Bad Taste

During the past week I was accused of having poor taste.  I don't dispute that.  During my internship at the Guthrie Theater back in the early 80's director William Gaskill once remarked that maybe someday I might develop some class (presumably if I tried hard enough).

I tend to have very little "class" because I'm so cynical and skeptical of the good intentions of anyone anywhere anytime.  So, with that said, barbarian that I am, I must admit that my previous post about Governor McGreevey was cruel.  For a much more balanced and human opinion on this story, please read the linked article at Advocate. 

My previous harsh tone was one that was based on yet another highly placed individual being "forced" to come out after having done nothing for the GLBT community.  When I was living in Minneapolis about twenty years ago, a superior court judge was forced to come out of the closet due to sexual harassment allegations by one of his clerks.  At that time, the act of homosexuality was a felony in Minnesota, and the Supreme Court had not yet ruled that same-sex harassment was even actionable under the then existing statutes.

That story disturbed me.  When I asked my friend and "auntie" Carl Chrisman why the gay community wasn't rallying around the judge, he said, "what did the judge ever do for us?" 

The advocate article coming twenty years after those events, provides for a much more humanistic, inclusive and reasoned approach to the idea of the closet, and Governor McGreevey in particular.  It has a lot more class than I possess.   I guess I'm still waiting to see if Mr. Gaskill's prediction will come true.  Or not.