Today's editorial pretty much expresses my views on the rash of suicides of gay youth, the awful sexual torture of three gay men in New York and how windbag bigots like Republican candidate for New York governor Carl Paladino contribute to an atmosphere anti-gay prejudice. As the piece says, those wallowing in such ignorance provide "the hurtful slurs that eat away at the self-esteem of those who are gay or lesbian" and make "someone feel it's okay to verbally and physically harass, maim or even kill."
But Paladino said something in his "Today Show" interview with Matt Lauer that needs to be highlighted for its pot-calling-the-kettle-black quality. Paladino hammered his Democratic opponent, New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, for taking his daughters to the gay pride parade in New York City, a must-attend event for serious candidates for citywide and statewide public office. "I don't think it's proper for them to go there and watch a couple of grown men grind against each other," Paladino said with an air of moral indignation. "I don't think it's proper. I think it's disgusting."
Paladino knows "disgusting." He's a practiced peddler of filth. Back in April I wrote that he had a "penchant for forwarding e-mails that feature naked women, bestiality, the N-word and racist depictions of blacks in general and the president and first lady of the United States in particular." If you want to see for yourself how base and "disgusting" the Buffalo millionaire's sense of humor is click on this link.
Blame Republican primary voters for unleashing Paladino on the Empire State. But given his troubling past and erratic and disturbing present he has a lot of nerve thinking he should be New York's next governor. As Brian Ellner of New Yorkers for Marriage Equality succinctly put it me yesterday, Paladino is "Out of touch, out of his mind, should be out of the race."
