Althouse: "[Y]es, it’s a huge relief that the woman to whom Obama spoke of his own 'evolution' on marriage equality is no longer closeted...."

December 30, 2013

"[Y]es, it’s a huge relief that the woman to whom Obama spoke of his own 'evolution' on marriage equality is no longer closeted...."

"And yes, this is not news to me.... and yes, I’m glad for her survival of cancer and her own evolution as a free woman."

63 comments:

Joe said...: Is a metaphoric closet with glass walls really a metaphoric closet?; 12/30/13, 10:56 AM
David said...: Was she ever closeted?

She and her partner have been living together in New York for a decade. They go to public social events together. They act as a couple.

It is nice that the news media kept this private during this time. It is a private relationship.

Somehow I doubt the same courtesy would be extended to a lesbian working at Fox.; 12/30/13, 11:00 AM
mesquito said...: I guess now I'm supposed to know who Robin Roberts is.; 12/30/13, 11:17 AM
Wince said...: Oh, what a relief it is! The TV personality Obama spoke to he about his "evolution" on same sex marriage is now out of the closet.

Oh, and yea, I'm glad she didn't die, too.

Priorities.; 12/30/13, 11:24 AM
Hagar said...: But have they signed up for Obamacare?; 12/30/13, 11:29 AM
jr565 said...: Yawn.
All these people coming out of the closet and the reaction is "we already knew that" and "So?". NO one, not even the Duck Dynasty guys are demanding that they be fired for their gayness.
While I wont speak for all people, as Im sure there are some virulent bigots out there, most people never much cared whether someone was gay or not, they just didn't want it rubbed in their face.
And that has little to do with gay marriage either, a fabricated civil rights platform if there ever was one.
Gayness is not fabulous anymore. It's BORING. Stop with the gayness already.
You're here, you're queer, we're used to it.; 12/30/13, 11:37 AM
jr565 said...: -cont- now can we stop making it all about YOU all the time you self loving attention seeking narcissists.; 12/30/13, 11:39 AM
jr565 said...: I remember way back when my mom told me a rumor that Jodie Foster, Kelly Mcgillis and Whitney Houston(?) were all guy and one of them punched the other in the face when she caught the third in an affair with the second.
But anyway, gayness rumors abounded for ages. So the idea that Jodie Foster might be a lesbian was not new, not interesting and not groundbreaking.
What shocked me a bit was when she gave her meandering speech after winning an Oscar and thanked her logtime partner and then metnioned a guys name.
And I thought "Wait, she ISN't Gay?!?"
But no, her gf just has a masculine name, as I found out. So, no shock there.; 12/30/13, 11:43 AM
iowan2 said...: Dog bites man

This may be hard to believe. I rarely think about other peoples living arrangements.
And when public figures are involved that moves to never.

It seems homosexuals though, are obsessed with it.; 12/30/13, 11:45 AM
Sorun said...: She's heroic, like that gay male basketball player, whatever his name is.; 12/30/13, 11:46 AM
mccullough said...: Her coming out publicly had nothing to do with Obama or Sullivan, but Sullivan manages to reference both of them anyway.; 12/30/13, 11:49 AM
MadisonMan said...: Why is it a huge relief to Sullivan that she is out? That's a serious question. It's not like anything bad would happen to her if she were to be have been outed.

Sullivan needs to examine his narcissistic self to answer this question.; 12/30/13, 11:54 AM
MadisonMan said...: Well, that syntax was mangled.

It's not like anything bad would have happened to her if she were to have been outed.; 12/30/13, 11:55 AM
cubanbob said...: Since she wasn't on my list of potentially datable woman (if in an alternative life I was single) this bit of 'news' is of no particular importance to me. I'm happy to hear she has recovered from cancer and wish her well in life. Now aren't there more important topics to discuss such as what else our Dear leader and his Party have done today to further depress our lives?; 12/30/13, 11:58 AM
lemondog said...: re: O's 'evolution', more likely calculated politics.; 12/30/13, 12:04 PM
mccullough said...: MM,

What matters is how Sullivan feels and that he was in the know. Roberts is just a news peg about all things Sullivan. He and Obama are a lot alike.; 12/30/13, 12:05 PM
jacksonjay said...: This whole drama is so tedious!

Who the hell give a shit?; 12/30/13, 12:20 PM
William said...: I hope she doesn't switch back like Anne Heche or Sinead O'Oconnor. That would only play into the stereotype that women are feckless and variable or, even worse, that sexuality itself is mutable and variable.; 12/30/13, 12:27 PM
Marty Keller said...: Iowan2 says, "It seems homosexuals though, are obsessed with it."

Well, no, we're not. Just the This Town crowd of narcissists admiring themselves in DC, New York, and Hollywood.

Oh, and let's civilly remember narcissism is an equal opportunity psychopathology.; 12/30/13, 12:33 PM
Marty Keller said...: MadisonMan said...

"Why is it a huge relief to Sullivan that she is out? That's a serious question."

Personally, I'm much more interested in what my front door thinks about this than I am about anything Sullivan says, period.; 12/30/13, 12:37 PM
jacksonjay said...: I hope she doesn't switch back like Anne Heche or Sinead O'Oconnor. That would only play into the stereotype that women are feckless and variable or, even worse, that sexuality itself is mutable and variable.

Don't forget the soon to be First Lady of NYC, Chirlane McCray! She converted to the straight side! She's a poet so she has special insight!; 12/30/13, 12:39 PM
Anonymous said...: yes the prez's position on gay marriage wasn't evolution.

evolution is a linear, one way progression wherein each step points to the current result.

the president's evolution went forward, backward, forward, backward, then to today's position.; 12/30/13, 12:52 PM
JRoberts said...: GMA's ratings must be down and they needed some free publicity. However, you think they would have waited until closer to the February sweeps like "Today" did with Katie's televised colonoscopy.; 12/30/13, 12:59 PM
Michael The Magnificent said...: Another Althouse thread about homosexuals. Yawn.; 12/30/13, 1:46 PM
n.n said...: Evolution the chaotic process or evolution as in principles such as fitness? Oh, the double irony is lost on the Dodo Dynasty.; 12/30/13, 1:51 PM
Skeptical Voter said...: Madison Man we can imagine other "huge reliefs" for Andrew Sullivan. E.g. he might suffer from chronic constipation--and occasionally a "huge relief" would come along.

I'm about as interested in hearing about that as I am in hearing anything else from Andrew Sullivan. He long ago descended into total irrelevance.

As for Robin what's her name? She's outed herself as a lesbian. Good for her. Next question?; 12/30/13, 1:56 PM
Anonymous said...: My surprise is that this whole thing is a surprise. Hasn't her lesbianism been known of for years? Maybe it was just my gaydar but I could swear that this isn't news.; 12/30/13, 2:01 PM
mtrobertsattorney said...: Melissa Etheridge was also the victim of a switch-back by her partner.

These not-so-uncommon instances of switch-backs creates a real problem for the standard narrative. If sexual preference is a matter of genetics, then Etheridge's partner must have somehow been talked into to becoming something that she was not.

The only other possibility seems to be that sexual preference is mutable.

I wonder if there are any ongoing academic studies of this phenomena.; 12/30/13, 2:08 PM
Christy said...: Anybody else stop reading Sullivan back when he got so boring with all homosexual issues all the time? Must have been 4 computers ago. I always declutter my bookmarks with each new computer.; 12/30/13, 2:19 PM
Larry J said...: iowan2 said...
Dog bites man

This may be hard to believe. I rarely think about other peoples living arrangements.
And when public figures are involved that moves to never.

But you see, you're supposed to not only think about it, you're supposed to celebrate when someone comes out as gay. It isn't enough to simply live and let live. You have to cheer, throw a gay pride parade and march in it yourself. If you happen to be religious, you have to throw out what your religion says about homosexuality. It simply isn't enough to not discrimate against gays, you have to discriminate in favor of them.

Anything less is homophobic, which is just the worst thing in the whole wide world.; 12/30/13, 2:27 PM
Henry said...: Yes, it's a huge relief that the
third icebreaker
has now reached millions of people.

I dunno. That's how I read Althouse today.; 12/30/13, 2:44 PM
Michael said...: Now I am confused. Why was this woman in the closet? She lives in a gay friendly city, is employed by a gay friendly news organization and has to be surrounded by people who knew and approved of her sexuality. Why in the closet? Was she afraid and if so of what? Was she ashamed and if so why? Or was she just, as someone noted above, a private person? And if she was one why didn't she stay one?

I am less and less interested in what people do with their sex organs.; 12/30/13, 2:59 PM
MadisonMan said...: Just the This Town crowd of narcissists admiring themselves in DC, New York, and Hollywood.

It's helpful to be reminded of this periodically.

Thanks.; 12/30/13, 3:02 PM
Doug said...: It is indeed not news that Robin Roberts is gay. The newsworthiness of the story is her oh so brave-y bravery-ness of her telling every - YAWN-one.; 12/30/13, 3:14 PM
kimsch said...: Why do I need to know about anyone's sexual preference? I don't. I know mine and that of my husband, and lo and behold they're compatible. That's all I need to know.; 12/30/13, 3:32 PM
iowan2 said...: With new found strength, prompted by the courageous Robin Roberts, battling against odds and announcing she is a lesbian. A low profile reality show cast member has admitted he goes to church. Phil Robertson explains that the relief of not having to hide his religiosity is rejuvenating.; 12/30/13, 3:34 PM
Bob Ellison said...: This is only going to get more intense. We will hear more and more about non-heterosexual behavior, and eventually the talk will morph into how heterosexual behavior is really the sinful stuff. That's already underway. This woman, Robin Roberts, seems like a good person who has tried to do her job well. We can't know why she felt compelled to let us all know what gender she prefers.

There is a strong "all women are lesbians deep down" meme. Like the story of the cowboy who went to a lesbian bar and discovers that he's a lesbian and didn't know it.; 12/30/13, 4:25 PM
Bob Ellison said...: Katy Perry, an obvious object of desire, was on this meme early with I Kissed a Girl.; 12/30/13, 4:32 PM
Bob Ellison said...: I'd go farther and say that the meme is "only an idiot would crave a man". The idea could bind heterosexual men, lesbians, and mistreated heterosexual women together. And women are pretty, unlike men.

There really should be a political party for this. But they have to rope in the hetero men. That'll be tough.; 12/30/13, 4:40 PM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: Gays that are prone to self-dramatization have it tough because, at the end of the day, they are still overwhelmingly middle-class white people. There's only so much we-shall-overcome drama and triumph you can milk when you're a member of that demographic.
On a semi-unrelated note, can any of our gay members explain why rural living has such appeal for lesbians but not, apparently, for gay men?; 12/30/13, 4:53 PM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/30/13, 4:55 PM
Valentine Smith said...: I thought he died in 2010. Great pitcher with the Whiz Kids in Philly ca 1950. He came out? How?; 12/30/13, 4:56 PM
Valentine Smith said...: His old man was Welsh coal miner! No wonder he became a lesbian.; 12/30/13, 5:02 PM
Michael K said...: "I wonder if there are any ongoing academic studies of this phenomena."

Johns Hopkins closed their sex change service because of the number of patients who were unhappy later and wanted to change back. That was the first university program doing sex changes. They quit.; 12/30/13, 5:39 PM
SteveR said...: Somehow I doubt the same courtesy would be extended to a lesbian working at Fox.

How the hell do you know?; 12/30/13, 5:52 PM
John henry said...: Oh.

That Andrew Sullivan

http://web.archive.org/web/20010606105110/milkyloads.tripod.com/bareback/index.html

Caution NSFW

John Henry; 12/30/13, 6:41 PM
Left Bank of the Charles said...: If she is just coming out now, President Obama's evolution was faster than hers.; 12/30/13, 6:57 PM
dbp said...: Does anyone seriously think Obama evolved on this issue? It seems pretty obvious that the president finally came out of the closet with his long-held beliefs.

Where is the bullshit tag?; 12/30/13, 7:16 PM
Tim said...: " It seems pretty obvious that the president finally came out of the closet" with his long-held beliefs.

Did he finally he admit it? Does Reggie know?; 12/30/13, 7:56 PM
D. B. Light said...: I thought he was talking about the Phillies Hall of Fame pitcher.; 12/30/13, 8:17 PM
David said...: SteveR said...
"Somehow I doubt the same courtesy would be extended to a lesbian working at Fox."

How the hell do you know?

I didn't say I knew, Steve. How could I know? I expressed doubt. Your rabid response button is a little twitchy.; 12/30/13, 8:31 PM
SteveR said...: Your rabid response button is a little twitchy.

No my response to stupid comments response button was activated. Pointless and typical, I couldn't resist. Don't let your education and limited frame of reference confuse you. Calling in the Fox News angle is weak and unimpressive. Try harder,; 12/30/13, 8:48 PM
David said...: "Pointless and typical, I couldn't resist."

Try not to be so hard on yourself, Steve.; 12/30/13, 9:18 PM
Fen said...: "Somehow I doubt the same courtesy would be extended to a lesbian working at Fox."

SteveR: How the hell do you know?

Experience.; 12/30/13, 9:38 PM
Fen said...: I'm suprised she's actually a real person. I assumed she was a "composite character", like Obama's girlfriends.; 12/30/13, 9:39 PM
Mountain Maven said...: Why are you linking to Andrew Sullivan? His writing went to s**t years ago; 12/30/13, 10:12 PM
SteveR said...: Experience

Yeah right. Don't let facts get in the way.; 12/31/13, 12:23 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: Never really got this - why coming out was such a big thing. Seems quite narcissistic - most of us really don't give a damn.

There really isn't going to be much in fallout here. Probably not as much as if she had come out as a conservative. Much different, I think, when people come out fairly young, when their peer group and/or parents can negatively affect them. But, now, with an established career, in a gay oriented profession, in a gay friendly city? Not that big of a deal.

That said, what if either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton come out? Allegations about both of them surface on occasion (though likely involve propaganda). In Hillary's case, it probably wouldn't really hurt her, given that she is married to a sexual predator. What is worse, someone who uses his power and position to acquire sex from women, regardless sometimes of their will, or someone who keeps their affairs completely private? Still, I would guess that sexual orientation probably would still impact elect-ability at the Presidential, US Senate, and state governor level. Doesn't seem to matter much at lower levels of public office any more, and I suspect that in another generation, sexual orientation will not matter at even the highest offices.; 12/31/13, 1:50 AM
Trashhauler said...: "...and her own evolution as a free woman."

What the heck does this mean? Is this a reference to her position as a member of the rich elite? Because if judged by status and economics, I assume she has been "freer" than me for most of her life.; 12/31/13, 2:14 AM
Guildofcannonballs said...: Living oh-so-more than hog high what hath best time to offer insofar as cruel neutrality?

Oh I see.

I see as clear as those who have seen clearly before me.

No more clear.

No less neither.

I reckon false peddlers shall be the same old false peddlers of yesteryear.; 12/31/13, 3:13 AM
Glen Filthie said...: The economy is in flames, America is headed over a financial cliff with a full blown depression at the bottom of it...and the Obutthole Administration is obsessing over queers.

We live in an age of moral and ethical degeneracy and nowhere is this more pronounced than in the gay community and the democrat leadership's inner circle.

It's a sad day when you get more commonsense out of an old duck-hunting beardo than you do from the president of the United States.; 12/31/13, 4:58 AM
Tank said...: When Obama comes out, will everyone say, "I knew that?"; 12/31/13, 7:56 AM
Real American said...: MY SEXUALITY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING AND IS NONE OF ANYONE ELSE'S BUSINESS!

PLEASE TALK ENDLESSLY ABOUT MY SEXUALITY!; 12/31/13, 3:13 PM