jawnbc | deontology of the closet

Ted Haggard and his ilk were on Oprah yesterday. Sometimes Oprah's faux "neutrality" gets up my nose, but she wasn't peddling that very much. In fact, we could the episode the Wednesday morning smackdown. Or kick down, in terms of the closet.

First, props to Ted for copping to the bullshite he was pedalling to the media after his arrest. My favourite line was when Oprah asked about "I bought the drugs, but then I threw them away" and he said "oh no, that was a lie. A lie, a lie a lie." And she said "I thought so, because..." "Because that's so stoopid," he continued, "who buys drugs and then throws them out?"

Then Gayle (Mrs.). Haggard comes out, and OMFG Becky things got interesting. First, Gayle goes on and on about desires versus actions--but Oprah was like "I'm sorry, I'm not gonna agree with that. I'm heterosexual, and I cannot imagine what it feels like to be same-sex attracted. I have lots of gay friends, if you're attraction is to the same sex, that's what it is." *hi5 Oprah*

Then the Haggards revealed they are travelling in different universes, with her clinging to the desires are not actions and him saying the desire is a part of who you are. It is what it is. Periodically he would spiral into self-loathing, blathering about sin and Jesus. Gayle Haggard was pretty quiet then.

In fact, for much of the show, she didn't look at him while she spoke. In fact, she kept her body turned away from him when she did speak to him.

He needs to leave her and they all need to get on with their lives. Because what they're doing isn't Godly and isn't brave and isn't something that should be modelled to young, same-sex attracted young people.

it's totally fooked. But I guess Oprah didn't want to drop the F-bomb.