After a public request from the Log Cabin Republicans, Democratic Congressman Scott Peters has removed a link to a blog post by gay activist and blogger John Aravosis calling Peters' gay Republican opponent Carl DeMaio “pejorative gay slurs” like “Mary.”
The LCR added:
The piece originally was posted on AmericaBlog and contained false and grossly-distorted claims about DeMaio's record on LGBT issues.
“There is no doubt that if the roles were reversed and a straight Republican congressman promoted content on his website calling his gay Democratic opponent a ‘Mary,' there would be no end to the outrage from the left,” said Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director Gregory T. Angelo. “Of course, when a Democrat does it, no one raises an eyebrow—but we're not going to let this slide.”
The LCR also requested an apology, calling Peters a bully and claiming "wild inaccuracies and untruths" in Aravosis' article. At this time of writing, Peters has not issued and apology nor has the LCR pointed out any of their alleged “wild inaccuracies and untruths” or other "slurs."
In the blistering critique of Carl DeMaio that started this whole kerfuffle, Aravosis' wrote:
San Diego's gay Republican city council member, Carl DeMaio, can't figure out why the religious right, who he tacitly sides with on the culture wars, is more supportive of him than gays, whose civil rights he refuses to promote in office.
DeMaio is now running for Congress.
“I've found more tolerance, acceptance and inclusion from social conservative groups who have to reconcile that I'm a Republican who happens to be gay… versus the intolerance the LGBT leaders see me as a gay man who happens to be a Republican,” DeMaio said.
Oh Mary, it's so hard to be you.
Aravosis then lambasted DeMaio's gay-baiting of a pro-gay political opponent and counterproductive work against LGBT rights. Aravosis said, “the Victory Fund, which supports gay GOP candidates, won't touch DeMaio because, you know, they kind of have this requirement that you actually do something to support your own civil rights,” and added, “DeMaio refused to even speak out against Proposition 8, which took place in his own state.”
In a follow-up post responding to LCR's public request, Aravosis says:
“Apparently, Lob Cabin isn't terribly familiar with “the gay lifestyle,” as Carl DeMaio's friends on the religious right like to call it, if they think calling someone “Mary” is a slur. The only people who ever call gay people “Mary” is other gay people. And it's not a slur, it's actually often a term of ironic endearment (note the title).
But then again, we shouldn't expect anti-gay gays to actually understand, support or defend a culture that their own political party and candidates have long sought to destroy.”
Aravosis continued, “If DeMaio isn't anti-gay, then let him answer these questions” and then posted 10 yes or no questions about DeMaio's positions on gay rights.
