Exactly how stupid is this? Gay rights leaders and supporters are invited to the White House for a party and some take the time to flip off Ronald Reagan’s portrait, take a picture of the act, and then release the picture to third parties. It is now the rage on the Internet from Drudge to Yahoo to dozens of conservative sites — giving opponents of both Obama and gay rights the perfect photo foil to use against them. It is a disgraceful and contemptible display that is being used to paint an entire movement in the worst possible light. (UPDATE: The White House has rebuked the activists for their actions.)
The disrespectful act occurred at the White House’s first-ever gay pride reception. Philadelphia Gay News publisher Mark Segal (center) is shown opting for a simple (and non-problematic) thumbs up. According to the report below, the man on the left is Matthew “Matty” Hart, the national director of public engagement at Solutions for Progress, and the woman on the right is photographer Zoe Strauss.
Even without releasing the photos to third parties, it is remarkably uncivil and contemptible to flip the bird inside of the White House. No matter what one’s political affiliation or feelings toward Reagan or Bush, this is a revered place and your are a guest in this house. Worse yet, Obama and the gay rights movement are likely to be painted with this obnoxious conduct.
Source: Blaze
If they had posed with an upright fist, would it have symbolized solidarity?
A section of our society (glbt) has been ostracized abused neglected denigrated killed and abandoned for ??? ever? The symbolism of the invite and meeting by the “evil empire of discrimination” to recognize GLBTs as citizens and welcomed, must be as heady as it gets to those goodly souls that have suffered so long. Exuberance is a Human emotion, and displayed in many ways. I understand the exuberance, I understand the expression. The Trolls don’t. I politely say F*** the trolls on this one. The higher angels of fairness understand this social faux pas. Sometimes the adults have to stand up to the children and say, Don’t worry little Troll, someday when you’re grown up you’ll understand. …..
The Blaze . . . I’ve just spent some time this afternoon looking that “source of information” over and I have to say that the most beneficial thing this blog article here has done was to inform me of yet another media outlet that merits automatic suspicion as a source of valid, non-partisan information.
Ignore an epidemic of death for 6 years v gave an oil painting the finger.
Which is more obscene?
Prof Turley, you don’t have anything better to do than repost memes from “The Blaze”?
I wonder who the Republicans PR coordinator is?
He sure is good. Related to Goebbels is he?
Who are the successors to Nini?
Money never cares what’s said. Only as long as more is made.
I like this version of the story the best:
http://wonkette.com/476227/fox-nations-latest-successful-trolling-effort#more-476227
It’s Friday, should we allow Fox Hip Hop BBQ Nation to troll us? Oh, it’s never a choice. Here’s the latest: “REAGAN GIVEN MIDDLE FINGER IN OBAMA WHITE HOUSE.” The photo shows Barack Obama and Michele Obama and Eric Holder wearing Che shirts and, yes, flipping off St. Ronaldus Magnus. Or are those just some gay people from Philly? Democrats all look the same.
Fox Nation links to an article in Philadelphia magazine, which bears the more appropriate headline “What Happens When You Let Gay Philly Activists Into the White House.”
Last Friday, an attaché of important gay people from Philadelphia made a trip to Washington D.C. as invited guests of President Barack Obama for the White House’s first-ever gay pride reception. There, they danced to the sounds of a Marine Corps band; they dined on crab cakes and canapés; they hand-delivered letters from concerned citizens like this 18-year old who has had four people close to him gunned down, and noted rhyming raconteur CA Conrad; and some of them took advantage of photo opportunities to give the late President Ronald Reagan the middle finger.
Why President Obama instructed them to do this is a real question. It’s not like gay activists would have any reason to dislike Ronald Reagan, who didn’t acknowledge AIDS as a problem for the first six years of his presidency. Thank God we only have a few more days until the Supreme Court rules that Obama is no longer president.”
bt if they did act stupid….I’m sure I wouldn’t be throwng any stones….
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19950615&slug=2126577
Rubber-Glove Reception For Gays At White House — Administration Embarrassed By Incident
By Thomas Farragher
Knight-Ridder Newspapers
WASHINGTON – In a snafu rich with symbolism, gay and lesbian politicians and lawmakers who trooped into the White House this week for unprecedented talks were detained outside the executive mansion while security guards found and then donned blue rubber gloves.
Actually, now that Photoshopping and the sources of this story have been mentioned . . . take a closer look at the photo in the center allegedly of Mark Segal.
Doesn’t his right arm look suspiciously disproportionate?
Hmmmm.
The jpegs are so blurry and out of focus one could make the case they are bad Photoshopping. And Drudge Report is an entirely impeachable source. The Weekly World News is far more reliable.
So they did it on the “West Wing” set. Who’da thought it. Right next door to the Apollo moon set!
Jill,
I think you mistake respect for the forum with respect for the Presidents. The White House is our house, not theirs. We only let them live in it on a four year renewable lease/easement. I’d gladly give any of our last four President’s the finger to their face and that wouldn’t even compare to the verbal lashing. I just wouldn’t do it at the White House.
Who knew…I sure didn’t. I checked out the source and it belongs to: TheBlaze is a conservative news and opinion website owned by American media personality and former Fox News host Glenn Beck’s Mercury Radio Arts.
I knew something was wrong the minute I clicked on the site and a trillion ads popped up and my puter slowed like a sick rabbit…
I question the veracity of this story.
Those presidents all deserve the finger and I don’t think anyone owes them respect of any kind. Authority should earn respect. It’s unhealthy to grant it to people by virtue of their office.
I do find it revelatory that none of the guest did something truly valuable with their time in the WH. Why not a protest on behalf of Bradley Manning? Why not speak against the wars of empire? Why not confront the financial criminals for hire of their host?
Of course, doing those things would have required courage and intellectual honesty. So there, is my answer.
Maybe, I forgot….but don’t these people work for US……if there was a picture of Castro, Hitler, Chavez would we have this type of reaction….. Probably not….. What if it was Carters picture…. Would the GOP complain?….. Not a chance….. I saw a bumper sticker on a Chevy older model the other day…..It had Obamas picture on it…. The question was, does this face make my ass look fat……
The Whitehouse is a publically owned building… I thought…. Not a house of worship……I probably wouldn’t do it today…. But there was a time when Bush came on TV I’d give him the all due respect salute…..with the index and the finger next to my little one arched back ….. Just saying….
Just because your gay doesn’t mean you can’t do stupid things..and TWO people do not a movement make.
Really, how asinine is this uproar?
We see the swinging door and the front door opened wide each day to lobbyists, and the whole list of riff-raff who scorn this nation and it’s people—-do we protest every day? Do we protest at all. (Somebody will respond to that challenge.)
No, we don’t I feel, not as much as we should do.
Now, does political wiseness compensate for evil acts or intents?
Seems so.
Not to me.
Three gays do not a movement make.
Especially three politically clueless gays.
Even without releasing the photos to third parties, it is remarkably uncivil and contemptible to flip the bird inside of the White House. No matter what one’s political affiliation or feelings toward Reagan or Bush, this is a revered place and your are a guest in this house.
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I never would have known about this if it weren’t for this blog.
What is worse?, the initial stupidity in the over exuberant act or the spreading of the knowledge so that the worst case scenario can come to fruition?
Inquiring minds and all…..
Exactly how stupid is this?
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As stupid as it gets.
There is a right time and right place for everything you might want to say.
This was neither.
[sarcasm] Pure genius! [/sarcasm]