# What percentage of extremely anti-gay public figures are in the closet? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 12, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470 "2011-08-12T16:30:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/21 "2011-08-12T21:38:44Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I assume that anybody who is rabidly anti-gay is struggling with his or her own sexuality, so I would put the number at close to 100%; I just don’t think most people spend that much time worrying about other people’s sex life. > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > :dubious: Just curious. Why the dubious face? Makes sense to me. > [@B.Serum](#): > > I have no idea. But it dawned on me that when people say “Being gay is a choice!” they may have arrived at that notion because they “chose” to resist their own same-sex urges. My thoughts exactly. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/22 "2011-08-12T21:48:30Z")
I also buy the theory that if someone starts ranting about the temptations of homosexuality there’s a better than even chance they are gay, or at least bi. Or possibly so misogynistic than they are on some level jealous of gays for not being attracted to women, there does seems to be a lot of overlap between homophobia and misogyny. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/23 "2011-08-12T21:49:20Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Just curious. Why the dubious face? Makes sense to me. There are plenty of reasons to be a vocal homophobe other then being a gay person who is trying to deny/overcompensate their sexuality. If no other reason, its a pretty good move for ones political or religious career in certain areas of the country. So while I’ll buy that some people may come to be anti-homosexuals due to their own closeted feelings or actions, I suspect a lot come to it just to advance their own careers, or because gays are (or at least were) an easy target or because they just hate “outsiders”. And more generally, there seems to be a type of person that really likes loudly advocating against whomever the “out group” of the moment is. Fifty years ago a lot of these people would’ve been screaming about black people going to school with white people, one-hundred years ago they would be yelling about Catholic immigrants. I don’t think that makes them secretly Catholic or secretly black. They’re just jerks. So I doubt the number of vocal antihomosexual advocates who are themselves gay is close to 100% (though I agree they probably have a higher incidence of closeted homosexuals then the general population). But I think most of them are probably scared of gay people for the same reasons their predecessors were scared of blacks and Catholics. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/24 "2011-08-12T21:50:23Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Just curious. Why the dubious face? Makes sense to me. It just seems to me that it’s a fairly common human phenomenon for people to spend time worrying about other people’s sex lives, either in a moralistic, disapproving, controlling way, or in a voyeuristic, gossipy sort of way. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/25 "2011-08-12T21:58:44Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > And more generally, there seems to be a type of person that really likes loudly advocating against whomever the “out group” of the moment is. Fifty years ago a lot of these people would’ve been screaming about black people going to school with white people, one-hundred years ago they would be yelling about Catholic immigrants. I don’t think that makes them secretly Catholic or secretly black. They’re just jerks. As long as we’re in IMHO, I’ll say I feel a lot of truthiness in what you say. Some non-zero number of anti-gay crusaders are clearly denying their own gayness, but some people are just not live-and-let-live types. If somebody else is different, it makes them uncomfortable, and so long as a culture allows it, they’ll be haters condoned by ‘morality.’ ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/26 "2011-08-12T22:09:30Z")
It’s unknowable, and I wouldn’t be able to wager a guess at a percentage. I do believe it’s less than 100% though, due to the non-zero number of homophobes who are just doing it for money (or politics, same thing). But we just can’t know, unless they get outed, and a really smart one never would. I do take time to revel in the hilarious hypocrisy every time it happens, though. I also think Michelle Bachmann is just a beard for Marky-Marc. hah! ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/27 "2011-08-12T22:25:41Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > It’s unknowable, and I wouldn’t be able to wager a guess at a percentage. I do believe it’s less than 100% though, due to the non-zero number of homophobes who are just doing it for money (or politics, same thing). But we just can’t know, unless they get outed, and a really smart one never would. I do take time to revel in the hilarious hypocrisy every time it happens, though. > > I also think Michelle Bachmann is just a beard for Marky-Marc. hah! What I don’t get about Marcus Bachmann is if he’s truly Gay, and yes, I believe he is, why has he thrown himself into the lion’s den, counseling homosexuals to overcome their evil urges? I mean, what’s his rationale? Is he attempting to hide in plain sight? ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/28 "2011-08-12T22:25:52Z")
90% are gay The other 10% are just typical examples of the unexamined hatred of “different” that has come to define the species. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/29 "2011-08-12T22:27:14Z")
> [@bup](#): > > If somebody else is different, it makes them uncomfortable, But why? ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/30 "2011-08-12T22:38:51Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I suspect he has a long time lover, and may possibly have Michelle’s blessing on the situation. I’d be surprised if this were so. Michelle’s minions would turn on her in a heartbeat if it were confirmed that their bigoted leader was not only a hypocrite but married to a Gay man. I think she has to be Sgt. Schultz on this score, if only to maintain plausible deniability\*\* and protect her career. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAlecCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SmartAlecCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAlecCat)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/31 "2011-08-12T23:45:08Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > What I don’t get about Marcus Bachmann is if he’s truly Gay, and yes, I believe he is, why has he thrown himself into the lion’s den, counseling homosexuals to overcome their evil urges? I mean, what’s his rationale? Is he attempting to hide in plain sight? Who better to counsel than someone who has gone through it? What would a heterosexual know about overcoming evil homosexual urges? ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2011, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/32 "2011-08-13T00:27:42Z")
I always assumed that people who seem to make it a life mission to be anti-gay (like those lovely Focus on the Family folks) are truly homophobic; ie afraid of their own sexuality. Organisations like that attract repressed gays. That whole “they’re out to convert your children with their homosekshual agenda” line just SCREAMS gay. So, politicians and pastors who make it the cornerstone of their platform? Repressed gay. Definitely. 80-plus percent. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/33 "2011-08-13T00:38:11Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Frankly, I’m surprised he hasn’t been already. I suspect he has a long time lover, and may possibly have Michelle’s blessing on the situation. Locally, speculation is that the most likely one is [Bradlee Dean (Smith)](http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRJRsz_6r4CiE0hpAZecCRjJAPw9kcnk4OzhaM0bpLrKDuMBi_acQ). ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/34 "2011-08-13T00:42:52Z")
Guilty dogs bark first. ---
**Author:** ![Khristy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@Khristy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khristy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/35 "2011-08-14T04:02:16Z")
Yeah, Marcus Bachmann definitely rides the chocolate escalator. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/36 "2011-08-14T05:06:09Z")
My WAG is 5-10%. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Universe_Lashes_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/37 "2011-08-14T06:25:31Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > I’d be surprised if this were so. Michelle’s minions would turn on her in a heartbeat if it were confirmed that their bigoted leader was not only a hypocrite but married to a Gay man. They would not. They would see her as another victim of the gay agenda. They didn’t turn on Bill O’Reilly when they found out he puts dildos up his ass. They will ignore whatever it takes to have someone who will tell them their deepest fears are true. They have no relationship with factual information. ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/38 "2011-08-14T16:38:12Z")
> [@The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](#): > > They didn’t turn on Bill O’Reilly when they found out he puts dildos up his ass. Whaa?? ---
**Author:** ![Khristy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@Khristy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khristy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/39 "2011-08-14T18:36:44Z")
> [@sh1bu1](#): > > Whaa?? This: [O'Reilly Falafel Suit Turns Five | The Smoking Gun](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/oreilly-falafel-suit-turns-five?page=16) Probably had to use a vibrator cause Glenn Beck’s cock wasn’t handy at the time. lol ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/40 "2011-08-15T02:50:06Z")
I’m not sure, but studies show 42% of male Dopers fretting over [dog breeds](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=619952) and [messenger bags](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=620248) are an airport bathroom away from Gaysville. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470.md?page=3)