In defense of Chris Myers

by: Thurman Hart

Sun Nov 06, 2011 at 05:57:47 PM EST

The last time I wrote at length about Chris Myers, he held a press conference to denounce me as a liberal blogger intent on destroying his Congressional ambitions. So it might be surprising to some that in the wake of this "scandal" that I want to defend Chris Myers.

Yes, I want to defend him.

Thurman Hart :: In defense of Chris Myers

First, I have to stress that the allegations against Myers are exactly that - allegations. Those allegations are that he procured the services of a male prostitute while on a trip to California. The only proof of this is a picture, posted on the internet, of a man (supposedly Myers) in his underwear, laying on a bed. The photo was posted on a site that has since been taken down because it violated the abuse clause of the hosting contract.

If the allegations are not true; then Myers simply has had the bad luck to be chosen for a rather clumsy attempt at blackmail. That makes it a purely criminal matter. Case closed.

If they are true...well, so what? Procuring a prostitute is illegal, but I'm personally convinced it shouldn't be. So the issue, if there is one, lies with the police in California. If Myers was unfaithful to his wife; then that is a topic for him to discuss with her - and NO ONE on earth has the right to even discuss or speculate what might be said between them. It is an issue for them to wrestle with together...IF the allegations are true. Whether or not a person is a good mayor is independent of whether or not they are faithful to their marriage or if they buy a hooker.

The only other possible issue with this alleged episode is that it involves consensual sexual activity between two men. What part of that is funny or upsetting? Honestly, I don't understand. The fact that it is seen that way shows that we, collectively, view sex between men as being fundamentally different than consensual sex between other pairings. That, in turns, betrays a fundamental sense that gay men are somehow different than the rest of us.

That is why some gay men (and women, too) spend years of their lives living in a closet. No one enters a closet of their own free will. It takes years of hearing derogatory statements about a person's sexuality before they decide that it's too painful to be honest about who they are. It is a decision that is as personal as life itself...and therefore no one should be forced out of that closet.

And particularly not because they didn't pay enough to keep someone quiet.