Why is Sen. Craig doing nothing but denying he's gay? Is his sexuality really the issue?

Question

I don't understand why Craig keeps saying "I'm not gay, this is proposterous, I'm not gay," as if that's the most important issue at hand. It seems to me that no one cares about his lewd conduct, just that he propositioned another man. If he had done this to a woman, would his own party be attacking him the way it is? If he had done this to a woman, would he even be convicted right now?

I don't care about what he likes in the bedroom, personally. If he's gay, he should just admit it and be done with it. The rampant homophobia that is being displayed with this whole thing is sickening.

Anyone else?

too many good answers. i'm putting it to vote.

too many good answers. i'm putting it to vote.

Answer 1

His hypocrisy is the issue. Also the tendency for deeply-closeted, self-hating gays to work out their psychological problems with their gayness through the political process.

Answer 2

Being gay and in Idaho....this is amazing. Sen. Craig has had rumors flying around here and is supposedly know in the underground that he is gay. But to answer your question he is essentially trying to save what is left of his career and life in a insanely conservative state. Either way he is guilty or will be presumed guilty of both charges. Yes he should be denying the charges against him but soliciting sex from a man in a men's restroom would mean he had tendencies and would imply he might be gay. So he will ignore the charges and deny being gay and probably wrongfully harassed to save his own butt.

Answer 3

He wasn't arrest for being gay. He was arrested for soliciting sex. The gender here shouldn't be relevant but we all know it is and why it is. And you're right we would not be hearing near the uproar had he been caught in a back alley with a hooker. The GOP has used fear of homosexuals to keeps itself in voters and power. The generalizations here are more than a little insulting. Not all gay people are bathroom cruising perverts. When a straight person gets caught soliciting a hooker, everyone doesn't claim that every straight is a pervert...and a whole lot more straight people get caught doing that than do gay people in bathrooms. So why the double standard?

Answer 4

he is member to a very homophobic party with even more homophobic voters.

gay or not, if they think he's gay, his political career is over.


and just for the record, he never really admitted to doing it. this is from his personal blog, posted yesterday:

"While I was not involved in any inappropriate conduct at the Minneapolis airport or anywhere else, I chose to plead guilty to a lesser charge in the hope of making it go away. I did not seek any counsel, either from an attorney, staff, friends, or family. That was a mistake, and I deeply regret it."

Answer 5

I know. I tried to make this point yesterday but got accused of gay-bashing.

I don't care about Craig's sexuality. That's his wife's problem (imagine HER life right now).

Honestly, he probably wants to make it the big issue for three reasons. One, he is the senior conservative Senator from a conservative state. He probably believes (whether it's true or not) that he'd lose his constituency if it turned out that he was gay, and that he'd be driven from office. (Look what happened to Gov. McGreevey, after all.) Two, you've got to think that now his wife has some questions about their marriage. She's probably thinking about leaving him. He's probably denying this because he's trying to convince her it's all a huge mistake. And three, he's trying to make it look like OTHER people think the issue is the possibility that he's gay. It's called misdirection. And notice he didn't regret his guilty plea until it hit the headlines. He was perfectly happy admitting to what he did until people found out about it.

The real issue is that he broke the law. I'd feel the same way about what he did - what he ADMITTED doing - if he'd solicited sex in a public place from a woman. It is disgusting to do that, it is illegal to do that, and he needs to take his punishment like a man instead of acting like he's being persecuted.

Answer 6

Unfortunately for Mr. Craig, his political party and its constituents are homophobic and are desperately interested in what goes on in the bedrooms of the nation. He trapped himself by attaching himself to the Republican party and by being a "family values" politician. I have no problem with homosexuality, but I have no sympathy for Larry Craig.

Answer 7

I don't care if he's gay or not. I really don't care that he wanted a BJ in a bathroom stall either. To each his/her own. I guess Craig is being held to his own standards and doesn't like it.

Answer 8

Why Sen. Craig is NOT gay! Wouldn't you be sad if folks just found out you're a hypocrite and suck wang?

Answer 9

He is probably saying "I am not gay" because he can't say "I did not do this crime."

Answer 10

You wouldn't hear a thing if he were democrat. It is because he is a republican that makes the Liberals so very very happy.Gives them something to throw at us.