I wouldn't have even thought that someone was gay. It would not have crossed my mind. Homosexuality simply was not a serious issue then. So I would not have called anyone but by their name. I guess I was naïve, but Romney's assertion that he wouldn't have thought of this young man as homosexual rings true for the time period.

I guess you didn't listen to Packer's talk or read the pamphlet. 1976.

http://www.lds-mormon.com/only.shtml

Were you a TBM at the time? I remember during the Clinton years he was the anti-Christ to every TBM I knew. If Satan ran against Clinton in 92/96, I think most TBMs would have voted for Satan.

I was not a church member of any kind at the time.

The Romney incident supposedly occurred in 1965. I graduated from high school in 1972. I don't remember when gayness became an issue with Florida and Anita Bryant. Was it the late 70s?

The Miracle of forgiveness was published in 1969:



There are talks in general conference from the early 70s about the evils of homosexuality.

Just because you are abstractly aware that homosexuality exists, that doesn't mean you think that anyone around you is gay. I find it entirely plausible that someone in the 70's might not think anyone in their social sphere was gay unless it was a guy that was a total swish.

It sounds like Lauber was a total swish.

I joined the church in the fall of 1972. I read the Kimball book, but that would not have caused me to think someone around me was gay.

He was supposedly talking about his bleached hair, not gayness. In 1965 even having long hair was considered wrong in some circles, but it would not have caused someone to have been labeled as gay. I don't remember any guy having bleached hair unless the sun did it which would have been possible after a Florida vacation. If there was a problem it would have been his long hair, not gayness.

True. It sounds more like a case of effemiphobia.

Long hair was not considered feminine as much as a form of sloppiness. I can imagine this would have been a sign of low class behavior in a prep school in 1965.

Let's hope Mitt has done a flip flop since then on this bullying behavior.

So, it seems it was about conformity. That certainly fits with being Mormon. Very hard for Mormons to tolerate non-conformity. He'd probably heard a lesson at church about the evils of being a beatnik.

The second instance here of helping injure the blind is not a normally part of LDS behavior.

Bingo. That was the issue in 1965 and most of the 60s. There were coaches banning long hair in my area into the early 70s. I don't buy the story the WP is peddling inferring that gayness was the issue. It does not fit in 1965.

We'll see. I can't wait for the debates. Every time Obama speaks Mitt will be tempted to yell "Atta girl!"

The point is bullying in general. People are latching onto it as gay bashing, but he is also accused of causing a blind teacher to walk into a door as one of his pranks. When I read the story, I saw a pattern of bullying against people who were different - long haired kid, blind teacher, yelling "Atta girl" at the effiminate kid. He just comes off as one of those douchebags we all knew in school. It certainly doesn't help his image with the voting public, even though I'm sure he has matured over the last 50 years. I just wish he had made a more sincere apology.

Listen, Mitt has nothing against the queers. He has always been accepting and willing to feel bad for them. Likewise, a prank on a blind aka r******* person is all in good fun. He meant nothing by it. Boys will be boys. It is not his fault these folks are like this. They chose to be this way. I expect an apology.

I have a friend connection. Their verdict? "Cold, calculating, arrogant and self righteous."

Really his treatment of his dog says it all.

Well, then there's the utter shame of Bain.

right. no homophobia in 1965.

It fits perfectly.