June 15, 2006
Sexual Deviants Not Welcome on Metro (Updated)
And we thought calling gay folks "sexual deviants" was so yester-decade in these parts. Apparently not.
There is controversy and commotion in Metro's Board of Directors, where Maryland member Robert Smith called gay people "sexual deviants" on a cable access show last week, reports the Washington Blade. Council-member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), who is gay and serves on Metro's board, has demanded that Smith resign. After a June 15 meeting where Graham raised the issue of the comments, Smith dug his grave deeper, according to the article:
After the meeting, Smith told reporters that Graham's characterization of his view of gays and homosexuality was accurate.Smith, who was appointed by Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich, has so far refused to resign."It's one simple comment that homosexual behavior, in my view, is deviant and his quote on that — that was a correct characterization of the TV show," Smith said.
Asked if he considered it a bigoted remark, Smith said, "No, I don't. I'm a Roman Catholic and I have certain views on homosexuality that people in this country don't have. I respect that they have a different view. I have mine."
Update: Looking to diffuse this brewing controversy, Ehrlich has apparently replaced Smith. And from what we gather, Smith won't be heading out in Dupont Circle anytime soon. We hear that sexual deviancy is contagious.
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I spoke with Bob Smith 30 minutes ago. He informed me that he has been replaced by Governor Ehrlich as a member of the Board of Directors.
I was at the meeting today in my capacity as chairman of the Metro Riders' Advisory Council. I am also gay.
I have genuine respect for the dedication, intelligence and constructiveness that Mr. Smith brought to his service on the Board. I also believe his comments -- as a public official -- are unacceptable.
I would add that I believe when comments are made such as the one by Mr. Smith, it is an opportunity to have a conversation to build understanding.
I spoke with Bob Smith 30 minutes ago. He informed me that he has been replaced by Governor Ehrlich as a member of the Board of Directors.
I was at the meeting today in my capacity as chairman of the Metro Riders' Advisory Council. I am also gay.
I have genuine respect for the dedication, intelligence and constructiveness that Mr. Smith brought to his service on the Board. I also believe his comments -- as a public official -- are unacceptable.
I would add that I believe when comments are made such as the one by Mr. Smith, it is an opportunity to have a conversation to build understanding.
The negative connotation notwithstanding . . .
Deviant: One that differs from the norm.
Good riddance.
Words cannot be easily seperated from their social connotation, though, AUA. I doubt Smith was trying to rationally describe how gay folks are different more than he was saying that there is something wrong with them.
Words cannot be easily seperated from their social connotation, though, AUA. I doubt Smith was trying to rationally describe how gay folks are different more than he was saying that there is something wrong with them.
Glad Ehrlich nipped this one in the bud. And unless he's trying to spread the controversy around, I think you meant "defuse".
As much as I find the comment distasteful--have we all forgotten about the first amendment? The man is allowed to speak his mind--why deny him his (albeit, in my opinion, misguided) beliefs?
Hold on... I thought Robert Smith was gay. At least, he always looked gay in those The Cure videos...
(Yes, I know he's married and has children. Laugh.)
Smith is certainly entitled to his inane beliefs as a private citizen but as a political appointee, he had no inherent right to stay on the Metro board once Gov. Ehrlich wanted him gone.
I don't know why Smith won't be heading out in Dupont Circle anytime soon. Didn't the gays abandon it once Ann Taylor opened?
Actually I think we started leaving long before Ann Taylor.
Martin; I agree with you. It could've been an out for him though. A prototypic political "what you *heard* was X but what I was *saying* was Y!"
Obviously not much of a politician, because now he's out of a job . . . rightly so if he can't wrap his brain around that one.
As inappropriate as his comments were for a public official, the last nail for me was when I heard him talking on the radio this morning and he clearly substituted "amoral" for "immoral" in his description of his views on homosexual activity. If you're going to make comments like his, at least have the common decency to express yourself clearly and avoid unintentionally exposing the flaws in your own reasoning. Those of us who are given to satirization would appreciate it if we were left a hint of a challenge.
I [heart] Smithers.
What gets me is that he doesn't recognize his remarks as bigoted because he has "certain views on homosexuality that people in this country don't have". I have to ask what the hell does that have to do whether a comment is bigoted or not? Racists have certain views on race that people in this country don't have. Anti-semites have certain views on people from the middle east that people in this country don't have. Chauvinists have certain views on gender that people in this country don't have. all of those views encompass bigotry. Smith's comments aren't excused just because he appeals to his religion to justify them, any more than National Identity adherents can appeal to their religion to justify their bigotry.
Yes, Robert Smith, your remark was bigoted. You are a bigot. A Roman catholic bigot for sure. But a bigot none the less.