Fantastically descriptive photo illustration courtesy the Portland MercuryNow that the Sam Adams/Beau Breedlove scandal has finally had some time to simmer, most of us, even the debaters and over-thinkers have come to some conclusions. Clearly, the particulars of this are complex and debatable. It has divided Portland and the queer community.
I continue to discuss these tough issues with friends and colleagues across the country though my position of sadness and support remains fairly stable. In this arena I have pretty much said all I am going to say for the moment but there are two individuals who have so eloquently expressed opinions similar and more thought-out than these blog ramblings have been so I feel compelled to link to them here.
The first comes from Portland Mercury editor Steven W. Humphrey. Though his weekly TV column is quite outlandish and ridiculous, this editorial, expounding on the mistakes of Adams and his Portland public, is erudite, serious and sincere.
The other comes from former Willamette Week Queer Window columnist Byron Beck. We often see queer issues from somewhat different perspectives but he has a smart and sharp interpretation of how homophobia has entrenched itself in this fiasco. As much as we would like to think that this scandal is only about lying and trust, it cannot be separated from that long standing institution that we, as a queer people, must still endure on a daily basis.
The stench of hypocrisy reeks throughout Oregon. The hue and cry for Mayor Adam’s blood has been fueled by hate and homophobia. The allusion to the corruption of youth was a salacious stretch, but the young man in question is an adult.
Had it been a heterosexual couple, there would not have been the exaggerated emphasis on the difference in the ages of the people involved.
Mayor Adams is a politician and it is a given that politicians lie. If the quality of the lie is questioned, why is that all of George Bush’s lies about WMD and Iraq were brushed aside and he remained in office. Bush’s lies killed. Did Sam’s lie kill?
Sam had the integrity to admit he had lied. Did George Bush ever admit he lied?
This has been a vicious witch hunt by people who are themselves liars. Are they who hound Mayor Adams without sin. Those who without sin may cast the first stone.
The detractors of Mayor Adams have done more to besmirch the reputation of Portland than anything that the Mayor may have done.
The hypocrites have brought shame upon Portland, showing that the people of the city are no better than those who conducted the Salem witch trials and burned women at the stake.
I would ask where is the Christian charity, but that begs the question as those who attack the mayor are bankrupt of the meaning of it.
I’m not Christian and down the with gays. Nevertheless, I’m not down with creepy 40+ dudes who go to 18th birthday parties in an attempt to get laid, be they straight or gay. I don’t care if he did or didn’t break the law: he’s a sketchy dude and in my opinion, sketchy dudes shouldn’t be in charge of running Portland.
So go ahead and complain about Bush lying (as if that has some kind of place in this discussion), or homophobia, or people who think it’s in poor taste to make out in the office bathroom and equate people who thinks it’s rather shady to date some one 25 years younger to those who burned women at the stake. But you do nothing but misunderstand the opinions of a good deal of Portlanders.
Rock-
I would tend to agree on the creepy front, and I certainly would be less likely to invite Sammy to a cocktail party now. And I even would want to think that we don’t have sketchy elected officials running Portland or this country.
But the reality is, we do. And in my opinion there are a lot sketchier things to do than picking up an 18 year old.
Who am I do say that someone who does something I may think is gross (not showering everyday, picking your nose, jaywalking) is not qualified to lead a city? That is the point where you begin to impose your personal morals on others, even if I agree that those morals are perfectly reasonable, not everyone does. So it’s wrong to impose them.