I’ve explained in the past that I’m not going to use this blog to get on a political soap box. I will express my opinion about things like “same sex” marriage (married to a woman and all for it), but, beyond the occasional issue opinion, I won’t talk politics and candidates. This is primarily a book blog and my focus is on books.
Given all of that, sometimes political candidates come along who are so diabolical, so oddly bent on the destruction of human rights, typically in the name of God (Michele Bachmann, for example) that I have to say something. Everyone in the LGBT community needs to say something. Texas Governor Rick Perry is another politician that makes me shudder and worry for my constitutional rights both present and future. He’s not quite as “out there” as Michele Bachmann but he’s certainly no Martin Luther King Jr. either.
Recently, because of typical campaign mudslinging (which I know we’re all, already tired of), I ran across insinuations that Rick Perry is gay or, at minimum, bisexual. Anyone who follows political machinations at all has likely seen some of the same press that I’ve seen.
Now, Perry perhaps being gay or bisexual isn’t earth shattering or even very newsworthy in most circles, even, lately, in political circles but it becomes so given his extreme right wing stance, with heavy religious influence, on civil/human rights issues especially in relation to the LGBT community.
Mud is mud. All mud when flung has the potential to do harm. Not wanting to spread baseless rumors, I sought out mainstream reporting that might shed some light on the is he/isn’t he question with Perry. There’s not a lot. No credible papers have picked up the thread and really run very far with it. That led me to believe that the snippets I’d heard and read where truly rumor and nothing more. Still, I did some more due diligence and I found this Kindle eBook by Glen Maxey:Head Figure Head: The Search for the Hidden Life of Rick Perry
Mr. Maxey, now out of office, was the first openly gay elected member of the Texas Legislature. He is a very well known, well respected member of the LGBT community in Texas.
“On June 23, 2011 a national reporter called Glen Maxey, the first and only openly gay state legislator in the history of Texas. Rick Perry was making noises about running for president, and the reporter asked about rumors that Perry possibly may have had homosexual sex. Glen had heard the rumors before but never investigated them. Now curious, Glen sent out messages to his wide network of gay and political contacts. Within hours, he received astonishing information from multiple sources. For the next five months, Glen’s life was consumed with investigating the rumors and stories about Perry. Did Rick Perry have sex with men? Read this remarkable book and decide for yourself.”
That’s the product description for his self published book. Did I read it? Yes. I also read all of the 13 reviews it has received on Amazon as of this writing. Did I form an opinion based on what I read in Maxey’s book and from the other reviewers? Yes. Am I going to tell you what I think? I’ll say this, I feel that Governor Perry is a hypocrite and I’ll leave it at that. You can imagine my gut feelings on the issue, given that statement. Read the book and, I encourage you – read the reviews from others who are potentially in the know or in a position to know in Texas – and form your own opinion.
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