D-List comedienne Kathy Griffin, who has been enlisted by the Human Rights Campaign to lobby Congress for the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and will appear at a rally on Capitol Hill tomorrow, called House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) a "big queen" in an interview with Roll Call.
"I’m meeting with this big queen named Jim Clyburn," Griffin, who is in Washington this week to lobby for an end to the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, told HOH. "I’m going to be the first person to ever walk into his office and go, ‘Hey, girl!’" ... "Congress is homophobic, but I don’t think the American people are," she says. She plans to ask attendees of the rally to send a three-sentence e-mail to their Members of Congress urging them to act quickly, or face some ticked-off voters in November.
Griffin is being followed in Washington DC by a crew from her hit Bravo show My Life On The D-List. Let's hope that HRC also wants Griffin to urge people to ask President Obama to act on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." As you've heard, members of Congress say the President and his Administration are missing in action ...
Clyburn is the House Majority Whip, the third ranking Democrat in the House and an LGBT ally, notes AMERICABlog's Joe Sudbay. "I get that she's a comedian, but lobbying is serious business especially on LGBT issues. Yes, it's funny to you and me when Kathy Griffin insults members of Congress by calling them 'big queens.' It's a dumb way to lobby on DADT."
"Dumb" is probably an understatement. Roll Call is Capitol Hill's newspaper of record and read by every member, lobbyist and most staffers. By now, most on the Hill have probably heard the joke.
HAHAHA
Real funny.
Not sure is calling is it "smart" to call a black, 60 something year old straight man (and gay ally) a 'big queen'. Especially when we need his help. Why not call Steny Hoyer a big ole queen? Or Carl Levin?
smh
Posted by: Former COGIC | 17 March 2010 at 13:51
not funny
Posted by: Cristion | 17 March 2010 at 14:11
Eh. I'm a big Kathy Griffin fan but don't necesarily think she's the best one to call on our congress men and women. I'm sure Clyburn knows her schtick, tho.
Posted by: Faison | 17 March 2010 at 15:45
Did Griffin even know who Clyburn was?
I never understood why she is considered such an icon for gay men in the first place. She ian't funny!
Then again, we are very loyal to (Z-list) celebrities who say anything halfway nice to us.
Posted by: Anthony in Nashville | 17 March 2010 at 16:53
More disrespect from her unfunny self, she really needs to leave black folks out of her stand up as she is more offensive than she or her fans know.
Clyburn is a stand up guy and this is wrong.
Posted by: Luther | 18 March 2010 at 15:30