Richardson’s slur raises questions for LGBT journalists
(Crossposted from The Bilerico Project by Karen Ocamb, editor of In Los Angeles magazine)
What caught me off guard when I watched the Media Matters clip of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on the Don Imus show last year was how casually and easily the word ?maricón? fell from Richardson?s lips. ?Maricón,? as you probably know, means ?faggot? in Spanish.
It was not an easy story to write, but as my co-author Chris Crain explains on his blog, it?s a legitimate one that ultimately calls Richardson?s judgment into question.
I met Richardson after he officially announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president. During the press conference that followed, I asked him why he didn?t support full marriage equality for gay couples. He dodged the question, citing his good record on LGBT issues before scanning reporters? faces for another question. He dodged my attempt at a follow-up, too.
To his credit, Richardson later sent his communications director to get me for a personal interview. That resulted in my story ?Richardson Pledges to be an ?Activist? President,? which is posted on his campaign site , with a link to my publication, IN Los Angeles magazine.
Richardson was incredibly amiable, jokingly asking me why I asked him the marriage question in front of the national media. ?I?m your guy,? he said (or words to that effect.) ?Why do you want to embarrass me like that??
