Painfully Un Self-Aware: The Ken Mehlman Story. Part I

You’ve likely heard already that Ken Mehlman, the former Republican National Committee Chair and Chief of the Bush Campaign came out.

Awesome! What a coup for our community! We should all be so excited; I mean each and every one of us knows the personal victory and triumph that it is for an individual to come out of the closet, right? Right! Except for most of us, that day happens in our teens. Earlier, if our parents are astute and aware…later if we have a hard time coming to grip with the truth of our sexuality. But by and large it’s pretty safe to say that by age 21, we’re cooked and out of the closet.

Then how the hell, I ask you, did this ass clown “not know” that he was gay until *ahem* he was 43-years old? I smell bullshit. But maybe I’m wrong. After all, in his own words, Mehlman said, “It’s taken me 43 years to get comfortable with this part of my life.” Fine. I get a tad “uncomfortable” from time to time…say…when I’m in the middle of the heartland–you know; like in one of those states where you helped push through anti-gay legislation–and I’m at a straight wedding and everyone wants to know where my wife is, but then I go back to my hotel, blow my man and everything is all right with the world again.

Mister Mehlman goes on to say, “Everybody has their own path to travel, their own journey, and for me, over the past few months, I’ve told my family, friends, former colleagues, and current colleagues.” Sure you did. As if none of them ever knew before you flaming queen. I’m sure the number one response from people was, “Praise the Lord! Now we can stop pretending to be idiots and not know!”

Mehlman’s real thorn in my side comment? “The process has been something that’s made me a happier and better person. It’s something I wish I had done years ago.”

Then why didn’t you, ya fag? Instead, you sat in your ivory tower…er…uh…closet and enacted hate-laws against your own community. And don’t for one second expect me to believe you didn’t *know* it was your community and that you were gay; you knew! We all know what we are, Ken. So instead, you sat in your ivory tower and helped your party pass laws that reduced us to second-class citizens!

You spearheaded campaigns for anti-gay politicians. During your reign, a whopping 21 states passed laws banning same-sex marriage! Take a moment and think of all of the LGBT people in these states—people who had the courage to publicly proclaim who they were while you enjoyed your buddy-buddy time with the RNC. Think about the lesbian and gay women and men in Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. Think about them, Ken, and go make amends to them before you ask for their generosity with your plea of, “If they can’t offer support, at least offer understanding.”

I, for one, am not ready to give you my support or understanding yet, Ken Mehlman. You’ve got to make up for the damage you’ve done before I can listen to you.