Wednesday November 07, 2007
Claims to fame: Just another alleged self-loathing Congressional closet case
Moral apex: Voted in favor of the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act.
So? So Dreier’s alleged homosexuality is one of the worst-kept alleged secrets in Washington. He lives with his chief of staff Brad W. Smith (who, not so incidentally, is the highest-paid congressional staffer).
On the other hand: At least he voted against the even more anti-gay Marriage Protection Act (formerly the Federal Marriage Amendment).
On the other hand: He said he voted against the MPA/FMA because he didn’t the Constitution should be used to restrict rights. Which to us means that he thinks there are other, better ways of restricting rights… to people just like himself.
Anything else? Yeah. A lot. He opposed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would have protected gay and lesbian Americans from employment discrimination. He voted against the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. He also voted in favor of preventing gay and lesbian people from becoming adoptive parents.
Plus, noted Doug Ireland in the L.A. Weekly: “Dreier is not just a political homophobe but a heartless AIDS-phobe as well, voting against the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program designed to give shelter to the impoverished sick, and against funding for the federal ADAP program that furnishes the poor with the AIDS meds they need to stay alive.”
Just desserts: Dreier was slated to replace Tom DeLay as House Majority Leader — but when he was outed, he was passed over.
Fun fact #1: At least until he was outed, Dreier earned a 92% approval rating from the hatefully anti-gay Christian Coalition.
Fun fact #2: He’s a Christian Scientist — which, despite the “Christian” label, doesn’t go over too well with most fundamentalist zealots.
Fun fact #3: The Church of Christ, Scientist, is about the best church a person like Dreier could choose; it’s about as far “fringe-mainstream” as a Christian denomination can get without completely alienating the fundies, yet is nearly completely ambivalent on the subject of homosexuality.
Memorable observation:
I have always taken the view that outing a gay person should be approached with caution, and that in doing so one should strictly adhere to the Barney Frank Rule. As articulated by the openly gay Massachusetts congressman during another anti-gay GOP witch-hunt over a decade ago, when Frank threatened to out a number of gay-baiting Republican fellow congressmen, the rule insists that outing is only acceptable when a person uses their power or notoriety to hurt gay people.
Dreier clearly meets that standard, for his voting record is strewn with anti-gay positions.
Suggested Bible reading for Mr. Dreier:
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
— Romans 12:3
Good news: Alleged self-loathing Congressional closet case David Dreier (refresh your memory here) is retiring — which means he’ll no longer be voting to deny gay people (which he’s, like, totally not… right?) basic protections in housing and employment, or against recognizing the fact that getting one’s head kicked in by some insane bigot screaming homophobic slurs is a hate crime. And he’ll no longer be able to withhold funding for desperately-needed AIDS programs. (more…)
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