Vince Vaughn Defends Anti-Gay Joke in 'The Dilemma'

In late September, I posted the trailer to the Vince Vaughn/Kevin James film The Dilemma, which opened with an off-putting "electric cars are gay" joke, and after a reference from CNN's Anderson Cooper (and an up-till-then ignored request from GLAAD) the trailer was edited. GLAAD requested the joke be edited out of the film as well.

Now, Vince Vaughn is defending the joke:

"Let me add my voice of support to the people outraged by the bullying and persecution of people for their differences, whatever those differences may be. Comedy and joking about our differences breaks tension and brings us together. Drawing dividing lines over what we can and cannot joke about does exactly that; it divides us. Most importantly, where does it stop?"

The problem is that Vaughn can't join the outrage over anti-gay bullying while contributing to (and collecting a paycheck for) the derogatory dialogue which to some makes that bullying permissible.

UPDATE: GLAAD sent us this statement late last night in response to Vaughn's remarks -

“Jokes can bring people together, but they can also push us apart," said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. "When 'gay' is used as a pejorative, it frequently sends a message - particularly to youth and their bullies - that being gay is wrong and something to laugh at. We invite Vince Vaughn to work with us and help ensure that gay youth and those perceived to be gay aren't put in harm's way by such jokes.”

 

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Obama Discusses Bullying, 'DADT', Whether Being Gay is a Choice, at MTV Town Hall

At an MTV Town Hall with young people this afternoon, Obama faced a number of questions on LGBT issues.

One question dealt with online harassment, and bullying (transcript via the White House): 

Q    Hello, my name is Allie Vonparis (ph).  I’m a junior at University of Maryland in College Park and also -- this is more of a personal question -- but I’m also a victim of anonymous, hurtful, degrading harassment over the Internet.  Police and university officials have been unable to help put a stop to it.  My question to you is, what can you do, if anything, to put a stop to these vicious attacks over the Internet while preserving our rights to freedom of speech?  I also ask this in light of the recent -- the tragic deaths recently on the news of young people who are bullied and harassed online.  Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, it’s a great question.  And obviously our heart breaks when we read about what happened at Rutgers, when we read about some of these other young people who are doing nothing to deserve the kind of harassment and bullying that just completely gets out of hand. 

 And so we actually, the Department of Education, has initiated a -- we had a summit a couple of weeks ago just to talk about this issue:  How can we help local and state officials set up structures where young people feel safe, where there’s a trigger that goes off when this kind of bullying starts taking place so that immediately school officials can nip it at the bud?  So there are a range of cooperative efforts that we can initiate.

Now, in terms of the Internet, you’re right, it is a challenging thing because the Internet -- part of the power of the Internet is, is that information flows out there and it’s generally not censored and it’s generally not controlled by any single authority.

But at your school, for example, I think there is nothing wrong with instituting policies that say that harassment of any form, whether it comes through the Internet or whether it happens to you face to face, is unacceptable; that we’ve got zero tolerance when it comes to sexual harassment, we have zero tolerance when it comes to harassing people because of their sexual orientation, because of their race, because of their ethnicity.

And I think that making sure that every institution, whether it’s our schools, our government, our places of work, take these issues seriously and know that in some cases there are laws against this kind of harassment and that prosecutions will take place when somebody violates those laws.  Sending that message of seriousness is something that I think we all have to do.

 Now, the last point I would make is that the law is a powerful thing but the law doesn’t always change what’s in people’s hearts.  And so all of us have an obligation to think about how we’re treating other people.  And what we may think is funny or cute may end up being powerfully hurtful.  And I’ve got two daughters, 12 and nine, and Michelle and I spend a lot of time talking to them about putting themselves in other people’s shoes and seeing through other people’s eyes.  And if somebody is different from you, that’s not something you criticize, that’s something that you appreciate.

And so I think there’s also a values component to this that all of us have to be in a serious conversation about.  Because ultimately peer pressure can lead people to bully, but peer pressure can also say bullying is not acceptable.

Another question, via Twitter, asked "Dear President Obama, do you think being gay or trans is a choice?"

Obama answered: 

"I am not obviously -- I don't profess to be an expert. This is a layperson's opinion. But I don't think it's a choice. I think people are born with a certain makeup, and we're all children of God. We don't make determinations about who we love. And that's why I think that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is wrong."

White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett apologized earlier today for language she used in a Washington Post interview which referred to being gay as a "lifestyle choice".

A third LGBT-related question dealt with "Don't Ask, Don't Tell:"

Q    I voted for you in the last elections based on your alleged commitment to equality for all Americans, gay and straight, and I wanted to know where you stood on “don’t ask, don’t tell.”  I know that you’ve mentioned that you want the Senate to repeal it before you do it yourself.  My question is you as the President can sort of have an executive order that ends it once and for all, as Harry -- as Truman did for the integration of the military in ‘48.  So I wonder why don’t you do that if this is a policy that you’re committed to ending.

THE PRESIDENT:  First of all, I haven’t “mentioned” that I’m against “don’t ask, don’t ask” -- I have said very clearly, including in a State of the Union address, that I’m against “don’t ask, don’t tell” and that we’re going to end this policy.  That’s point number one.

Point number two, the difference between my position right now and Harry Truman’s was that Congress explicitly passed a law that took away the power of the executive branch to end this policy unilaterally.  So this is not a situation in which with a stroke of a pen I can simply end the policy. 

Now, having said that, what I have been able to do is for the first time get the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mike Mullen, to say he thinks the policy should end.  The Secretary of Defense has said he recognizes that the policy needs to change.  And we, I believe, have enough votes in the Senate to go ahead and remove this constraint on me, as the House has already done, so that I can go ahead and end it.

Now, we recently had a Supreme Court -- a district court case that said, “don’t ask, don’t tell” is unconstitutional.  I agree with the basic principle that anybody who wants to serve in our armed forces and make sacrifices on our behalf, on behalf of our national security, anybody should be able to serve.  And they shouldn’t have to lie about who they are in order to serve.

And so we are moving in the direction of ending this policy.  It has to be done in a way that is orderly, because we are involved in a war right now.  But this is not a question of whether the policy will end.  This policy will end and it will end on my watch.  But I do have an obligation to make sure that I am following some of the rules.  I can’t simply ignore laws that are out there.  I’ve got to work to make sure that they are changed.

Video on DADT question, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Our Self-Described 'Fierce Advocate' Tweets on 'DADT'

I'll repeat what Rachel Maddow said last night: "A plan that has no chance of becoming reality is not a real plan, no matter how much you say it is. You can either end it, or you can stop saying you will."

(source)

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DOJ Requests Stay on Injunction Barring Enforcement of DADT

The Department of Justice today filed a request for a stay against the injunction issued by Judge Virginia Phillips barring enforcement of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy pending the case's appeal to the Ninth Circuit.

MetroWeekly reports:

Christian Berle, deputy executive director of LCR, told Metro Weekly prior to the filing, "Attorneys from White and Case have been in contact with [Department of Justice Civil Division Attorney] Paul Freeborne this afternoon (morning in Los Angeles), where Freeborne indicated DOJ's intent to file a request for a stay pending appeal from Judge Phillips in District Court."

Berle continued, "If Phillips denies that request, they intend to ask for an administrative stay while she considers their motion for a stay. If Phillips denies that ruling, they will make a request for an emergency stay from Phillips so that they can request a stay from the Ninth Circuit."

Said Berle in a press release from the LCR:

"After years of fighting this lawsuit, Log Cabin Republicans expected that the Obama administration would continue to pull out all the stops to defend 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' Log Cabin Republicans will continue to advocate on behalf of the American servicemembers who everyday sacrifice in defense of our nation and our Constitution.  If this stay is granted, justice will be delayed, but it will not be denied.  Meanwhile, we urge Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to do what it takes in the lame duck session to end 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' legislatively.  If Senator Reid treats the minority party fairly, the votes will be there to end 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' once and for all."

Added Dan Woods, White & Case partner who is representing Log Cabin Republicans:

"We are not surprised by the government's action, as it repeats the broken promises and empty words from President Obama avowing to end 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' while at the same directing his Justice Department to defend this unconstitutional policy. Now that the government has filed a request for a stay, we will oppose it vigorously because brave, patriotic gays and lesbians are serving in our armed forces to fight for all of our constitutional rights while the government is denying them theirs."  

The Advocate adds:

During a briefing with reporters Wednesday morning, White House press secretary reiterated the president’s belief that the law is “unjust” and “detrimental to our national security” but also reinforced his preference for ending the policy legislatively.

“The president has implemented a process with the Department of Defense, with the secretary of Defense, with Admiral [Michael] Mullen and the other members of the Joint Chiefs to move forward in implementing an end to this policy in an orderly way,” Gibbs said. “The best way to end it is for the Senate to follow the lead of the House of Representatives so that that end can be implemented in a fashion that’s consistent with our obligations in fighting two wars.”

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News: NYC UFOs, Jonathan Plummer, Google TV, Tom Hardy

HRC and Courage Campaign file IRS complaint over National Organization for Marriage.

Memo to Obama: In 1996, the Clinton administration refused to defend in court a law kicking HIV-positive people out of the military.

UFOs buzz Manhattan?

Mike Rowe waxes another dude's chest.

The man Dick Cheney shot in the face is still waiting for an apology.

No More Down Low web show launches, hosted by Jonathan Plummer ex-husband of Terry McMillan: "Plummer also told BlackAmericaWeb.com that the show is an attempt to show the LGBT community in a more balanced way and to address a variety of topics, through interviews and panel discussions, including the relationship between religious communities and gays and the struggle some people have in coming to terms with their sexual orientation."

Tom Hardy cast in new Batman film.

Lady Gaga collaboration 'Broken Heels' to appear on new Rihanna album?

Transgender woman found dead in Philadelphia apartment: "As of last night, police still had not received autopsy results, and declined to classify the death as a homicide. But several neighbors said that police on the scene Monday night had told them that the victim had been found face-down - either naked or half-dressed in provocative clothing - and that she had been strangled."

First Google TV devices arrive, accompanied by hefty remotes.

Closeted GOP Illinois Senate candidate Mark Kirk worried Blacks will steal the election?

An asteroid hitting one of the world's oceans would puncture our ozone layer in several places.

Watch: The new clip for the Mark Ronson/Boy George collaboration "Somebody to Love Me".

Michele Bachmann (R-MN) raised $5.4 million in the last quarter: "The Star Tribune calls the total "unprecedented," noting that the three-month haul is greater than any Minnesota congressional hopeful has ever raised in an entire election cycle. The total vastly exceeds the $3.5 million she took in while running for reelection in 2008."

Jared Leto has a love affair with Terry Richardson's camera.

Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor jump for joy on the I Love You Phillip Morris' one-sheet.

Paris hosts international conference of gay Muslim associations.

Michigan Civil Rights Commission condemns assistant AG Andrew Shirvell for extremist online bullying of UM student body president Chris Armstrong.

AOL considering purchase of Yahoo!

GLAAD admits to inconsistent monitoring of films. President Jarrett Barrios says he wasn't in charge when certain films were overlooked.

Russian Orthodox patriarch lashes out at gay "propaganda" in Spanish textbooks.

Protesters crowd Carl Paladino's Buffalo, NY office square for second day: "Many in the crowd included those who attended a similar protest held at the same location Tuesday, staged by members of the gay and lesbian community. Today they were joined by rank-and-file Democrats, union leaders and a black activist group in a loosely formed umbrella organization which they have billed as 'Embarrassed Buffalonians.'"

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Is the Defense Dept. in Contempt of Court for Turning Away Gay Navy Vet Who Wanted to Reenlist Yesterday?

As you probably know, on Tuesday Judge Virginia Phillips issued an injunction barring enforcement of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

The NYT reported that a service member discharged under the policy attempted to reenlist yesterday:

With a briefcase full of commendations under his arm, Omar Lopez walked into an Austin, Tex., recruiting office Wednesday. Mr. Lopez, 29, had served nearly five years in the Navy. He was honorably discharged in 2006 for “homosexual admission,” according to documents he carried. He wanted to re-enlist.

But recruiters turned him away hastily, saying they had no knowledge of any injunction or any change in military policy.

“I like the civilian world, but I miss it,” Mr. Lopez said of the military, as he arrived with a worker for Get Equal, a gay rights advocacy group. “I feel lost without it.”

(image melanie grizzel/nyt)

Now, Dan Woods, lead attorney for the plaintiffs in the Log Cabin case, has written a letter to lead DOJ attorney Paul Freeborne citing the article and noting that this may place the Defense Dept. in contempt of court.

A copy of the letter (via LGBT POV) from Woods, AFTER THE JUMP...

Woods asks Freeborne to disclose "what steps the government has taken to communicate the terms and requirements of the Court's order to military personnel, including field commanders and military recruiting offices..."

According to AFP, the Pentagon had been issued no guidance as of early Thursday afternoon.

The Pentagon said Thursday it had not yet issued guidance to commanders on whether to follow a district court order to lift the ban on gays serving openly in the military.

"We give a lot of authority and responsibility to our commanders to make the best decisions possible," said Colonel David Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman. "We anticipate commanders will use good judgment."

But he declined to confirm whether the military would obey US District Judge Virginia Phillips' injunction, issued on Tuesday, preventing US authorities from enforcing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which requires gay and lesbian troops to keep quiet about their sexuality or face being discharged.

"I wouldn't say it's business as usual. Last week, we didn't have a court injunction, this week we do," Lapan said. "But there's no real moratorium."

He acknowledged that there nonetheless remained a "de facto" moratorium because of the judge's order.

A copy of the letter (via LGBT POV) from Woods, AFTER THE JUMP...

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