The Fight Against Fascists (I Can't Believe This Exists)

[Dill]

(06-08-2021, 01:38 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: The reason I used to Roy Cohn in an example of "going where the money is" is because his private life differed greatly from his public life.  On the surface level you might see him as a staunch conservative when in reality that is highly unlikley.

He also represented Steve Rubell, the owner of Studio 54.  It's been awhile since I've seen the documentary but I seem to recall some pictures being shown of Cohn hobnobbing with celebrities with glitter on his face.  Fwiw, Cohn was a gay man who was known to have numerous boyfriends, and who ultimately died of AIDS.

Now, I don't want to use his sexuality, or some of the people he associated with as definitive proof that he wasn't actually conservative.  But I do think it's safe to assume, especially given the time and some of the people he surrounded himself with, that he was a lot of different than some of his political affliations would lead you to believe.

Hey, thanks for the response, clarification, Wes.

A few quick points here.

1. One can be "gay" and "conservative" at the same time, even though many (social) conservatives are not down with diversity.
https://www.washingtonblade.com/2020/11/09/gay-conservatives-get-small-victory-lgbtq-vote-goes-61-biden-28-trump/
One can even support Trump as a gay conservative.
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/trump-pride-gay-republicans-why-they-re-backing-president-n1243469
Are you familiar with the "lavender scare"? Cohn was not against outing gays, or accusing people of being gay, to achieve political ends.

2. Also regarding Cohn--while all conservatives are on the political right, not all right wingers are conservative. E.g., fascists embrace rapid technological change and uprooting/replacing traditional political institutions as soon as they are in power. That is the opposite of conservative.

3. Was the member of a Jewish anti-communist organization, and chose to support and advise Nixon and Reagan. His "private life" includes a friendship, then partnership, with the notorious Roger Stone. If he worked for a Dem mayorial campaign that wouldn't surprise me, but it wouldn't confirm ideological neutrality or simply a desire for money. When he could choose, all other things being equal, he chose right.