Closeted Gay Republicans Hung Out to Dry

While some disagree with me, I strongly support outing closeted Republican elected officials who take anti-gay positions through legislation and public pronouncements even as they secretly troll for gay trysts. I have even passed information along to Mike Rogers and others who share my views when I hear of this type of hypocrisy. To me, it's very simple: if one wants to remain in the closet, that's fine unless and until you start taking actions that actively harm members of the LGBT community through anti-gay laws, etc. Former local Congressman Ed Schrock is a prime example of this situation. While I knew Ed Schrock from my days in the GOP, his conduct was reprehensible and he brought his downfall upon himself. He and his compatriots in the Virginia Beach delegation to the Virginia General Assembly could easily have avoided supporting a Christianist generated anti-gay jihad in Virginia, but chose not to do so. Outing anti-gay elected officials is completely proper in such situations. Now a new film, Outrage, is being released that takes an in depth look at the many closeted Republicans and describes itself as follows:

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A searing indictment of the hypocrisy of closeted politicians who actively campaign against the LGBT community, OUTRAGE boldly reveals the hidden lives of some of our nation’s most powerful policymakers, detailing the harm they've inflicted on millions of Americans, and the media’s complicity in keeping their secrets.

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I sincerely hope the spotlights the lies and hypocrisy of these elected officials and helps to bring home to opponents of "outing" just how much harm these individuals inflict upon the LGBT community. Here are some details from Towleroad:
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Last night I had the opportunity to see the first final cut of Outrage shown to the public, before its opening at the Tribeca Film Festival. For those who have not yet heard of Outrage, it's a documentary by Kirby Dick (This Film is Not Yet Rated) about closeted Republican hypocrites and the way their hypocrisy damages lives — not only their personal lives but the millions of gays and lesbians their homophobic policymaking affects.

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It's a well-packaged effort covering the Reagan years and the birth of the religious right to the present, wrapping up the stories of Idaho Senator Larry Craig, Virginia Rep. Ed Schrock, former NJ Governor Jim McGreevey, Mark Foley, former NYC Mayor Ed Koch, 2004 Bush/Cheney campaign manager Ed Mehlman, former GOP National Field Director Dan Gurley, former Arizona congressman Jim Kolbe, former Louisiana congressman Jim McCrery, and current congressman David Dreier, into a tightly wound exposé of closeted D.C. It's the first major piece of media which has painted such a comprehensive, unflinching look at the GOP's closet.

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The early efforts of Michelangelo Signorile in outing politicians, and the crusades of blogger Mike Rogers (blogactive) are also highlighted. . . . Dick's deft layering of audio tapes, interviews, and sexual confessions against the anti-gay votes these politicians have made reveals how journalists and the mainstream media, which the film ultimately damns for its refusal to expose hypocrisy, have been complicit in keeping public figures in the closet. . . . The film opens May 8.