Abstract

Mary Cheney, Mary Cheney

Offers a discussion about United States Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's mentioning of Vice President Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter, Mary, in a campaign debate. Report that Kerry was criticized for being insensitive and offensive in his mention of Mary; Statement that Cheney has spoken publicly about his gay daughter; Statement that President George W. Bush supported a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and relies on homophobia to excite his fundamentalist base; Suggestion that if Mary has herself made her sexual orientation public, and if being gay is not immoral, then Kerry did not act improperly; Statement that Mary's sexual orientation is a fact, is not a secret, and is not a bad thing in Kerry's view; Claim that defending Mary lets Republicans look concerned for a gay person while preserving their homophobic agenda.