The Last Bastion of Bigotry – Paul Weyrich

I almost hate to give this guy any press whatsoever, but given the fact that I’m using him as an example of an unbelievable Bigot I guess I’ll make an exception.

The man is Paul Weyrich, a 61 year old, self aggrandizing, conservative popularity contest winner and University of Wisconsin dropout.

The folks at National Public Radio (NPR) must have been having a slow day because they invited him to appear on All Things Considered on October 4, 2006. Within 20 seconds Mr. Weyrich made himself sound like a complete Bigot (and moron if you ask me).

I’ve taken the liberty of transcribing the relevant portion of the interview, but feel free to visit NPR and listen yourself. I believe it was Michele Norris conducting the interview, but I always get her confused with Melissa Block…

Paul Weyrich: Here is the real problem. It has been known for many years that congressman Foley was a homosexual.
uh.
Homosexuals tend to be preoccupied with sex.
The idea that he should be continued, or should have been continued, as chairman of the committee on missing and exploited children is, uh, you know, given their knowledge of that, is uh, just outrageous.

Michele Norris: Now, before we go on, I think I can say Mr. Weyrich that there are quite a few people who would take exception to the statement that ‘homosexuals are preoccupied with sex’.

Paul Weyrich: Well, I don’t care whether they take exception to it, it happens to be true. I mean, uh…

Michele Norris: That is your opinion.

Paul Weyrich: Well, it’s not (chuckles) my opinion it’s, uh, the opinion of many psychologists and psychiatrists who have to deal with them.

For the record, I’m not a Republican or a Democrat (I’m basically a centrist). I’m also straight. So as an outsider I’d like to point out that lightning rods like Weyrich give moderate conservatives a bad name. If he were a word problem I’d put it to you like this:

Finally, I have three comments to share on this matter before I never give this guy another thought:

1. According to the Kinsey Institute, 54% of men (19% of women) think about sex everyday or several times a day.
   If we just look at guys, over half of us think about sex constantly. And since homosexuals are a minority, why single them out? Frankly, if Weyrich was the type of “man” available, and I were a woman, I’d be a lesbian.
2. Since Weyrich’s assertion is that the general psychological community is well aware – and in support of – the concept that “homosexuals are preoccupied with sex” I figured I’d Google that phrase and get myself a good ol’ education. Google only returns 1 result.
3. Only an idiot would make such broad generalizations about a race, sex, gender, or sexual preference. You might as well say that all funny-looking white men are Nazis out to hunt the jews. (Yeah, that’s Weyrich denying the holocaust.)

In a few more years sexual preference bigotry will become as socially unacceptable as racial bigotry – probably about the time old dogs like Weyrich kick the bucket.

And don’t worry, it won’t lead to the decline of modern civilization any more than allowing women the right to vote or allowing different races to eat in the same restaurant did.