Florida state representative Bob Allen has been charged with soliciting a male undercover policeman and lamely claims it happened because he was scared.
In a taped statement and other documents released last week, Allen, 48, told police that he was intimidated into offering sex.
"I certainly wasn't there to have sex with anybody and certainly wasn't there to exchange money for it," the Sentinel quoted him as saying.
Rather, he said, "this was a pretty stocky black guy, and there was nothing but other black guys around in the park," Allen said. He said he feared he "was about to be a statistic."
Titusville police told the Sentinel that they were investigating a nearby condo burglary when they saw a disheveled, unshaved man enter and leave the park restroom three times. They decided to send in Officer Danny Kavanaugh.
In a statement Kavanaugh said he was drying his hands in a stall when Allen peered—twice—over the stall door, then joined Kavanaugh inside.
"This is kind of a public place, isn't it?" Kavanaugh quoted Allen as saying, according to the Sentinel. Allen then suggested "going across the bridge; it's quieter over there."
Yeah, that's just what I would do. If I was intimidated because I was surrounded by large African-American men, the first thing I would do is offer to have sex with them. What straight man wouldn't do that?
It's one thing for someone to do something stupid, but it's even worse when he comes up with some pitiful excuse and insults everyone's intelligence in the process.
Of course, it goes without saying that he had a strong anti-gay record in the Florida legislature.
I pity someone like Rep. Allen who apparently can't be honest about, or with, themselves, but I feel even sorrier for the people he is supposed to represent.
Especially if they happen to be gay.
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I would just like to, again express my loathing for the term, "self-loathing". Applicable or non, it carries no meaning any more due to extreme overuse in being applied to practically anyone who doesn't conform to a specific political orthodoxy, people who are nothing like the good Representative, people like me. It has become an meaningless insult through this extreme overuse. Maybe it used to mean something, but now it just just says, "a person I don't like or disagree with."
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, like you I feel sorry for the guy, and think that his line is positively ridiculous.
But that doesn't change my feelings on the term. I've had it applied to me to many times. And anyone who knows me could vouch that it isn't the case. I see that term, and I automatically recoil. It's become like a warning flag.
what planet are we living on?
ReplyDeletehmm, seems like self-loathing fits pretty damn well in this instance.
ReplyDeleteWhat else would you call it?
I don't know, self-loathing seems to fit.
ReplyDeletePeople need to learn something about Freud. If you hate yourself enough, you cannot deal with it so to prove to the "world" (read "self") that they are not what they loath, they vehmently attack that very thing they are.
Term seems to fit for me.
I didn't say it didn't fit here. In fact, in my comment, I felt that I made it clear that I thought the denotation of the phrase probably fits here. I did said that I'm sick of hearing the term. I've had it applied to me too many times, and it's simply not the case (with me).
ReplyDeleteI also said that the phrase seems to me to have lost all meaning through disuse and overuse. I've been called it because of certain political beliefs (beliefs which are very Goldwater-esqe).
C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity about the undefining of the word "gentleman" through application beyond its denotation, until it meant nothing more than any other complement, like "nice", or "good", or "I like this person".
Similarly, the term "self-loathing" has been so overused (against so many people to whom it does not apply) that even denotatively-just uses (like this one) have, to me, become meaningless.
I mean, really, can't you work up a better way to do this than name calling with such a tired phrase?
psudain,
ReplyDeleteOkay then, how would YOU describe this phenomenon of closted gay men strongly advocating strongly anti-gay views?
BTW, I asume that phrase has been directed at you because you are a Republican. I certainly don't share the view that it would be an appropriate description of someone just because their politics are conservative.
Thanks, Jim. Being a former Republican lesbian, I've always felt judged by my more liberal brothers and sisters because I am pro-life on abortion, am for less government, etc. I am now an independent and that seems to suit my politics better.
ReplyDeleteTo me, self-loathing applies to those who tell everyone else how evil being gay is when they themselves are gay. There is meaning there, even if it may feel overused to you, Psudain.
Thanks.
Sharone
Again, I don't want anyone to assume that I agree with this guy. Far from it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm not really saying that I don't think you should use the term. I guess I was just giving more of a gut reaction. I've seen the term so misapplied elsewhere that as soon as I see it, it's become an automatic turn-off. (If that makes sense.) I certainly don't want to set myself up as somebody who's running around trying to institute personal "speech codes"--just giving my perspective here.
I don't know if there's a better name for it, or at least one that's still accurate without all the additional and unfortunate connotations that this one carries.
One thing that bothers me about the term even here, is that it's pretty harsh for somebody who is clearly struggling with his sexuality, even if he has done some stupid, bad, and/or insulting things.