Okay I never heard about Larry Craig until this week

but now I have a lot to say about him:

1. It is always good when a hypocritical conservative republican is exposed. Not only is Craig anti-gay in his voting record and espoused views, he is leader of a crusade against the environment. Salmons will jump a bit higher without him in the Senate.

2. Compared to the crimes committed by Bush and the members of his cabinet, the incident described by the undercover cop in the St. Paul airport bathroom is less than nothing. The country of Iraq, our enlisted men and women, the people of New Orleans have suffered enormously from this administration. Mr Craig's "crime" only provided justification for the cop to spend time in this bathroom, hanging out in a stall, waiting to arrest men on the DL. If republicans are so concerned about wrong-doing they should impeach Bush.

3. As J told me on the telephone, when DeLay was suspected of all sorts of misdeeds the Republicans stood by him. Now the Republicans have apparently written Craig's resignation statement for him. Yes, he "confessed" (I'm not sure if tapping a shoe and swiping a hand underneath a toilet stall door is a crime--if he farted would that be disorderly conduct?) but his actions were victimless.

4. Craig is an asshole. His statement repeating over and over that "I am not gay" was disgusting and shameful--far more so than acting sleazy in a men's room. As if admitting to a gay identity was unfathomable and impossible. Of course, he did not say he was heterosexual. His denial did not proclaim a normative straight identity. Saying what you are not is a way of eliding who you are.

5. Craig is a homosexual (and no doubt the republican leadership is calling him a fag behind closed doors). In order for him to become gay, he would have to admit at least to himself that his sexual (and romantic) preference is for his own gender, which he has clearly not done. Therefore he remains a closeted homosexual. And that is sad. Many of us have marched up and down the streets of all the major cities (and small towns) asserting our identities proudly, and it is sad that some have refused to listen to our voices. Craig has decided in order to save his career he must remain closeted. In order to gain satisfaction, he seeks out furtive encounters in public places.

6. Furtive encounters in public places can be hot (or at least I've been told!). I am not exactly sure why anonymous sex is hot (O sweet mystery of life), but making love with a lover, cuddling all night long, and then holding hands the next day as you walk toward a restaurant to enjoy brunch with your lgbt and gay-friendly straight friends is better--certainly better than lying and hiding, even if you give up heterosexual privilege.

7. Tucker Carlson should be arrested for a hate crime. He confessed to gay-bashing when he described to his more macho brethren at MS-NBC (Chris Matthew and Joe Scarborough) what happened to him when he was approached in a bathroom for sex. He told his pals (and the viewer) that he left, got a friend, came back, grabbed the guy, hit him. and then pushed the guy's head against a toilet stall, while the police came. (apparently for Carlson the idea of touching the man in a sexual way was intolerable, but touching him violently was fine). If you are not interested in having sex with someone, just say no and leave. Approaching another with a question (however phrased) is not a crime, but homophobic violence is. Arrest that man.