Mary Cheney's Book and Gay Rights

stacyb — Thu, 11 May 2006 11:59:37 -0500

As many know by now, Dick Cheney's daughter, Mary Cheney, has a new book out called 'Now It's My Turn' and it discusses, among other things, her stance on gay and lesbian civil rights and how her family reacted to her "coming out."

Her refusal to engage in public debate has infuriated many gay-rights activists. But she's making her point now, on her terms. "Didn't you just see me go on 'Good Morning America'?"

And when she decides it's her turn, she definitely knows how to get in her licks. In her book, Cheney devotes two chapters to her anger and frustration -- and outright dislike -- when it comes to Kerry and Edwards. And this is where the quick, wry, humorous tone of the book brings in a little venom. She thought Edwards, whom she ridicules for his fixation on his hair, "was complete and total slime." She quotes her sister calling Kerry a "complete and total sleazeball." She herself called him a profanity, she recounts with relish, after Kerry invoked the fact that she is a lesbian in non-response to a question during the presidential debate about whether he believes homosexuality is a choice.

I have seen a lot of good and bad press about the book- mostly good from the mainstream media and mostly bad from liberal bloggers and gay activists, but this passage from law blogger, Professor Althouse, caught my attention:

Must we be so hard on the poor, defeated candidate? He already suffered so much for saying "I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney's daughter ... who is ... a lesbian," and he was merely trying to get elected. And then he not only lost, but lost in part because he made that remark. Now, because of his innocent invocation of her name, Mary seems to feel entitled to savage him. Oh, why can't Mary see the great benefits to gay people that would have flowed from a Kerry presidency, as opposed to the terrible harms inflicted by Bush?

Ms. Althouse is, of course, being sarcastic but I thought she was making a very questionable assumption- the assumption that the current administration hasn't inflicted "terrible harms" to the cause for gay and lesbian equality, including legal recognition of rights (including marriage and adoption). But that of course is debatable and the comments section of her blog dives right into that debate and if you are interested in this issue, you might want to check it out and have your say.

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Mary Cheney's Book and Gay Rights