We've all seen the clip of Ann Coulter calling John Edwards a faggot. As a gay man I find it insulting, but even more insulting is the applause she got from the audience.
This is the woman who said of the widows of 911, "I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much." Yet this wasn't enough to stop the Conservative Political Action Conference from inviting her to speak!
Remember not too long ago, when "comic" Michael Richards opened his racist mouth, people in the audience got up and left, or sat in stunned silence. But Ann Coulter calls someone a faggot, and turns out, attendees at the 34th annual Conservative Political Action Conference actually laugh and applaud!
I don't think they are sorry she said it. I know she isn't sorry. I think the only thing anyone is sorry for is that we all got a peek at their play book. This is what we have in store if the candidates the conservatives pick win in '08.
I want to thank Ann for exposing what we've suspected all along. She is exactly what we thought she was. And she represents a frightening number of people who call themselves "Conservatives" and "Christians" out there. She proves that not only are homosexuals to be subjected to less-than equal rights, but that we must also accept her use of word faggot as if it is less offensive than any other racist, bigoted name.
Again, I want to thank Ann. She has proven that the fight for equality for homosexuals is far from over. And she also shows us that it is not our imagination: Homophobia is alive and well.
Scott Reed
Kalamazoo, Michigan