Black and anti-gay? It’s OK with the St Pete Times
August 12, 2008 at 1:38 pm by Wayne GarciaFor the second time this year the St. Petersburg Times editorial board has given a backhanded approval to a candidate with an anti-gay record. This time it’s Darryl Rouson, an incumbent Republican-turned-Democrat House member who has often enjoyed the newspaper’s largess.
As I wrote last week, Rouson is on record in a 2006 TV appearance as saying that being gay is “morally wrong” and opposing gay adoption. After taking some heat from gay rights activists last week, Rouson explained that he has changed his position, an evolution of thought in his mind.
In fact, the editorial recommendation didn’t seem to have much good to say about him:
As a member of the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, Rouson was a leader in placing Amendment 5 on the November ballot. It would reduce school-related property taxes and open the door for a sales tax increase and the elimination of many sales tax exemptions. Other votes are more difficult to defend. On the commission, Rouson supported an amendment that would remove a constitutional ban on public money going to churches and religious organizations but opposed one to allow public money for private tuition vouchers. Curiously, he does not see the inconsistency.
The Times has always come to the aid of gays under attack, so it is surprising that Rouson’s editorial recommendation wasn’t the slightest bit tempered by a mention of his “evolving” stance on gay rights. Then again, neither was the recommendation for St. Pete City Council candidate Gershom Faulkner, who lost the race to Wengay Newton. While the newsside wrote about the gay controversy with Faulkner like this:
Two state legislators have pulled their endorsement of City Council candidate Gershom Faulkner after he told a group of local gay and lesbian political activists that people choose to be gay.
Faulkner, a Democrat running for the nonpartisan council in District 7, said he could not support what he called a gay lifestyle because of his religious beliefs, according to those who attended the August meeting of the Pinellas Stonewall Democrats.
… it still didn’t mention the issue in its editorial recommendation.
When President Bush is anti-gay, the Times rebukes him editorially. Hillsborough parents who want gay clubs pushed off campus get a smack. But establishment candidates in St. Pete who are anti-gay? Not so much.
Now, I played the race card in the title, and to be fair, you can be white and anti-gay and get a pass from the Times if the gay issue is not central to the campaign. Like the recent endorsement of the wildly anti-gay Brian Blair. Yet I seem to recall at some point Blair being spanked for his anti-gayness editorially, even if I haven’t found a link yet for it. It seems much more acceptable for the politically correct Times to accept a bit of anti-gayness from black candidates, who play to an audience that is much more socially conservative than the MSM every acknowledges.
Bonus cut: The only mention on the editorial pages about Rouson’s stance(s) on gay rights is an op-ed piece by Bill Maxwell.
August 12th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
I keep warning all of those who are involved in the fight to stop Amendment 2 that there are a lot of democrats that support the amendment. Support of this amendment is not limited to Republicans.
And people look at me like I just landed from another planet!
August 12th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
The Times earlier endorsement of Brian Blair showed that they were fine with anti-gay candidates and clearly showed they are Pro-Stupid!
August 12th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Don’t hold it in Kelly, let us know how you really feel.
August 12th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
He must’ve forgotten he had turned Democrat for a minute there… I wonder if that’s why turned Democrat??? Maybe he forgot he was Black and Obama just had to remind him.
August 12th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
The Times chose Rouson because he’s better bet than his opponent, McKenzie. McKenzie has had his contract terminated as a Pinellas County teacher. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get rid of a teacher? It’s tough. Rouson has to be better than the other guy!
August 12th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
It is not tough to get rid of a teacher in their first few years in a new system. McKenzie was new to Pinellas and the school has the right to renew without any cause required. If McKenzie did not speak out against the resegregation of schools through the neighborhood schools program he would probably still have a job there.
August 12th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
The fact is, the former head of the NAACP said “Sometimes the law is supposed to discriminate.” I thought the NAACP was against discrimination. Those remarks are indefensible and the Times should be ashamed of themselves. Everyone thought that Faulkner was the better bet too, but Rouson can join him on the unemployment line.
August 13th, 2008 at 8:46 am
with out repeating myself too much, see my comment in the recent blair blog to see how i feel about the local daily rags and how they just endorse folks for the sake of endorsing them. they could, in fact, say “we do not endorse any candidate in this primary race. we suggest you vote for someone else.”
that would be having a pair.
in lighter news, i see when have a second “gabe” poster. ever see “the highlander”, dude? i would say we could debate a little, but i think we’re on the same side.
August 13th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Kelly Cornelius, I thought it was widely known that Brian Blair IS gay. I believe the anti-gay thing is just part of his public schtick.
August 13th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
peak,
blair’s former profession is just a bit homo-erotic, so you never know… you know what they say about the most vocal opponents of something…