want to make a difference in a positive way. They are thinking of their own selfish needs. They are today's "hypokrites," a word that can also be translated as "dissembler" or "pretender."
So, if someone like gay actor and activist George Takei tells us that he believes in marriage equality, we should believe him. But if Matt Moore is preaching about the horrors of homosexuality, we should be suspicious. That is not a trusted source.