"Romney reportedly mocked a closeted gay student by shouting 'Atta girl' whenever he spoke in class"

[highplainsdem]

The quote in the subject line is from this HuffPo article about the Washington Post story on Romney's high-school-bully past:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/10/washington-post-mitt-romney-bullying_n_1506663.html

The story about Romney leading a gang of similar childish thugs who held down another student and cut his hair has been getting more attention, but I want to call attention to the "Atta girl" teasing since it also shows the bias against gays.

From the Washington Post article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mitt-romneys-prep-school-classmates-recall-pranks-but-also-troubling-incidents/2012/05/10/gIQA3WOKFU_story_2.html

But Friedemann and several people closest to Romney in those formative years say there was a sharp edge to him. In an English class, Gary Hummel, who was a closeted gay student at the time, recalled that his efforts to speak out in class were punctuated with Romney shouting, “Atta girl!” In the culture of that time and place, that was not entirely out of the norm. Hummel recalled some teachers using similar language.

It's despicable that any teachers there might have used similar language. And the fact they did still doesn't excuse Romney's harassment of students he believed to be gay. He's a sadistic bigot, and sick enough to think such behavior is funny.

[uponit7771]

1. K, RMoney hated gays and hates them now until they want to give him money or something

[msongs]

2. LDS orthodoxy on display - 30 years of living next to an LDS church reveals all nt

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

7. Does this make his Mormonism relevant?

I know there's been some back and forth here about it, but if there is a strong anti-gay imperative still alive in the Mormon Church today, it may be something we need to know as well as Romney's position on it.

[Aerows]

21. Yes, they are anti-gay

And yes, it is, in my opinion, time to talk about it.

[TeeYiYi]

25. Gay Mormon Suicide...

...is a real issue. There used to be a website just for returned Mormon missionary gay suicides. It was massive and extremely sad but I can't find a link.

Here is a link to another page of gay Mormon suicides. I knew some of the people at this memorial site. http://affirmation.org/suicides/

Yes the Mormonism is relevant. Mitt rMoney should be ashamed.

Here's a link to a recent gay Mormon teen suicide: http://affirmation.org/news_2012/2012_048.shtml

TYY

[TeeYiYi]

28. Kick for Gay Mormon Suicide...

...Fuck Mitt Rmoney.

TYY

[Drunken Irishman]

3. Such a classy guy.

[polichick]

4. Yikes, a little peek into his true character.

[highplainsdem]

8. Yes. As Barney Frank said of Romney, there's "a meanness at his core."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/29/barney-frank-mitt-romney_n_1389365.html

And it's a basic character trait, not just a political tactic shown by his vicious ads.

[polichick]

9. Most Republicans will admire that meanness, but indies will take a second look.

[CTyankee]

12. So many repubs are mean that you have to wonder if it is truly a defining characteristic.

But then I have next door neighbors who are republicans and they are very kind and nice. Of course, once in a while they do vote for dems, so I have to admire that. They were very kind to us when my husband was laid up with spinal surgeries. They and their kids shoveled snow and even got up on our roof to remove an ice jam. Truly generous people.

[polichick]

13. I know some old school Republicans who are kind too...

They're Faux watchers and very gullible, definitely low-info voters.

[CTyankee]

14. My neighbors don't watch Faux. She is actually the Health and Science reporter for our local

ABC affiliate station.

I like that their kids are so great, too. Outstandingly nice and well mannered.

They are probably the only Republicans on our street. We are famously progressive Dems here. So it could be that they are somewhat adaptive to their environment, so to speak...

[polichick]

15. Why does she choose the Republican party?

[CTyankee]

16. She's from Indiana and her parents (and her husband's) are Republicans.

It's interesting. She's also a Filipino-American and actually got her job at the station (according to her web page) in an affirmative action program.

She is an accomplished news woman, always a professional, does her research and has interesting, timely interviews. She's great at what she does and I have the utmost respect for her.

[polichick]

18. Maybe it's that authoritarian thing - just following dad and hubby...

That's often the case with female Republicans.

Too bad she doesn't research her party a little more.

[CTyankee]

19. Well, she did vote for Dick Blumenthal over the repuke in 2010.

She said he deserved the seat. Her husband voted for the repuke and they actually had duelling campaign signs on their front lawn! Damndest thing you ever saw!

So it's not that clear cut. They are very devout Roman Catholics and that might have something to do with it.

But they have shown me and my husband the utmost kindness and I can't speak ill of them. I just have to shrug. You know, some things we just can't understand...

[Aerows]

22. You live up North

In the South, they are pretty much all foul people.

[CTyankee]

26. that is too bad...I am sorry...

[Turbineguy]

5. I was young and stupid too.

But I repeat myself.

These little revelations give great insight into the character of Romney. No wonder republicans want him as prez.

[marlakay]

6. I was raised during the same era in the 50's & 60's

and my parents taught me that all people were equal but never spoke specifically about gay people.

I had a cousin who everyone said he lived with his roommate but after ten years I figured out when I was a teen it was a relationship and he was gay. I remember not thinking this was bad.

So you can be raised like I was in an all white small town and grow up as I did to believe in equality for all, if your parents aren't prejudice and talk about people the same you pick that up.

I guess it helped we went to presbyterian church when I was small that wasn't over religious and we all stopped going when I was 12.

[WI_DEM]

10. lot of support from the teachers at that exclusive school.

[rustydog]

11. IF and this is a big IF , that is true...The School allowed Willard to bully openly

[OmahaBlueDog]

17. I'm not sure any of us would want to be judged on what we said or did in high school

If he did that - it would have been wrong. That's not the point I'm arguing here. The point is that many people did abhorrent and stupid things in high school that have little or no bearing on who they are today. People grow up in racism and outgrow it. People participate in gang activity in high school and outgrow it.

The judgement should be whether Mitt Romney is on the wrong side of history now with his views on marriage equality.

[MerryBlooms]

24. He was a bigot and a bully then, he's a bigot and a bully now.

I see no reason for us to sweep his past OR present under the rug.

[TheKentuckian]

29. I gather he he has largely went from horrendous to black hole across the board

Any minimal improvements way more than offset by the increase in his reach, the size of his purse, and festering growth of his avarice.

[Rex]

20. I am really starting to hate this guy as I read more

about him.

[Matariki]

23. He's a sociopath. He demostrates that all the time.

[highplainsdem]

27. Agreed.