The thing about the repeal of DADT is that it’s an explicit acknowledgement that gay people have contributed just as much to this country as straight people, and an implication that they deserve just as much recognition. But also, the thing is that even if you’re a Republican campaigning for the Presidential nomination, you then have to acknowledge that gay people have contributed just as much to this country as straight people, and confront the fact that they deserve equal rights. Or at least that’s what happened to Mitt Romney when he ran into gay veteran Bob Garon at a campaign event in New Hampshire.
During a breakfast event meant to celebrate the mayor of Manchester’s endorsement of Romney, Romney was schmoozing his way through tables full of attendees and began chatting with Garon, who asked Romney whether he supports the proposed repeal of New Hampshire’s marriage equality law. Romney responded that he did want it repealed, and when pressed, went on to say that he would oppose any legislation that “would change the law so that gay servicemen would get the same benefits as heterosexual couples.” The conversation that followed was one of the more straightforward things you might ever hear a politician say.
PHOTO CREDIT BRIAN SNYDER/REUTERS
“I believe marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman,” Romney said. “We apparently disagree on that.”
“It’s good to know how you feel, that you do not believe everyone is entitled to their constitutional rights,” the 63-year-old New Hampshire resident responded.
“No, actually I think at the time the Constitution was written it was pretty clear marriage was between a man and a woman,” Romney said, just as one of his campaign aides chimed in that they had “to get going” to another Fox interview.
“Oh, I guess the question was too hot,” Garon quipped to Romney and his aide.
“No, I gave you the answer, you said you had a yes or no answer and I gave you the answer,” Romney said, turning back to face Garon.
“You did and I appreciate your answer. And I learned something, New Hampshire is right, you have to look a man in the eye to get a good answer and you know what governor?” Garon said, pausing. “Good luck. You’re going to need it.”
Garon was in fact sitting at the booth with his husband, and when asked about his investment in the issue by the press, said:
“Because I’m gay, all right?” he said. “And I happen to love a man just like you probably love your wife… I went and fought for my country and I think my spouse should be entitled to the same [benefits as they would] if I were married to a woman,” he said. “What the hell is the difference?”
Given the most important values of Republican rhetoric, and the fact that military service is prized above virtually anything else by most conservative candidates, there’s almost no way for Romney to openly deny Garon his rights without looking like both a hypocrite and an asshole. Garon fought in Vietnam, the war in which American soldiers returned home to find themselves without support or understanding on top of their own personal aftermath. And then Garon, and other soldiers like him, had to spend the next 50 years without even the basic economic benefits that their comrades received. Mitt Romney has no military service to his name. While the Republican political machine doesn’t necessarily shy away from paradox or contradiction (advocating for a small government that simultaneously interferes with the personal lives of its citizens by regulating marriage and reproductive health, for instance), denying soldiers who have served their country is pretty indefensible.
The repeal of DADT was in many ways specific to the community of queer military servicemembers; it didn’t concretely benefit the larger community, and didn’t even give gay servicemembers a lot of tangible benefits or allow for their partners to be recognized, as Garon’s story demonstrates. But it was hugely meaningful in that the structure of power admitted openly that gay citizens exist, that we are part of what makes our nation what it is, and that it doesn’t make sense to treat us differently. And more and more often, when politicans continue to treat us as second-class citizens, it comes off as a gaffe. It’s the most dramatic with someone like Bob Garon, a gay veteran, because veterans inspire reverence and respect in a lot of people, and conservatives especially. But it’s not unique to people with military service — the more out we are, and the more able to be out we are, the more evident it will become that politicians aren’t denying rights to gays, but to schoolteachers and firefighters and volunteers in soup kitchens and parents and religious leaders. Because that’s who we are. And like Bob Garon says, what the hell is the difference?
Rachel…I’m always in awe of how well you write. Beautifully put, as always.
I love this Garon guy!
And you know, I’m so tired of hearing this “at the time the Constitution was written” bullshit. At the time the Constitution was written, it’s clear that the dudes writing it thought slavery was OK and that a slave should count as 3/5 of a person. But you know the great thing about our constitution is that it can CHANGE over time! Both through amendments and through the gradual accumulation of legal interpretations and precedents! Which is great because, though the broad outlines of government they set up were pretty cool, they were a bunch of old white guys from the 1780s and a lot of the things they thought were pretty stupid!
And they were aware that someday, their descendants would look at the laws they wrote and think “wtf”, so they made provisions for the Constitution changed!
this is wonderful. thanks rachel.
Rachel I wish you were a news corespondent for MSNBC coming on directly after Rachel Maddow.
i just spent like five minutes trying to make a joke out of “coming after Rachel Maddow” but i guess you get the point
I guess that means you made Rachel Maddow come first.
*golf claps*
Very touching. Garon brightened my day tenfold.
Owned.
On a side note though, I highly doubt that Romney will win the nomination. We’ve only ever had one Catholic president (Kennedy), let alone a Mormon. I wonder if Romney supports polygamy because it would be fun to call him out with the same “one man/one woman blah constitution” bullshit.
The Mormon church has opposed polygamy for quite some time now, so no, Mitt Romney doesn’t support polygamy.
Good to know! Thanks!
not until this moment did I fully understand why I dislike republican rhetoric so much ::
“the Republican political machine doesn’t necessarily shy away from paradox or contradiction (advocating for a small government that simultaneously interferes with the personal lives of its citizens by regulating marriage and reproductive health, for instance)”
BRILLIANTLY SAID! thank you
i read this last night on nerve, laughed clapped out loud. i really wish people would call politicians out on their bullshit more often on the campaign trail then it would be easier to weed out the cains, santorums, bachmanns, perrys, and gingrichs……wait who does that leave?
Really well written, Rachel.
Ugh especially after reading this NYT article on Ann Romney “coming to the campaign’s rescue,” this entire exchange smacks of hypocrisy. Why does Ann get any more right to support her husband than Garon to support his husband?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/us/politics/ann-romney-campaigning-more-actively.html?ref=politics
I just watched the video and omg GAH! it seemed like in the beginning romney had incorrectly assumed based on the man’s appearance that “marriage is between a man and a woman” would be the answer Garon wanted to hear. It was great to just listen to a citizen ask these hard questions, because these are the questions we’re always screaming at our television and wish the news anchors — even the liberal ones — would pursue more aggressively.
that’s the kind of guy mitt romney is though. he’s been the ” i say whatever i think you want to hear, even if it contradicts any of my later statements” candidate. but yeah, whoever the republican nominee ends up being, i hope people do start questioning their stance on current policies.
Exactly what Riese just said. Romney thought from the look of this guy that he was a conservative, straight, Christian man…I think he’s even wearing a cross with his flannel! But, huzzah! Gay men come in all shapes and sizes because they are just people like everyone else!
So basically, Romney proves he’s even more ignorant than I thought he was five minutes ago.
Oh I love Bob Garon. I love how forthright he is. “What the hell is the difference?” This.
wow, this is fantastic. the best part is that garon didn’t beat around the bush and out and out told romney that he believes in defying the constution and legally discriminating against people. i don’t like to play nice with people when i feel they are discriminating either.
and the “good luck. you’re going to need it.” quip at the end?LMAO. he is a blunt, feisty man after my own heart!
constitution*
This warms my heart<3
God this makes me so happy.
Protip: Skip the comments on the abc article. You’ll thank me later.