Anti-gay discriminators’ lives disintegrating: Karl Rove divorces again, Iris Robinson mentally ill
”Karl Rove and his wife, Darby, were granted a divorce last week…. There will be no further comment, and the family requests that its privacy be respected.”
Dana Perino, “family” spokeswoman for Karl Rove and his ex-wife Darby Rove. Mr. Rove is the infamous political force that was behind much of former President George Bush‘s success at the ballot box. He repeatedly devised national strategies for Republicans to use gay marriage as a wedge issue to bring religious and social conservatives to the voting booth. He encouraged Bush to push for a Constitutional Amendment to ban gay marriage. While that effort caused a lot of commotion and ultimately failed, it successfully forced pro-gay groups and Democratic lawmakers to spend their time and political capital on distractions. The fact that Rove would end up breaking his own marriage vows for a second time surprises few since his personal life and political ideology were often at odds. He manipulated the emotions of religious groups into becoming political activists yet admitted later on that he had no faith of his own. And while he used divisive tactics to keep gay families from becoming legally recognized, it was revealed that his own beloved stepfather, Louis Rove, came out gay in his later life. Rove is responsible for feeding Fox News and conservative talk radio hosts a number of twisted ideologies, which included, in part, the notion that any pro-gay court decisions were created by “activist judges.” (Politico)
”ROVE: Well, marriage is a very important part of our culture and our society. If we want to have a hopeful and decent society, we ought to aim for the ideal. And the ideal is that marriage ought to be and should be a union of a man and a woman. And we cannot allow activist judges to overturn that. We cannot allow activist local elected officials to thumb their nose at 5,000 years of human history and determine that marriage is something else.”
Transcript of remarks made by Karl Rove regarding gay marriage back in November 2004. It was revealed today that Rove failed to meet his own ideal of heterosexual marriage, and is divorcing his wife, Darby. (Fox News)
”Over the years, I have undergone a long series of operations and though I have never talked about it publicly, I have, against this background, also battled against serious bouts of depression. Only those who have faced similar challenges in life will know the ordeal faced by those who are profoundly depressed and the distress caused to those around them as they grapple with personality changing illness…. The stress and strain of public life comes at a cost and my health has suffered.”
Iris Robinson, a British Member of Parliament from Northern Ireland who was caught up in a major financial scandal this year, but first came into public prominence for espousing anti-gay views. Her revelation of mental illness begs the question on how much that influenced her insanely hateful remarks about gay people and homosexuality last year. She repeatedly likened gays to child molesters and aligned herself with the ex-gay movement. She promoted the ideas of Paul Miller, a psychiatrist who fed her the notion that gays can be changed to straight. (Belfast Telegraph)
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
