So Karl Rove's father is gay. This story has been around in the mainstream media with journalists and their editors discussing the propriety of printing such "personal" information. Now James Moore and Wayne Slater's new book on Rove, excerpted on this site, has offered unabashed proof that it is true.
So why can't we gay people just let it go? Why should it matter? Why are we so obsessed with who is gay and who isn't? And why can't we accept that there are conservative republicans who have gay family members and still support the anti-gay agenda? Is it because we are neurotic and endless whiners with a victim mentality desperately trying to tear at the fabric of a moral and healthy society to justify our depraved choices? Maybe.
Or maybe it is because sometimes it just pisses me off that those who play politics with our lives get to keep their lives private.
Herein lies my gay dilemma for the day. Should I be nice and generous or should I act snarky? Or should I just go get my kids train set fixed like I promised and let it go.
The nice response to the news about Karl Rove's father would be to talk about "how wonderful it is to recognize that there are gay people in families of all stripes and that there is no reason to always make an issues of that fact." As a teachable moment yet one I didn't want to let it pass without political comment I could say something (as my friend Steven said) like "no matter where you are on gay marriage, there's no denying that he used this issue... I wished he hated the politics of division as much as he loves his father."
Or I can be snarky about it and say "since they are opposed to gay people raising children, do Karl and his right wing friends think he would have been a better man if his father hadn't been gay?" or throw a bone to the radicals with "Karl Rove is the reason that gay parents shouldn't be allowed to have children".
It is a tough day in my little gay head. So many choices. But perhaps it really doesn't matter. Because most Americans really don't care who is gay and who isn't. The only value this story has at this point is that President Bush and his cronies' look, once again, like soulless, cynical people who will do anything and sacrifice anyone, to succeed in their ongoing pursuit of political and economic power.
If I go get the train set fixed instead of thinking about this for one more minute, will karma take care of the rest?