My review of “Outrage”

Yeah, the new Star Trek movie is coming out on Friday but do yourself a favor, carve out some time to see Outrage, the new documentary about the hypocrisy of closeted politicians with anti-gay voting records.

With gay marriage votes taking place in the legislatures of so many states right now and with federal hate crimes legislation considered just last week by the Congress, this movie’s timing could not be better.

I watched it twice in preparation for an interview with director Kirby Dick and was very impressed with the level of research involved to show how these closeted men have inflicted harm on millions of LGBT Americans through their actions.

It is just appalling when you watch segments on various politicians – including those on Sen. Larry Craig and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist – then see their voting records flash on screen. You can’t help but that these people have sold their souls to the devil in the name of ambition.

Crist, who seems to conveniently get involved with women just before important elections – including actually marrying one of them last year – is a perfect example of how damaging a politician widely thought to be closeted can be. As governor, Crist appointed two state Supreme Court justices who oppose gay marriage, he continues to support a ban in gay adoption and at this point, is one of the top contenders for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

Dick obviously did not get interviews with any politicians still in office but uses TV footage of them being questioned about their sexuality to get their side in. On a radio show, Crist is asked about persistent gay rumors and says: “I love women, it’s a wonderful thing.”

And yet, the movie points out that after a brief marriage to a woman who is now a lesbian, Crist claims to have lived a “monastic life” for 20 years after that divorce. Why would a man who loves women so much stay away from them for two decades?’

One of Crist’s girlfriends – the one who was conveniently with him when he ran foir governor – would not comment for the film but did say: “I think I should just keep my mouth shut. Call me in 1o years and I’ll have a story for you.”

I bet.

What’s impressive about the film is that in addition to being an indictment of certain closet cases, it also delves some into the psychology of this kind of double life as well as int0 the ethics of outing these politicians and how the mainstream media – which I was a part of until a few months ago – seems to have double standards when it comes to covering the sex lives of gay public figures.

Take Crist for example: two men, Bruce Carlton Jordan and Bruce Wetherington, claimed to have had sexual relationships witb the governor and the story was reported in the alternative weekly New Tines but never followed-up by the mainstream media.

The movie begins with Larry Craig being interviewed by an undercover police officer and the Idaho Senator saying: “I’m not gay, I don’t do these kinds of things.”  He may have become a national joke for his alleged “toe tapping” routine in an airport bathroom.

Even if Craig’s trouble at the airport had never been exposed, blogger Michael Rogers had already outed him in October 2006 on his Blogactive site describing Craig as “an anti-gay closeted individual who has sex with other men.”

What’s really fascinating is watching him on the floor of the Senate mentioning his wife on Valentine’s Day and watching the couple, post-scandal, doing an interview with Matt Lauer where it seems so apparent that not only does nobody believe a word they are saying, but they themselves don’t seem to believe it.

“I don’t agree with the lifestyle and I’ve said so with my votes over the years,” Craig tells Lauer at one point.

Then when you feel just sorry enough for Craig for being a man of a certain generation who knew he could not succeed in politics as a gay man, you look at the voting record and feel less badly that he toe-tapped his way to political infamy.

Several formerly-closeted politicians did consent to be interviewed for the movie including Jim Kolbe, a retired congressman who was about to be exposed and came out on his own. In the movie he says: “I could literally feel 40 years lifting off from my shoulders.”

Former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey is the most articulate and emotional about the journey of accepting yourself as a gay man – something he did not do until his late 40s and that was when he had to resign from office as several scandals swirled around him.

I’m glad he’s found himself and all, but his words are tainted in my eyes because of the circumstances that brought him there. I wonder if he had not been forced to resign and was still in office or maybe a US Senator, if he would still be carrying on the charade.

His ex-wife, Dana Matos McGreevey, comes off very sympathetic in the movie – as a victim of her former husband’s deception: “None of those feelings or emotions were real. What part of my life and my marriage was real? … He didn’t have to destroy my life or my daughter’s life or anyone else’s … I don’t think he ever felt (love) for me.”

But the legal battles and acrimonious divorce proceedings between Dina and her ex-husband put the credibility of both parties in question in my mind.

Also in the film: former Rep. Ed Schrock can be heard on tape requesting sex – very graphically. He never admitted it was him but two weeks later, abandoned his re-electiion bid. He had voted against domestic partnership, gay marriage, hate crimes legislation as was co-sponsor of a federal anti-gay marriage bill.

Former New York Mayor Ed Koch comes off very badly in this film which tells the story of a former lover named Richard Nathan who was allegedly involved romantically with Koch when he was a congressman but was phased out as soon as he was elected mayor. Nathan’s attorney said in the film  that Koch made it impossible for him to find work in NYC. At one point, activist Larry Kramer said he brought Nathan to New York to out Koch. But he was threatened and left the city in the middle of the night – he died of AIDS in 1996.

The director also interviews Rogers extensively about his aggressive efforts to out certain politicians and also speaks extensively with blogger Michelangelo Signorile and Washington Blade editor Kevin Naff.

It’s a well-done film and worth your time