Petrelis Files

New Yorker Omits Socarides' GLAAD Link

Here's another reason why I find Democratic Party hack and New Yorker magazine blogger Richard Socarides lacks an ethical compass. Today he asks "Is there hope for Pope Francis on gay rights?" and fails to make a necessary and ethical disclosure. He writes:

Herndon Graddick, the President of GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said in a statement right after Francis was named: "In his life, Jesus condemned gays zero times. In Pope Benedict’s short time in the papacy, he made a priority of condemning gay people routinely. This, in spite of the fact that the Catholic hierarchy had been in collusion to cover up the widespread abuse of children within its care. We hope this Pope will trade in his red shoes for a pair of sandals and spend a lot less time condemning and a lot more time foot-washing."

Put aside for a moment the ridiculousness of GLAAD, an organization known more for its worthless celebrity suck-up red carpet award galas that make the Golden Globes parties look like the Nobel Prize award ceremonies, pretending to have a commitment to the poor and their dirty feet.

I wish to point out that Socarides once served as a member of GLAAD's board of directors, a fact that should have been disclosed by the either by him in his essay or in the New Yorker bio for him.

It's bad enough New Yorker editor David Remnick has devalued his brand by giving Socarides a perch from which to pontificate, without ever providing readers with a full accounting of his role in providing political cover to Bill Clinton when he screwed the gays by signing the Defense of Marriage Act.

Must Remnick also allow Socarides to quote the leader of a group he once was affiliated with and raised money for, and not disclose the affiliation? Now would be an excellent time for the few remaining media critics out there to question why Remnick hired Socarides, and point out the myriad ethical problems and baggage the former White House aide carries.