# Bill O'Reilly, Gay Rights Advocate **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 28, 2002, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952 "2002-08-28T17:02:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ace_of_Swords)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952/1 "2002-08-28T17:02:55Z")
In a jaw-dropping interview, [Bill O’Reilly](http://www.foxnews.com/oreilly/), he of the bombast and common-man schtick, the no-spin-zone conservative commentator has dropped his mask! Apparently, he’s a true conservative – that is, one with actual beliefs and not just a complete corporate shill, and one of those core beliefs is Gays have Rights! Who woulda figured? Check out this [leak](http://uspolitics.about.com/library/weekly/aa082802a.htm) of an upcoming advocate article, where he states unequivocally his support for a range of Gay Rights, and bashes the Religous Kooks! No foolin! > [@](#): > > O’Reilly is the host of “The O’Reilly Factor,” a no-holds-barred slugfest of ideas that regularly lambastes feminists, Democrats, the ACLU and anyone else (usually on the left) who ticks the Irish-Catholic O’Reilly off on a given day. Gays and lesbians are a particular target of the hit show, getting more than their fair share of negative air time, and that’s why O’Reilly’s upcoming interview in America’s premiere gay magazine, the Advocate, is raising eyebrows even before it’s publication > > According to Michael Giltz, a freelance reporter (and personal friend of mine) who conducted the interview live in O’Reilly’s Manhattan office, O’Reilly not only reiterates his previous support for gay adoption, but he goes on to call the US military “homophobic” (though he still thinks the gay ban is necessary), says that gays should have the right to visit their same-sex spouses in the hospital (in many locales they cannot), thinks every state should have laws protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination in the workplace (only 12 states currently do), and opposes the repeal of a gay rights ordinance in Florida’s Miami-Dade County (the hotly-contested repeal measure is on the ballot September 10). > > That’s enough right there to make the religious right grab for a Maalox. But there’s more. There’s four more pages, and it’s can’t miss stuff. Bill O’Reilly, we scarecely knew ye. For having courage and convictions, you are my Conservative of the Week. Next week we’ll reveal Chris Matthews – Liberal-turned-Conservative-Whore-turned-Liberal! Stay tuned! ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952/2 "2002-08-28T17:12:04Z")
Good for you, Ace. It may surprise you, but a lot of us Conservatives have deep-seated beliefs and principles. I refer you to my favorite Conservative, Mr. Barry Goldwater who had a lot to do with the racial integration of our armed services, was a civil rights advocate long before it became fashionable, and up to his death lobbied extensively for the rights of the gay military man. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ace_of_Swords)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952/3 "2002-08-28T18:10:16Z")
Not at all – I believe you’d be suprised about whom I respect, for instance, a certain Republican ex-speech writer. No, I have a deep appreciation for the Conservatives who aren’t idiots, hypocrites, or selfish jackasses. Even if I don’t always agree with them, one can at least have a rational argument and respect their views. I only wish there were more of [them](http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/scotts/bulgarians/barry-goldwater.html) and less of Ann Coulter. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952/4 "2002-08-28T18:25:05Z")
And we conservatives have a deep appreciation for liberals who aren’t idiots, hypocrites or selfish jackasses 🙂 As to the OP, I don’t watch/listen to/read Mr. O’Reilly so I guess I’ve no comment on that. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952/5 "2002-08-28T20:42:12Z")
So… Since we all seem to think this is a swell thing, and everybody is just peachy-keen, what are we doing in the pit? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ace_of_Swords)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952/6 "2002-08-28T21:32:07Z")
I dunno. Just in case someone flies off the handle? It doesn’t strike me as a MSIPMS or a GD. So, barring Moderator intrevention here it’ll stay. Here, I know what to do: ANN COULTER IS STILL A FUCKING JACKASS! Ha! Now try to move it. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952/7 "2002-08-28T21:35:36Z")
> [@](#): > > It may surprise you, but a lot of us Conservatives have deep-seated beliefs and principles. Let’s not forget good old dead Abe Lincoln. ---
**Author:** ![Sterra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Sterra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterra)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952/8 "2002-08-29T00:02:56Z")
Would it really be accurate to call Abe Lincoln a conservative? He was a republican, but really it seems to me that for the longest time the Democrats were the conservatives and the Republicans were liberal. ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952/9 "2002-08-29T00:15:14Z")
This is the same Bill O’Reilly who a few nights ago went semi-ballistic on a woman who was for the NYT’s plan to feature gay/lesbian “unions/weddings” alongside the “regular” weddings, right? They didn’t bring in a stunt double or do a hell of a good makeup job on Jesse Helms? O’Reilly is quite possibly the most egotistical news personality on tb these days, and that’s tough, especially with Geraldo still being around. Plus, what is the deal with comparing his numbers with Larry King’s? They are on at different times for Chrissake!!! This is the same Bill O’Reilly who changed his registered voting status from Republican to Independent very convieniently a week before a major expose about him was due to start. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952/10 "2002-08-29T01:19:28Z")
Right… thing is, O’Reilly’s own statements in his TV show up to a few months back, for the longest time, had been to the effect that he believes gays should have fully protected _human_ rights… BUT should lie low and avoid the mainstream’s radar …_"I don’t want to have to explain to my children(_) what homosexuality is about"\* is a good paraphrase of something he often during the first half of 2002. And others of his TV statements could be understood in the direction that gays should not expect to be given acceptance by the mainstream, that as long as the prevailing culture disapproves, they have to just live with the disapproval. Anyway, Bill over the last year had undergone a very disturbing Geraldization: he had become too full of himself, so it’s been a couple of months since I last followed him closely. But from what little I saw in these later period, he still affected an image of a moralizer on unconventional sexuality issues. I might have to start watching again to see how _this_ plays out (oh, he’ll declare himself right in the end, of course, but hey, so does McLaughlin and nobody freaks out over him) (\*) (He seems to be a staunch, sometimes shrill, follower of the doctrine that _“But think of the CHIIILLDREEEN!!!”_ trumps _any_ argument.) ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952/11 "2002-08-29T09:40:33Z")
I can’t say I much like O’Reily, regardless of whether he suddenly supports views I like or not. I don’t think he is a man of honesty. He seems to have no idea that “spin” reffers to particular tactics for distorting facts and arguements (since he uses these sorts of tactics all the time): he seems to believe that it involves him not getting enough time to state his opinions (which he sometimes even remedies by going in and adding extra voice-overs to his own debates and interviews after the fact so that he can get in extra jibes at people without them having any chance to hear or respond to the final product). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ace_of_Swords)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952/12 "2002-08-29T13:29:17Z")
He does whaaaat? Seriously? ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952/13 "2002-08-29T22:49:22Z")
Well, mostly on his “Pulse” segments on regular old Fox: his Foxnews show isn’t very often guilty of it. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Gui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@El\_Gui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Gui)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952/14 "2002-08-30T07:30:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ace0Spades \* > **I believe you’d be suprised about whom I respect, for instance, a certain Republican ex-speech writer.** and if you say it’s Peggy Noonan, I’ll slap you silly. But seriously, O’Reilly’s comments appear to simply follow what many other Catholics probably would also hold in regards to gay rights (like his “pro-life” beliefs - he opposes abortion AND the death penalty, IIRC). Supporting what are rather pithy rights doesn’t make him a Gay rights advocate IMO, just further evidence to me that, although still clearly on the right, he’s not as far to the right as Hannity or Coulter. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ace_of_Swords)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952/15 "2002-08-30T13:46:39Z")
Peggy Noonan? The Maureen Dowd of the Right? The Straight Norah Vincent? Please! That bathetic strumpet isn’t fit to carry Anna Quindlen’s tampons. The fact that Coulter, who is, IMSHO, a complete Christmas fruitcake, is embraced by ANY on the Right, is just more evidence of the right wing’s descent into insanity. Again, that’s why I celebrate those few sensible conservatives. Perhaps a few more ratings whores, will admit it was all an sham. (Paging Chris Matthews…) ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952/16 "2002-08-30T14:26:10Z")
\<\\> The poetic imagery here eludes my pedestrian mind. However, for those who might read it to imply that Matthews is some kind of conservative, we should remember that Matthews is a Democrat who worked as an assistant to Tip O’Neill. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952/17 "2002-08-30T15:28:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ace0Spades \* > \*\*The fact that Coulter, who is, IMSHO, a complete Christmas fruitcake, is embraced by ANY on the Right, is just more evidence of the right wing’s descent into insanity. > \*\* Well, she’s no match for the well-reasoned logic of a Michael Moore, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@The\_Ace\_of\_Swords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ace_of_Swords)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952/18 "2002-08-30T15:34:13Z")
Thanks for the tip, December. Or they could just read the OP. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocate/125952/19 "2002-08-31T04:51:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Apos \* > \*\*I can’t say I much like O’Reily, regardless of whether he suddenly supports views I like or not. I don’t think he is a man of honesty. He seems to have no idea that “spin” reffers to particular tactics for distorting facts and arguements (since he uses these sorts of tactics all the time): he seems to believe that it involves him not getting enough time to state his opinions (which he sometimes even remedies by going in and adding extra voice-overs to his own debates and interviews after the fact so that he can get in extra jibes at people without them having any chance to hear or respond to the final product). \*\* Apos, I agree with every word in this post. My primary criticism of O’Reilly is his intellectual dishonesty.