What can a thinking homosexual say about Senator Craig’s arrest?

Aug. 29, 2007.

There may still be more information to come, but it is just too easy for homosexuals, who have suffered from the votes and words of Idaho’s Sen. Craig, to jump for joy and have a “gay” old time with his fall, his hypocrisy having been exposed as has happened to several “conservative” Republicans.

But shouldn’t we ask ourselves, if he should have been arrested? What have we been working to stop since the 1950s? Of course what we should ask Senator Craig is, “Do you think the arrest would have been valid if the person arrested were gay?” And in a complete change from what happened in Idaho (Boise) years ago, the local newspaper seems to have been on “our” side.But has anyone looked into the person who made the arrest? What record does he have? How long had he spent in that restroom? What law was broken? What is “lewd” conduct, and if the individuals involved had not had a sex act there but had gone to a private room, again, what law would have been broken?

Sure it could not have happened to a more “deserving” person, but what if you had been the person arrested, or some one you loved? Since 1952 (remember the arrest of Dale Jennings that put early Mattachine on the map?) when the idea of a magazine about homosexuality got started the “news” in ONE magazine was about every city that had constant raids on gay bars and cops making arrests of mostly male homosexuals seeking a sex partner, or sometimes even kissing in public. We put out a card telling people what to do when arrested, and had 24-hour answering services to help people arrested, etc.

Now that our cause had made such great progress, thanks to a minority of homosexuals and a growing minority of heterosexuals who believe in civil/equal rights, we can not now change our objection to such an arrest just because the person involved in a “bad” person. What we must do is use this “discussion” to further educate sincere Americans who still do not understand how we have been misused by law enforcement agents, bigoted psychiatrists — who can testify against us in court and help parents send their homosexual children to a “camp” to “change them” — and the lazy media people who still have no clue as to the real issues of homosexuality and will never make the effort to find out if they only hear from “professional” gays who seek celebrity and lots of money for being gays.

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