Linda Ketner Apologizes

A few days ago, I suppose I caused a little stir in the world, giving my bloggie middle finger to Linda Ketner for outing supportive SC politicians. I call it a little stir because assembloge, a blog on Q-Notes in the Carolinas, reported on it calling it "Harsh." Perhaps it was, but I stood by my opinion (though the Charleston City Paper doesn't think it was true outing at all, but I have to question how a public figure talking about the sexual orientation of rumored homosexuals isn't, at least, an attempt at outing?). 

Anywho, Ketner felt a little bit of the fire and apologized:

I’ve always been resolute about never outing anyone, believing strongly that every person gets to decide when or if he or she comes out.

I let myself and others down in a recent off-the-record chat with a reporter. I obviously don’t have knowledge of the sexual orientation of any individuals mentioned. What I do have is respect and appreciation for their service to this state.

My sincerest apologies to any of you rightfully upset with me.

I think it's a good apology. And so, for now (and for the first time?), I retract my middle finger to Ms. Ketner. 

SC's Linda Ketner Outs Politicians

Once upon a time, I volunteered for the South Carolina Equality Coalition (SCEC). I was a legislative observer, waiting for something... anything... to be mentioned in the SC Legislature to be mentioned of the impending Defense of Marriage Act. I never really saw anything, but it was cool to learn about the process.

While I was there, I learned a lot, like how to block a bill from going through. That is, get a supportive Congressperson to complain about how someone put this crazy, unrelated amendment onto another bill, and is that really how we want to run government?

And, thus, in 2004, we stopped the Defense of Marriage Act from getting voted on in South Carolina.

Years later (well, in 2008), I found out one of the members of SCEC was running for Congress in SC as an open lesbian and ended up doing pretty well against a staunch incumbent conservative. I was proud! Linda Ketner, the former Dem. candidate, showed that it was possible that a Southerner could possibly be elected to public office as openly LGBT.

A few days ago, though, she let a bombshell drop in a FireDogLake interview where she outed several SC politicians. This is the quote:

We have more gay people serving in South Carolina than probably in anyplace in the United States; they're just not out of the closet. We have an awful lot of people in the closet-- Lindsey Graham, Glenn McConnell who's our Senate president pro tem, our Lt Governor... I obviously lost the conservative, religious crazy vote, but I would have anyway because I'm pro-choice... It got more national attention than it did local attention; it was no secret to anybody around here.

Now, it's one thing to out Lindsey Graham -- in fact, it wouldn't be a surprise. He's no friend to the LGBT community. But do you want to know who our supportive ally in Congress was who stood up and railed against attaching unrelated amendments to bills? Glenn McConnell. He actually made a great point, as the bill it was attached to had other spending and taxing bits attached which were unnecessary, so he could have as easily been talking about those amendments.

But, word was, he wasn't. He was helping us out.

Now, I don't know if Graham, McConnell, or anyone else is really gay. It was always just rumor and speculation, but I am sure of one thing: if you can out Graham, that's fine. Ethically, I think you're clear on that one. But McConnell, even if he is, has been a supporter in the past.

And so, it is with great reluctance, Ms. Ketner, that I have to give you the finger. You fail, today, where once you were a WIN.

Later, Ketner would say in the comments that "By the way, in Howie’s intro, he quoted me as saying several members of state and U.S. government were gay. I don’t know that for sure having never been intimate with any of them. Those are the rumors." Right, but you still don't get to come out publically like that and then pretend like it never happened. I think you still just lost a lot of credibility, and maybe one or two supporters.

Update: Apparently I'm really harsh in this particular post, as Matt Comer at the assembloge points out. Meh. I stand by my statements, however, and apologize for the mistakes in grammar and details (you're right, Glenn McConnell is not in Congress.. but he is in the legislature). Anyways, always weird to see me cross linked back somewhere else... especially to a blog around home. I'm not, after all, just yelling into the ether known as the interweb.

(SC) The Finger to State Rep. Delleney

A bill introduced to the South Carolina Legislature would require training school personnell and students about how to identify the signs of an abusive relationship after a 2007 state survey showed that almost 14% of students reported being "hit, slapped or physically hurt on purpose by their boyfriend or girlfriend” in the previous 12 months. Though generally popular, Rep. Greg Delleney (R-Chester) didn't like the bill for one reason:

[He] offered up an amendment on the House floor to require that only heterosexual relationships be discussed in the training.

"I don't want the Department of Education or school districts to teach children in grades sixth through twelfth about (same sex) relationships," said Delleney.

Read: absue is very bad in relationships, but only if you're straight. We can allow the gay kids to beat each other as much as they like... after all, it's not our job to teach about them. Just like, in Texas, it's ok if they get bullied and kill themselves. Saves the haters the trouble of forming a lynch mob.

Mr. Delleney, you get the finger today.

The Finger on No-Smoking Policies

Christ Hospital has a disgusting smoking policy -- no smoking on the grounds. I get it. All the hospitals are doing it, and there is a shortage of fresh air in the world so it is necessary to make sure smokers don't take up the last of it.

But today we get an email from the medical director of my program saying that the church, which is just off property, is off limits... that they had received complaints about students smoking off property in front of the church. They reinforced that anyone caught smoking "on grounds" (mind you the security guards have said in the past that "Christ doesn't own this church" -- ha!) would have Christ Hospital (not Christ College) disciplinary action taken against them.

Um, I think your arguments about the health of patients would be a little more believable if there wasn't a Wendy's right in front of your doors.

Sorry. You fail. And, for that:


I mean, I know how much fun it is to pick on smokers these days -- we are, after all, single handedly degrading the health care system, destroying the environment, and generally contributing to the overal moral decay of the country -- but don't you think it's funny that we can so easily pick on us...

...when you, at the same time, write about the parking issues on campus without mention of how great it would be if more people walked/took the bus?

...when you have a fast food restaurant in your building that "offers more healthy options than any other fast food restaurant?"

...when you have coke machines on every corner?

...when you don't even have an appropriate gym for people who work/go to school here to access?

...when you don't offer employee assistance for quitting smoking?

I just think its funny that we harp on and on and on about the public health concerns that are caused by smokers, whereas we seem to have no problems with the public health concerns caused by any other vice.

Oh, and to the naysayers who say "you're affecting my health too," all right, I'll give you that. But what's wrong with a designated, a little off the beaten path smoking section? Trust me, the environmental toxins caused by the very busy Auburn Avenue in front of the hospital are 10X worse than any thing my little smoke will do.