Cheap Trick?

Lynn Cheney accuses John Kerry of a "cheap political trick" because he mentioned that her daughter Mary Cheney is a lesbian when asked if he believed homosexuality to be innate. (Kerry said yes, ask Mary Cheney.) Cheney and the right's outrage seems manufactured. Andrew Sullivan points out that Mary Cheney is out of the closet, lives with her partner, and has directed outreach programs for gays and lesbians. Neither she nor her parents has made any secret of her sexual orientation, and Mary Cheney has taken a visible role in the Bush-Cheney campaign. Sullivan suggests that the outrage stems not from concern about Mary Cheney — who is apparently quite open about her sexual orientation — but from the Right's discomfort with any discussion of gay sexuality. They talk about tolerance, but they are not willing to tolerate openness. They preach about families, but they are willing to deny gays and lesbians their right to have families. They say they want to uphold marriage, but not for anyone who is gay or lesbian. The most revolting aspect of all is that they call themselves Christians, but have no concept of what it means to love their neighbor.