Saturday, May 8, 2010

George Rekers: Schadenfreude Indeed

When I heard about this whole thing with Family Research Council co-founder George Rekers hiring a dude from rentboy.com, I have to admit that I was not really surprised (and the hits just keep on coming). This type of news holds little shock at this point, because it seems to happen way too often. And because so many men, like Rekers, have been so utterly hateful in their determination to harm the GLBT community, I have no sympathy whatsoever. Schadenfreude is indeed the appropriate term to express my feelings for people like this. So, instead of getting all philosophical about this sitch, I think I will let two of my favorite people on television address the issue.

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The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Alpha Dog of the Week - George Rekers
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4 comments:

Scott said...

The hypocrisy of Rekers or Larry Craig or Ted Whatsisname-the-preacher make it impossible to feel sympathy for them, but every time I hear a story like this I do admit to a bit of sadness that anyone would feel so ashamed of who he is that he'd be willing to hurt other people as cover for their secret.

It also seems that the reporting of this kind of story gives the main stream media types a chance to engage in a bit of fag joke telling, the little smirking double-entendres that they can't justify except in this kind of story.

Rhen said...

Schadenfreude, indeed. As Rekers' religion teaches, he is now reaping what he sowed. James Dobson was incredibly quick to drop all ties with Rekers as soon as the story broke, removing any links from Focus on the Family's website to Rekers' site.
Although it seems petty and cruel of me, I WANT Rekers to see what life is like on my side of the fence. I want him to be ostracized and degraded because of what he is. And I want it to be incredibly public, just as Ted Haggard's was. Perhaps it will help to show those of a moderate bent that their "gays can be cured/are less than human" views are simply pure hypocrisy.

hscfree said...

@Scott: I have to admit that I'd not thought of your last point, and I think that you are right. But it also reminds me of the way the media treat the issue of someone's homosexuality. We can be all up in a heterosexual's love life. Who is screwing whom? Who is cheating on whom? But the moment that there is a same sex sexual relationship, a wall goes up. Privacy must be adhered to, and it is a public and subtle way of reminding all of us 'mos that we remain behind a vail of shame. Somehow it's wrong to treat gay people, in that vein, equally.

And as to your first point Scott, I remain a bit sad too, but it's the fact that the men you named actively set out to harm the rest of us, that tempers my sadness.

@Rhen: Rekers will likely do what Haggard did, and find himself in "rehab," re-emerge cured and screw on the low again. Oh, and let me remind the world that Rekers is on the "down low." I am tired of that term seeming applicable only to black folk. It's called the friggin' closet.

Micheal Sisco said...

Crap! ... You mean we really can't be cured? You mean I'm gonna have to STAY like this?
All those self-help books, those Bible lessons, those long walks in the woods, those hot bubble baths, those long, slow, in-depth, probing couch sessions with NARTH professionals have gone to waste?
Sigh ...rizess