We were pretty giddy about the Larry Craig scandal yesterday. Then we started watching the coverage, which has rapidly degenerated into a smug homophobia-fest. The worst so far: on MSNBC, Tucker Carlson bragged that when a man hit on him in a bathroom in Georgetown, he went back with a friend and "grabbed him . . . and hit him against the stall with his head."
Then Dan Abrams and Joe Scarborough laughed.
The gleeful back-slapping over Tucker's attack starts at 2:47. The relevant part of the above YouTube clip is also excerpted here on Gawker.
Last time we checked, beating up a gay man for propositioning you was a crime -- a hate crime, even.
Don Imus got in trouble for letting his disdain for black women slip out. Shouldn't Carlson get in at least as much trouble for revealing (with glee!) his past violence against a gay man?
UPDATE: Carlson has released the following statement:
"Let me be clear about an incident I referred to on MSNBC last night: In the mid-1980s, while I was a high school student, a man physically grabbed me in a men's room in Washington, DC. I yelled, pulled away from him and ran out of the room. Twenty-five minutes later, a friend of mine and I returned to the men's room. The man was still there, presumably waiting to do to someone else what he had done to me. My friend and I seized the man and held him until a security guard arrived.
"Several bloggers have characterized this is a sort of gay bashing. That's absurd, and an insult to anybody who has fought back against an unsolicited sexual attack. I wasn't angry with the man because he was gay. I was angry because he assaulted me."
UPDATE UPDATE: GLADD is asking for an apology from Carlson and MSNBC
Reader Comments ( Page 2 of 7)
16. Hooray for Tucker.....We all have to be concerned about sending our teenage kids to the bathrooms alone now -= this pervert may be in there. I had NO idea these RATS were in bathrooms waiting to pounce on others and especially our kids. We need to patrol them more - I am so glad that Minneapolis Cop caught this lying pervert. He better resign - No one needs a pervert in Office. I hope EVERYONE who is approached will dial 911 and get the sob's arrested. What is this man's wife thinking of by staying by his side - she must be a dumb ass too.
Meech at 9:56PM on Aug 29th 2007
17. This is still America isn't it. I hate Tucker Carlson and his idiotic bowties; but come on. This isn't a huge inflammitory offense. Even what Don Imus did was so over blown in the media, that he became the vessel for the entire racial relations issue. Im no fan of Imus, but he got way more hassle than was warranted. Bottom line, we as viewers have the ultimate control over these clowns, it's called a remote control. Change the channel and stop with the protesting for the sake of protest.
sancho at 10:37PM on Aug 29th 2007
18. This story doesn't ring true. Why would a gay man hang around waiting for this Tucker guy and his friends to come back? Weird.
I don't agree with seuxal propositions in bathrooms no matter what orientation you are. However, I don't believe in violence either. I guess if your acetylcholine levels are low because you lack the brain cells to think before you act then you have a problem. Bragging about hurting another living thing disgusts me. Laughing at the pain of other people seems to be a common thread in society today.
It speaks volumes for what we as humans have become.
Rob at 10:39PM on Aug 29th 2007
19. I'm gay (and a left wing liberal) and I don't think what Tucker was describing was gay bashing. Men who proposition other men for sex in public bathrooms have other issues that are not related to homosexuality.
It is refreshing to see so many comments on this board that are "protecting" gays from gay bashing - it really is a welcome sign of changing times and attitudes. But I just don't see how Tucker's behavior can be construed as a hate crime let alone gay bashing.
Gina at 11:01PM on Aug 29th 2007
20. So ends our viewing TC ever again. His bragadocio regarding the attack he and a 'friend'suggests a further need to prove his own oh so straight life, something no one can accomplish. We all know of bullys, and that is exactly what TC proved himself to be. Why did he not go directly to the police with this, or for that matter the authorities where he takes his kids to a playground.
Public bathrooms are there to fullfill a specific call to nature. Those using them for 'hookups' or worse deserve to be arrested and if proven guilty receive the full penalty laws allow. The idea of unwelcomed solicitation is disgusting, so too is 'gay bashing' which is exactly what TC and his pal commited, no matter their age at the time.
Additionally his end of the show buddy has made several totally inappropriate remarks while laughing about some fairly serious news items. Tucker deserves to be called on the carpet for this by MSNBC.The way these three were laughing about the subject takes away from the serious nature of the story and may be appropriate in private-but not during my families viewing time. And these guys represent themselves as conservative while TC claims to be a RW Lerbertarian....BS
Steve at 11:31PM on Aug 29th 2007
21. Whatever happened to freedom of speech? Oh that's right, only the politically correct liberals are allowed that right. You jump all over Don Imus and Tucker Carlson like they've committed a crime, and unless everything changed since I went to sleep last night, the Constitution guarantees us ALL freedom of speech. Granted both remarks were in bad taste, but their right to say them is part of what the US is based on. If someone propositioned me in a public restroom I wouldn't wait to get a friend, I'd take care of it myself. I can't imagine how low you would have to sink to resort to picking up strangers in a restroom. If gays want to be taken seriously they should clean up their own ranks. Make public restrooms safe for all Americans.
Connie at 12:52AM on Aug 30th 2007
22. Oh yes, they have every right to say them. If Ann Coultier, Mike Savage, and Bill O'reily can say the trash they do then it's pretty obvious that it is legal for them to be bigots. More over, I fully respect and wish to protect their right to be bigoted and to proclaim their bigotry. Why? So that people will see them for the human excrement that they are.
No, the point you're missing Connie is how should people react to such bigotry and hateful speech? Would you care to spend time around some one who said how he wants to stomp every woman that talks back at him? Would you let some one rant on and on for days about how all christians should be burnt at the stake? Would you approve of some one saying that white people need to be shot? I wouldn't. I would disagree. I would argue. And I would address those that provide these people the means to spew their hate. Oh, they can say it. Please do. I just don't want it to be without consequence. And if that consequence is the loss of their job, or a lawsuit, well then perhaps they should have learned that when you have nothing nice to say then perhaps you're better off not saying anything at all.
Somber at 1:37AM on Aug 30th 2007
23. He's 35 and wears a bow tie. He belongs working in a circus. Hey, wait a minute, he works for CNN, he is working for a circus.
dungal at 1:54AM on Aug 30th 2007
24. I am not a member of the "wide stance" community,[not that there is anything wrong with that] but if someone hits on me in a public restroom I might try to kick his ass also. I am not a "wide stance" basher, but sometimes being approached can be harassing and intimidating.
Lennox Emanuel at 2:44AM on Aug 30th 2007
25. for reals. guess what, its gay bashing.
if a girl propisitions you in a bathroom, maybe a burgerking bathroom, you make a pop hit and an international dance craze.
if a gay man asks you for sex, you kick the sh(t out of him..
wait, no you dont, unless he is holding a knife to you.
as a gay man, if some senator tries to solicit sex in a bathroom, i would vomit from that poor man being trapped in the closet.
on the real, if you cant be open with getting off in a bathroom, you should keep it to your self. if two teenagers comeback to kick your ass, they should be arrested.
the truth of the matter is, its gross for anyone to hook up with random strangers in a bathroom, its vile to keep quiet about yourself and do it as well, its just wrong to do it to a minor, its not ok to take the law in hand unless in danger, so all three of these guys should be fired, and rehired at espn, cause thats a f*ckin news station, wait i fell of track
stop hating gay people who dont try and f*ck you the G.R.I.D. was so 20 years ago.
love you all. aol, \wait, no i mean ADA to tha mother bleepin Calhoun!
hooray neal and ada!
brendan at 2:46AM on Aug 30th 2007
26. I don't want to watch the video again. These bloke's immature laughter even soaked my usual dry wit. I think I heard an ebullient Tucker making a comment implying that the gay community needs to somehow sanction public bathroom sex or sex solicitations in bathrooms??? Ok...Tucker...I'll get right on that! Here we go back to the circulation of public bathroom etiquette pamphlets! Does anyone remember the study done in the public restrooms in 60's? Men were soliciting, usually young gay men, for sex. The researcher interviewed them found most of these men were "straight" married men. Tucker...this is a researched "straight, married" man's issue. Get your own community to distribute pamphlets!
Here's a link to the study if you need it. It's a well-known study used as an example of the failure of the researcher to get informed consent. http://web.missouri.edu/~bondesonw/Laud.html
rivercelt at 3:08AM on Aug 30th 2007
27. I don't know what's more pathetic ... Carlson enlisting a friend to help him beat back the personification of his own sexual insecurities, or the fact that this gay cruiser who hit on him had been so thoroughly marginalized that a public bathroom is where he has to go to meet men ... C'mon, Carson, how about a simple "sorry, man, I'm not into that" and walking away ... Struck a raw nerve, did he?
mark at 12:38PM on Sep 28th 2007
28. Ohhh, Tucker needed a" friend" to help him kick some gay butt? Did him and his "friend" practice their Dancing With The Stars routine? Or maybe he gave his "friend" a reach-around-lesson on how to tie a bow tie. Wait, you don't think that friend was Joe Six Pack?
knowablesavage at 4:16AM on Aug 30th 2007
29. Unbelivable what some jerkoffs think makes them a man. Then to brag about it. Big tough guy you had to get your friend to back your cowardly ass up. This fulls family must be real proud. Just what we want to teach our kids, if somebody offends you handle it with violence. What abuot his bosses, why arent they doing something about it? At least Don Imus didn't attack anybody and he got fired. Why isn't Tucker Carlson, or does the station owners not care what is said on the air.
Manny at 5:27AM on Sep 16th 2007
30. This is not gay bashing. The MAJORITY of individuals involved in this activity are straight men. Not to say it is exclusive to straight men (AKA George Michael), however, studies on this (see Tearoom Trade a book that delves into this subject) show that it is often husbands that are not having their sexual urges met or individuals that might enjoy the thrill of the danger. To initiate, often times it means "flashing" which is illegal in most areas, and remember, engaging in sex in public bathrooms is illegal too. I am a friend to the gay community and it is important to make this distinction. Furthermore, I don't know what the circumstances were with Tucker, however, it is different to be "hit on" by a gay person. He was not accidentally "hit on", he was propositioned for illegal sex in a public place and we don't know how the person did so. It can be pretty disturbing to be approached for sex in a public bathroom, especially if the individual exposed himself like it is commonly done. Not a big proponent of violence, however, it is fair to say it is like an assault and he could have been trying to detain the guy while the authorities arrived. (One might not know if the individual was looking for consensual sex or possibly to physically assault.)
Glenn at 5:28AM on Aug 30th 2007