Arizona teabaggers support gay sheriff (anti-illegal immigration star)

[RZM]

5. This is actually very interesting

And perhaps indicative of the slow thaw of homophobia in our society, which I think we've seen some evidence of in recent years. It's interesting that Babeu's sexuality is described as 'one of the worst kept secrets in Arizona political circles.' I remember hearing something similar about Mark Foley. Among insiders and others on the Hill, it was apparently widely assumed that he was gay and that's not what brought him down. The inappropriate conduct with the pages is what did it. Had he been a straight man doing the same thing with 16 year old girls, he would have been toast just as quickly.

Looking the other way when somebody is in the closet isn't exactly the mark of tolerance, but it does have a long history, going back to the era when most people were in the closet. Progress is slow, but I do believe it's occurring.