“It
recognizes
again
that
gay
and
lesbian
people
are
in
the
center
of
this
party,
in
places
of
prominence,
and
not
just
typecast
as
spokespeople
for
gay
and
lesbian
issues.”
Congresswoman
Tammy
Baldwin,
on
being
asked
to
speak
about
health
care
on
the
opening
night
of
the
Democratic
National
Convention;
Baldwin
did
not
mention
at
the
podium
that
she
is
gay
and
did
not
address
any
gay-specific
issues
(LiberalOasis.com,
Aug.
2)
“As
opposed
to
what?
Environment,
abortion
—
a
lot
of
them
are.
Sure,
that’s
what
happens
in
prime
time.
They
tend
to
focus
on
a
handful
of
majority
issues.
But
I
plan
to
talk
about
the
full
range
of
gay
issues
at
6:30
today.”
Gay
Congressman
Barney
Frank
of
Massachusetts,
on
whether
gay
issues
were
being
avoided
from
the
podium
at
the
Democratic
National
Convention
(Washington
Blade,
July
29)
“We
even
believe,
and
it’s
true,
that
when
two
people
are
in
love
and
they
are
willing
to
be
morally
and
legally
committed
to
each
other
and
financially
responsible
to
each
other
that
if
they
are
prepared
to
get
married,
it’s
a
good
thing
for
the
stability
of
society.”
Barney
Frank,
in
his
speech
to
the
Democratic
National
Convention
(July
29)
“To
print
what
Brock
Lesnar
said
might
make
even
John
Rocker
blush.
But
after
his
curse-laden
outburst,
he
turned
to
a
nearby
reporter
and
explained,
‘I
don’t
like
gays.
Write
that
down
in
your
little
notebook.
I
don’t
like
gays.”
ESPN
reporter
Wayne
Drehs,
on
the
outburst
by
recently
retired
pro
wrestler
Brock
Lesnar,
now
trying
out
for
the
NFL’s
Minnesota
Vikings,
after
a
woman
approached
him
at
a
restaurant
and
said
her
male
friend
found
him
attractive
(St.
Paul
Pioneer
Press,
July
29)
“Each
person
has
likes
and
dislikes.
I
don’t
condone
those
remarks
[Lesnar
made
to
the
ESPN
writer].
I’d
like
us
all
to
accept
each
other
for
what
we
are.”
Minnesota
Vikings
head
coach
Mike
Tice,
on
Brock
Lesnar’s
outburst
(St.
Paul
Pioneer
Press,
July
29)
“Family
of
faggot
fans
fly
the
flag”
Headline
on
an
article
about
the
Doody
family
from
the
West
Midlands
region
of
England,
chosen
to
help
promote
National
Faggot
Week,
which
highlights
the
British
dish
called
“faggot,”
which
is
made
from
pork
liver
and
pork
and
is
named
after
the
Latin
word
for
“bundle”
(BBC
News,
Jan.
27)
“While
my
lyrics
are
very
personal,
I
do
not
write
them
with
the
intent
of
purposefully
hurting
or
maligning
others,
and
I
offer
my
sincerest
apologies
to
those
who
might
have
been
offended,
threatened
or
hurt
by
my
songs.”
Beenie
Man
(a.k.a.
Anthony
Davis),
responding
in
a
statement
released
by
Virgin
Records
to
criticism
of
his
current
U.S.
tour
over
rap
songs
like
“Damn,”
which
advocates
“a
new
Jamaica,
come
to
execute
all
the
gays,”
and
“Bad
Man
(Chi
Chi
Man),”
which
advocates
killing
gay
DJs;
“Chi
Chi”
is
Jamaican
slang
for
“gay”
(Associated
Press,
Aug.
2)
“[Beenie
Man]
doesn’t
say
who
he
is
apologizing
to,
or
what
he
is
apologizing
for.
This
is
not
about
making
homophobic
comments,
it’s
incitement
to
murder,
which
is
a
criminal
offense.
All
his
‘kill
queers’
songs
are
still
in
circulation.
He
is
still
profiteering
from
his
murder
music.”
Spokesperson
Peter
Tatchell
of
the
U.K.
gay
rights
group
OutRage!,
which
has
protested
the
Jamaican
rapper
Beenie
Man,
who
appeared
in
the
2002
Janet
Jackson
hit
“Feel
It
Boy”
(Associated
Press,
Aug.
2)
