James Richardson – a former spokesman/adviser for Gov. Haley Barbour, Gov. Jon Huntsman and the Republican National Party – penned a “pity party” op-ed for the Washington Post this week bemoaning the fact that living in Georgia he can’t get married to the person he loves – because he’s gay.
Richardson admits that his resume puts him in an atypical position to complain about his lack of marriage rights. In his essay, Richardson writes “As a former spokesman for the Republican National Committee and adviser to prominent party figures, I’m also a professional political operative who’s helped install in government those who perpetuate marriage bias in America.”
But now he says “I feel forced to out myself.”
Oh my! Forced!
After serving years with the party that would deny him many rights based on his sexual orientation – presumably because he put his desire to make money over his need for equal rights – NOW he feels “less than.”
NOW he wants to jump on the “right side of history.”
“For my admission here, I will alienate friends whose faiths regard my sexuality as culturally corrosive. I’ll suffer the snickering of those across the aisle whose politics regard my own as personally injurious. And conservative clients may regard me as a liability. After all, the tide is not as unidirectional as people say.”
Isn’t that awful? He may “alienate” friends for being himself.
My advice? Get better friends.
Along the way, Richardson makes sure his coming out doesn’t miss noting his “just like you” factor by making sure to inform the reader that he goes to college football games and church every Sunday.
And yet, he still feels that he may lose friends by coming out.
On one hand, yes – welcome to the daylight James. Welcome to being who you are.
On the other hand, please know LGBT folks aren’t “snickering” at you. We’re just not impressed with your sniveling, late-in-the-game, cowardly whining. There’s a word that describes people like you – “Quisling.” Go look it up.
Don’t cry about how politicians you helped get elected deny you rights. Start doing something about it.
We’ll see how we feel about you once you balance the tally sheet on marriage equality.
I know everyone comes out on their own schedule. But, everyone doesn’t empower those who would deny millions rights, then cry when they want to have those rights now denied.
