Apparently, the term “cat lover” is code for gay.
President Obama’s new chief of staff is a “cat-loving bachelor”. Homeland security chief Janet Napolitano sports a buzz-cut hairstyle. Both she and new supreme court justice Elena Kagan are referred to as “childless and unmarried” – and auspiciously not “single” – the distinction being the subject of an op-ed piece by Maureen Dowd in the New York Times. These stories have fuelled suspicions of homosexual orientation about these American public officials.
Well, I never knew that. I am a cat lover – well, you’d have to be to live with twelve of them. Does this mean I’m a gayer? And should I tell Mrs L? But she’s a cat lover, as well, so she must be a gayer too. I guess that makes it alright, then…
This is a somewhat silly article about the media whipping themselves into a frenzy about nothing at all, but there is a serious point to be made:
Some believe that if there is nothing wrong with being gay or lesbian, then there is an obligation to make that clear; or that even speculation or assumed knowledge in this regard is not a big deal. That thinking perhaps informed blogger Andrew Sullivan’s insistence that Elena Kagan should have been grilled about her sexual orientation as a part of her supreme court confirmation process. The argument is that if there are blithe references to a person’s heterosexuality – a wife, husband etc – there should be equally normalising references to a person’s gay life. To do otherwise keeps things in the dark and provides the basis for whispers.
As far as I am concerned, one’s sexuality is a private matter. If people wish to mention it, that’s their decision and no one else’s. They should never be forced to do so and the appropriate response to Andrew Sullivan’s insistence is an equally insistent “mind your own fucking business”.
If they’d say that Janet Napolitano was a “pussy lover”, I suppose it would have been less subtle.
I’ll get me coat.
Probably best…
“But she’s a cat lover, as well, so she must be a gayer too. I guess that makes it alright, then…”
You must be able to get a grant of some sort for that! 😉
Couple more gayers here then, and possibly the carpets are slightly gay too because they certainly attract a fair amount of cat hair. But we have a dog too, so are we bi or what? Hmm, two cats, hairy carpets and a dog… got it. We must be hetero-curious, right?
‘one’s sexuality is a private matter’ – very true, but cohabitation makes it hard to disguise and marriage harder still.
As Ian Hay said: ‘Marriage is a ghastly public confession of a strictly private intention’.
Unless one marries to appear normal despite underlying homosexuality, I suppose.
I never in my wildest dreams thought a pussy lover was a gay man.
Looks like me and the missus are gayers too!
Blimey, I had no idea. Best have a bacardi and coke.