In my email today comes a panoply of links, all accusing Hillary of being a lesbian. The links name names, and come with photos. Her name is Huma Abedin. The "evidence" is pretty flimsy, and is obviously in the eye of the beholder, namely, a bunch of right-wing homophobes and professional Hillary-haters.
For example, at the predictably-titled blog NoHillaryClinton.com, we get the National Enquirer version:
I have been receiving emails about Huma - one came for a Department of Justice computer (ISP) stating this: "I am close enough to both Hillary and Huma to know that it is an open secret on the campaign that those two are romantically involved. It is something you will never get them to verify though…"[...]
According to my limited research the Clinton camp has tried to keep Huma’s existence real quiet. I at first suspected it to be because of her nationality and Hillary’s creepy relationships with India and Pakistan.[...]
It is common knowledge that Hillary is bi-sexual. According to Bill’s long-time ex-girlfriend Gennifer Flowers, Hillary enjoyed performing oral sex on other women. On p.41 of Flowers’ autobiography "Gennifer Flowers: Passion and Betrayal", Gennifer asked Bill if there was any truth to the rumor that Hillary was having an affair with another woman. Bill laughed and said (referring to Hillary): "Honey - she’s probably eaten more p---- than I have."
And then we get the right wingnuts at FreeRepublic.com, who take the story further, accusing Abedin of being a Saudi intelligence agent. (Wait, I thought she was Pakistani? Ah, she lived in Saudi, as her mother still does.) I guess all Muslims are suspect, according to this faction:
Setting aside all the titillation about the sapphic aspects of this story, the facts of p—y the matter just scream "intelligence mole".And if she didn't dress nice, what would they be saying then? Jokes about Muslim women covering themselves up from head-to-toe and therefore having no fashion sense, undoubtedly. You can't win.
How does the child of two university professors [one of them deceased], who is single, never married, and living on a clerical salary, in one of the most expensive cities in America, afford to "never... wear the same outfit twice"?
Much less purchase from the likes of Oscar de la Renta, Catherine Malandrino, Charles Nolan, Prada, and Marc Jacobs? Not to mention Yves Saint Laurent?
How does the child of two university professors [one of them deceased], who is single, never married, and living on a clerical salary, in one of the most expensive cities in America, afford to buy her own "apartment in the vicinity of 12th and U streets"?
What would such an apartment cost? $500,000? $750,000? $1,000,000?
Where is she getting that kind of money? Who is the co-signor on her loan?
Apparently, it was Village Voice gossip columnist Michael Musto who got the party started:
As I recently said on MONICA CROWLEY's radio show, whisper campaigns are claiming that HILLARY CLINTON is GAYLE KING–ing her aide de camp, the glamorous HUMA ABEDIN, an Indian/Pakistani goddess from Kalamazoo, Michigan. In other words, Hillary may be putting Huma out there in the press and purposely making her more visible as a pre-emptive strike that amounts to her hiding in plain sight. This way, no Republican can later say, "Who is this gorgeous babe who spends so much intimate time with Hillary that the Observer called her Hill's 'body person'? Was GENNIFER FLOWERS's book right about Hillary's sexual taste?" And does either of this couple have the balls to bottom?I debated whether to pile on by writing this. Of course, if the freight train is already heading full-speed-ahead into the station, my teeny, inconsequential blog doesn't make much of a difference. Obviously, other people are getting these same emails and links, and it's only a matter of time before the story breaks in the mainstream media.
Of course that whole scenario can't possibly be true, since Bill and Hill have been so lovey-dovey lately for the cameras, and besides, whenever he's been serviced by an intern—or by anyone—he's clearly been thinking of his wife. (They're that close.) But suddenly, Huma—a sort of Muslim SALMA HAYEK—has that spread in Vogue and the accompanying write-up notes that she "oversees every minute of Senator Clinton's day." Every single minute? Even Gayle King takes a break now and then! (PS: If I called for comment, Hillary's camp would surely say, "Just because two powerful women are closer than sardines doesn't make them dykes." And that's so true. Look at MATT and BEN. But now that Crowley has dubbed me the head of Huma Resources, I'm going to pursue this story with every cojone I've got.)
Or are the Republicans waiting for her to win the nomination first?
I think it's important for feminists to be ready to ask the feminist questions, aside from the general "So what?" that is every decent person's gut reaction to such a smear.
1) Isn't it interesting how strong, powerful women are always lesbian-baited? I can't think of any who haven't been, except possibly Margaret Thatcher. (Is that how right wing you gotta be, to be above suspicion?)
2) Would the rumors have taken hold if we all didn't know intimate details about Bill Clinton? Is it widely believed that Bill had affairs because Hillary wouldn't put out? (Does everyone realize LOTS of men have affairs, who have completely heterosexual wives?)
3) Is this because of Hillary's pro-gay politics and her long-time friendships with women such as Rosie O'Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres? (Is Bill similarly suspect for HIS politics, and for hanging around with Elton John?)
Perhaps some of you can think of other dynamics to this story that I haven't.
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