LYNNE CHENEY AND GAY EQUALITY

I just read the transcript of Lynne Cheney’s amazing CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer. What to say? I find her as mystifying and intriguing as Eminem. As you can see below (“The Eminem Saga”), I don’t share her horror of Eminem – making me less sensitive to homophobia than she is! I guess I’m more of a let-it-all-hang-out kind of guy. But my difference with her on this doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate her inclusion of homophobia in her criticism of Eminem. If you take her view that the culture should be more effectively policed to root out and condemn prejudice, then she’s perfectly consistent in saying what she says. Can you imagine Bill Bennett being as consistent? Has he ever said a good word about homosexuals? Similarly, I loathe the idea of hate-crime laws, but if you’re going to support them, as W does, then I can’t for the life of me see why gays should be excluded. Their exclusion from such laws is essentially an assertion that hatred of homosexuals is somehow justified in a way that hatred of Jews, say, isn’t. Sorry, but I don’t buy that one – and don’t see how any civilized person can. But nothing prepared me for the following statement by Mrs. Cheney: “This certainly isn’t the first time, but Eminem is certainly, I think, the most extreme example of rock lyrics used to demean women, advocate violence against women, violence against gay people. Elton John has been good in the past about speaking out on issues of equality for gay people, on issues of being against violent language against gay people. I am quite amazed and dismayed that he would choose to perform with Eminem.” Wow. For the wife of a Republican vice-president to say this is truly ground-breaking. Thanks, Mary! And thanks, Lynne! Now leave Eminem and Elton John alone.