Mary Cheney where are you?
Mary Cheney, Dick Cheney’s openly gay daughter, is the subject of controversy. Dick, Lynne, the straight daughter whose name escapes me, and all the spin meisters are condeming John Kerry for bringing up her name in the last debate. Mary’s voice is absent. I guess I have to question whether Mary, who is supposed to be so upset, really is. Or is this just, as some have suggested, a red herring to detract from the real issues. I don’t care if Cheney’s daughter is gay, and I’m sure most people don’t either. But if Dick didn’t want people to talk about her lifestyle- he should have never brought it up. Whether Mary is upset or not – as there are no comments or quotes attributed to her – is unknown. Mary is not, and has not been in the public eye as far as I can tell. She doesn’t speak at conventions, make public appearances, campaign for her dad, etc, although she is said to volunteer for the campaign. I’m not sure if this is because Mary is ashamed of her father or if the Cheneys (who speak lovingly of their daughter) are embarrased by her lifestyle, or if even if she just disdains the public scrutinty – much as Dick prefers to remain a supporting role rather than the front man.
I personally don’t see the comments as an issue. Many openly gay people, especially public figures, might tell you that they find even in this age of ‘tolerance’ (which is a word I hate) they are not always respected and supported.
Perhaps Mary just prefers to remain behind the scenes. I respect that. But if she is truly upset and hurt by the fact that people talk about her sexuality, the least she can do is release a statement.
