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[emmagrant01]

Governor McCreevey just resigned. Because he's gay and had an affair with another man. (He was married.)

So if he'd had an affair with a woman, would he be resigning? Just wondering...

Comments

[cypress-vine.livejournal.com]

Where on earth does it say he's gay? I see that he's resigning, but nothing about a man and an affair...

Maybe I'm just stupid...

[mizbean.livejournal.com]

It doesn't say it in the article she linked to but it says it in big letters on the top of CNN.com.

[mizbean.livejournal.com]

...and I agree, it probably would have been brushed under the rug if he was having an affair with a woman, unless the woman came forward publicly. -- oops, I almost wrote pubicly *whoops*

[cypress-vine.livejournal.com]

It does? Oh!

*goes to look*

Thanks!

[jedirita.livejournal.com]

Mebbe. That guy dropped out of the Illinois race because of straight sex, didn't he?

It does seem silly to resign from office over an affair, though. But maybe he's stressed out by the whole thing and can't concentrate on his job.

I was in Zimbabwe during the whole Monica Lewinsky thing. The Zimbabweans couldn't figure out what the fuss was. They said, "You should hear what *our* president does! An affair is nothing!" Does kinda put it all in perspective....

[wordplay.livejournal.com]

OK, this is how you know I'm really a terrible person. Because my very first thought was, "Oh, wow, maybe it'll inspire Rick Perry!"

*hangs head in shame*

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

It was just the combination of "Yes, I had an affair" and "Yes, I'm gay" that made me cringe. He said in his speech that (and I'm paraphrasing a bit) he thought the combination of the affair and his homosexuality had left the governor's office "vulnerable".

I do think our country has some serious issues with human sexuality, though. Funny what behavior we will tolerate in our leaders...

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

*snerk* To resign, or to have an affair with a man?

[lauramcewan.livejournal.com]

he says in the first paragraph (I think there) "My truth is that I am a gay American," he said.

[marksykins.livejournal.com]

The article on Yahoo! has more detail, including quotes from McGreevey.

[jedirita.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I thought the comment about the office being vulnerable was weird. How could it be vulnerable when he told everybody what happened?

And I definitely think that much of why people wig out over homosexuality is because they can't deal with their own sexuality.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

So does that mean we slashers are well-adjusted, sexually healthy people? *grins*

[wordplay.livejournal.com]

The fomer. I've been told more than once that he has the latter covered, although I can certainly not vouch for the veracity of this (very persistent) rumor.

[jedirita.livejournal.com]

Of course!

By the way, what do Brits say instead of "I graduated from school"?

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

They don't graduate, as there are no ceremonies to mark the end of one's school years. They just leave, or finish, or something like that.

There've been so many ranty Brit-picking posts on my f-list that I've learned quite a lot recently! Some American writers get flamed for blatant Americanisms. (Actually, here's a fairly recent rant (http://www.livejournal.com/users/dorrie6/272955.html) on the topic from dorrie6.) I take it you don't see a lot of that stuff?

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Politicians do resign after opposite-sex affairs. I'm glad the guy came out (although it seems like he was forced out. And, I don't think being unfaithful to one's spouse, no matter the gender of the lover, is a reason to end a political career, because it has nothing to do with the job, IMO.

If I believed otherwise, I wouldn't admire Bill Clinton (politically) so much. *shrugs*

[jedirita.livejournal.com]

Actually, I've seen several Britpicking rants recently. I must say, it's seriously starting to chafe me. While I kinda see their point, the attitude pisses me off, that HP fic should only be written in the Queen's English. It almost makes me want to not even bother. Must be that New Worlder resentment toward our former colonizers.

I can't imagine that I would wig out over a fanfic full of Britishisms. Yes, I know Star Wars is set in a galaxy far far away, and Harry Potter is set in the UK. But we're all frikkin' amateurs here. JKR had an editor to Americanize her books. Do American Buffy or X-files fans holler at British fanwriters for using British words? I could be wrong, but I'm guessing that they don't.

We gots a sayin' down here in the South (which I'm sure you know, you dixie chick you): "You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." Their uppity attitude makes me wanna write: Harry hauled out his wand and hollered, "Stand back, y'all! I'm fixin to lay a hex on old Voldemort!"

(Lordy I'm cranky these days! I must be PMSing....)

[hazelhawthorne.livejournal.com]

Harry hauled out his wand and hollered, "Stand back, y'all! I'm fixin to lay a hex on old Voldemort!"


This made me snort my water. *wipes chin and monitor*

You gotta warn a girl.

Thanks for the laugh.

[hazelhawthorne.livejournal.com]

I think part of the problem is that he is about to be sued for sexual harrasment of a former male employee.

I could see that causing a big stir, especially when the affair got dragged out in court. This way, he has a say in what information is known when by whom. In his speach, he implies that he has been fighting his homosexuality for most of his life in order to do what he thought he was supposed to do. And it sounds like he is pulling himself out of public life in order to deal with the ramifications to his familly rather than cause he is gay.

Here is a bit of his speach:

I am also here today because, shamefully, I engaged in adult consensual affair with another man, which violates my bonds of matrimony. It was wrong. It was foolish. It was inexcusable.

And for this, I ask the forgiveness and the grace of my wife.

She has been extraordinary throughout this ordeal, and I am blessed by virtue of her love and strength.

I realize the fact of this affair and my own sexuality if kept secret leaves me, and most importantly the governor's office, vulnerable to rumors, false allegations and threats of disclosure.

So I am removing these threats by telling you directly about my sexuality.

Let me be clear, I accept total and full responsibility for my actions. However, I'm required to do now, to do what is right to correct the consequences of my actions and to be truthful to my loved ones, to my friends and my family and also to myself.

It makes little difference that as governor I am gay. In fact, having the ability to truthfully set forth my identity might have enabled me to be more forthright in fulfilling and discharging my constitutional obligations.

Given the circumstances surrounding the affair and its likely impact upon my family and my ability to govern, I have decided the right course of action is to resign.

[thalia]

I can't imagine that I would wig out over a fanfic full of Britishisms.

I've read enough Stargate stories where Daniel takes off his jumper and goes into the lounge that I'm a wee bit sensitive--and, yes, I've been known to wig out. For the Brits, I think excessively American HP is probably like fingernails on a blackboard. I think U.S. writers don't have to completely Britishize everything, but they really should get the big things right.

[eliminate.livejournal.com]

First, Happy Birthday :D!

Second, he seems like the kind of man that if he had an affiar with a woman he would resign. but, then again, he may not. He may just be doing it to avoid public humiliation--which sucks! It really pisses me off that some of this world is so homophobic.

[ms-mindfunk.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I didn't know Governor Goodhair was bent, although in retrospect, maybe I should have suspected. Maybe my gaydar is off at a distance? I don't live in Texas. :)

The comments above are probably correct. I think the vulnerability comes into play because there's talk of a sexual harassment suit from an aide. McGreevey's polls are bottoming out anyway, so the best thing for him to do was head off the attempts to use this against him. I said elsewhere that now he looks like a stud for coming out live on CNN instead of looking like scandal bait when someone else broke the story.

You're right, buy the way. If it were a woman, he wouldn't have resigned. My reasoning? US Rep. Dan Burton, famous for his penchant for shooting at watermelons in his backyard to prove the theory that Clinton friend Vince Foster was murdered, is straighfacedly co-sponsoring the "Federal Marriage Amendment". This guy has some stones on him, considering the illegitimate child he fathered with a mistress during his marriage and the rampant sexual harassment he's exhibited as an elected official. He's a man's man rather than a queer, so it's all nod nod, wink wink, he apologizes and all is forgiven. *rolling eyes*

[snowqueenofhoth.livejournal.com]

I think U.S. writers don't have to completely Britishize everything, but they really should get the big things right.

Yup, I agree. It doesn't matter in some places, but in other cases, it can change the meaning. For instance, I've been reading through my study abroad packet (for Ireland, and I believe the terminology is similar) and they recommend NOT talking about your pants in public. Must remember to say "trousers" instead, or people think you're talking about your underwear. Now, confuse these words a bit, and that might change the meaning of some things quite a bit. *winks*

[snowqueenofhoth.livejournal.com]

Hmm... emma dear? Did you change the link? 'Cause now I'm seeing the full Newsday (you read Newsday! :D) article and it mentions all that stuff...

[simmysim.livejournal.com]

In his speech he said it was because he didn't want the rest of his term to be just about sex, which I can sympathize with. :3