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Kathy Griffin Calls Congressman “A Queen” In D-List Lobbying Effort

by Michael Triplett | 1:19 pm, March 17th, 2010

» 24 comments

Kathy Griffin has brought her Bravo show to Washington, D.C. to lobby for repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, but calling House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) “a queen” is getting her the perfectly calculated attention she likely wants to bring to the issue.

Griffin told Roll Call’s gossip columnists Emily Heil and Elizabeth Brotherton “I’m meeting with this big queen named Jim Clyburn” and bragged “I’m going to be the first person to ever walk into his office and go, ‘Hey, girl!’”

But in a town where even her gays don’t necessarily find Griffin’s shtick funny when it comes to politics, there’s been some blowback by the oh-so-serious LGBT power bloggers. Joe Subday at AmericaBlog said “I get that she’s a comedian (I’m a fan), but lobbying is actually serious business, especially on LGBT issues. Yes, it’s funny to you and me when Kathy Griffin insults members of Congress by calling them “big queens.” It’s a dumb way to lobby on DADT.”

John Aravosis, also at AmericaBlog, chimed in on the comment page of his blog, calling it ” idiotic to choose someone like her for a high profile job on a serious issue like this. Invite her to your dinner, sure. Don’t invite her to Congress to represent us. It smacks of either HRC self-promoting or desperately trying to show the community they’re doing something. Either way, not good.”

The D-list celebrity is in town to promote and film her show, while appearing at a Thursday rally coordinated by the gay A-list organization Human Rights Campaign, a frequent target of the blog power set. In addition to filming on Capitol Hill, she’s recorded a robocall and is producing a HRC-arranged public service announcement dealing with DADT.

Americablog, bravo, D-list, Human Rights Campaign, Joe Sudbay, John Aravosis, Kathy Griffn, Roll Call

Moderate

They should hire Massa as a lobbyist, he could explain “snorkeling” of subordinates aboard ship in the Navy.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Gordon-Bloyer/537945868 Gordon Bloyer

Kathy Griffin? When did they let her out?
MichelleF

She is a truly disgusting human being.
TylerDurdin

Ah, suddenly libs are offended by Griffin; ya didn’t hear this when she was attacking conservatives.
MichelleF

Of course not, when she was trashing Palin and dragging levi johnston around with her, they thought that was great.
Snipzor

Let’s see, right-wingers use derogatory term not in jest, and support legislation against gays. Griffin uses it in jest and denounces bullcrap bigoted legislation. Hmm, I wonder if context matters. No, that wasn’t a question, because I know full well that me or Griffin calling someone a queen is less of a deal because we aren’t bigoted pricks.

Context does indeed matter.
MichelleF

Nice language. You know, an adult can make his point using better language, but perhaps you are the 7 year old you appear to be.
Snipzor

Well excuse me, but sometimes I would much rather communicate to a bunch of idiots in simple terms, and considering I’m speaking to the wingers directly… well you can finish that sentence. But way to go on proving my statement wrong, you deserve a cookie.
MichelleF

Thanks for another example.
Snipzor

And thank you for the ad hominem.
TylerDurdin

You ain’t a man Snipzor; you are a dullard!
writer

And if you call the far left violent, they’ll kill you.
Snipzor

“if you call the far left violent, they’ll kill you”

Your understanding of “far left” is pretty bad to begin with, but I’ll still need a citation for that claim. No non sequitur fallacies in your explanation please.
PureFreedom

lol, the user name Snipzor sounds like a character on my 8 year olds show he loves called “Chowder”..
writer

Something about that “we’re not bigoted pricks” line sounded a little bigoted.
Snipzor

Supposed bigotry against bigots is not bigotry but rather a rational person pointing out the obvious fact that a rather large segment of the right-wing (Known as social conservatism) is highly prejudice against anything that isn’t white, protestant, straight and male. But it’s quite cute that you think the connection is there.
MichelleF

Writer, give up already, it’s not worth your sanity!
Snipzor

Or whatever sanity you still have left. I love the fact that none of you, in over 3 hours, bothered to make any counter-points. I love you right-wingers.
writer

And we love you. But I believe Griffin is a leftie, and she was calling a Democrat a ‘queen’, so except for you going off on a tangent about how ‘bigoted’ right wingers are, I didn’t see the right even mentioned in the article. And hasn’t Obama said he doesn’t believe in gay marriage, and didn’t Bill Clinton keep the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy in place?
TylerDurdin

Cry us a river Snipzor or are you going to regale us with more of your left hatred?
Snipzor

I wasn’t even talking about the article actually, I was talking about the hypocrisy from your side. Somewhat unrelated to the article, only related to the comments above (And if this continues, below).

But anyways, to address your point. I will recognize that Obama does not believe in gay marriage. And I am fully aware that Clinton was the one that created DADT. But ask yourself this, were those positions at all supported by liberals? Or were they a push to gain right-wing vote? And do those two actions in themselves only point out the obvious that Obama and Clinton aren’t really that strong as liberals. But are rather weak, or centrists? Just something to point out.

Plus calling someone a queen does not constitute bigotry. Especially when it’s pretty much done so in a facetious manner.
writer

Obama was pushing for right wing votes? Kinda far fetched.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Adkins/1585417987 Bill Adkins

Oh, c’mon – there are so many closeted gays in the Republican contingent in congress that Griffin is more likely right than wrong about Clyburn.
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