'Outrage': Kirby Dick kicks open Washington's closet door

[meegbear]

Would a host of key members of the Washington political establishment be less hostile to gay rights if they came out of the closet and acknowledged being gay themselves?

That's the question at the heart of "Outrage," Kirby Dick's rabble-rousing new documentary that debuts tonight at New York's Tribeca Film Festival. (It opens May 8 in L.A. and four other cities, including Washington.) Clearly pulling no punches, the film investigates the secret lives of closeted gay politicians, some of whom have spent years in office with only the skimpiest of scrutiny from the mainstream media. If nothing else, "Outrage" establishes Dick as a formidable force in the investigative documentary field, especially coming on the heels of his last doc, "This Film Is Not Yet Rated," which bashed the MPAA's impenetrable and often irrational film rating system.

I know what you're thinking. If you've seen the film, spill it already. So who does he out? Dick's targets include Florida's current governor, Charlie Crist, who was viewed for a time as a front-runner to be John McCain's vice-presidential pick; David Dreier (R-San Dimas), who was once a leading candidate for the House majority leader post when the Republicans still controlled Congress; Ken Mehlman, George Bush's campaign manager during the 2004 election and former Republican National Committee chairman; former New York City mayor Ed Koch; the now-retired Idaho Sen. Larry Craig; Jim McCrery (R-La.), a ranking member on the House Ways and Means Committee who retired last year; Ed Schrock (R-Va.), who retired in 2004; and -- gasp -- the prominent Fox News anchor Shepard Smith.

It is pretty obvious from this list of names that the film's real issue is hypocrisy. With the exception of Koch, the outed politicians are all conservative Republicans who have repeatedly voted against gay rights legislation that would allow gay marriage, gay adoption or include gays among those protected in hate crimes laws. (Though he wasn't an elected official, Mehlman is included because he ran the Bush re-election campaign of 2004, which was propelled by a push for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, which was seen by many as a cynical effort to lure evangelical conservatives to the voting booths.)

Dick's world view is best expressed in the film by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), one of the few gay congressmen who has voluntarily come out of the closet, who says: "There is a right to privacy, there's no right to hypocrisy." Dick makes a strong case that closeted gays are often the most enthusiastic opponents of gay rights legislation, in part to establish their bona fides in the straight world. He gives a wealth of screen time to Michael Rogers, a blogger who has been a leader in outing closeted gay politicians, using his wealth of contacts among gay congressional staffers and Washington journalists.

Like Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show," Dick has a wonderful eye for capturing telling moments of political sanctimony and posturing. He shows clips of Craig, on the Senate floor, extolling his wife's virtues on Valentine's Day, not long after he plays us an audio tape of Craig being interviewed by an undercover agent whom Craig had played footsie with in an airport men's room. After airing reports that Dreier had a longtime relationship with his male chief of staff -- a story first reported in 2004 by the L.A. Weekly -- Dick shows photos of various exotic vacation locales around the world that were visited by Dreier, noting that each time, Dreier's chief of staff would arrive at the same getaway spot a day later.

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http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2009/04/outraged-kirby-dick-kicks-open-washingtons-closet-door-.html

[jonnyblitz]

1. oh i have to see this documentary. I saw the "gay republican"

documentary a few years back and it was SCARY. Seeing a drag queen spewing right wing talking points was a bit unsettling. :crazy:

the Gay Republican IMDB entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0430131/

anyways I will be looking out for "Outrage". I hope it gets some play in at least the arthouse theaters.

[Bluenorthwest]

2. A note on Koch and hypocrisy

I suppose Koch was a Democrat at the time, but his hypocrisy and denial during the earliest days of what would the AIDS crisis, when he was the Mayor of Viral ground zero, cost thousands of lives and caused much undue suffering.
He very much belongs in a film about hypocrites. He is probably the worst of them all. His name to me is an epithet to be be spat, not spoken.

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. "His name to me is an epithet to be be spat"

Not too difficult, as his name sounds like someone with a lung infection.

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. "There is a right to privacy, there's no right to hypocrisy."

Great statement that perfectly expresses my opinions about outing. If you want to be private and live in the closet, fine. If you make your living denigrating gay people and working to destroy my fundamental human rights, however, then turnaround is fair play.

I very much want to see this film.

[Jim Sagle]

5. What's the justification for outing Shep Smith?

:shrug:

[DarkTirade]

6. Crist is the bastard who helped Jeb set up a system in which money was actively taken away from poor

schools and given to schools in rich areas.

And when Jeb left office, Crist won the seat by proclaiming what he'd done in every ad he put out.