Sex

The disgusting media-stoked hypocrisy about Anthony Weiner's private sexual behavior is a resurgence of the political Puritanism of the Clinton era. The American public's general naivete and/or hypocrisy about sex gets full rein. It is exposed for its puerile attitudes toward sex.

And why shouldn't the American public be stupid and naive about sexuality? Public sex education is primitive at best, thanks to the influence of the Religious Right on curricula. Both political parties abuse sex for political purposes. Trashy print media exploit sexual ignorance and childishness to sell papers. Bloggers and Tweeters exploit sex to get page views.

Anthony Weiner did not beat anyone. He did not rape anyone. He did not verbally abuse anyone. He was perhaps indiscreet with someone who was too immature or exploitative to simply ignore his indiscretion. He has not taken a vow of celibacy or monogamy as part of his role as a public official. His sexual behavior is irrelevant to his job, unless he is legislating against sexuality and being sexual himself.

I am amused and annoyed by Nancy Pelosi's matronly, perhaps Roman Catholic, indignation. Ms. Pelosi has five children. I assume she has had her share of sex in her life. Certainly her love affair with plastic surgery indicates some sexual interests. She seems too readily horrified by her colleague's sexual indiscretion for someone who maintains her power as a leader of the Liberal Left. Maybe being the wealthiest Representative in Congress has made her prudish, a symptom of moving to the Right.

As a person in a sexual minority, these furors over sexual behavior in the public domain make me very uncomfortable. This is a country that does not hesitate to lob missiles at civilians who live thousands of miles away from our borders in the name of "freedom" and then condemns a man for taking a picture of himself in his underpants. This is a country that still practices capital punishment. Think about it.