Hear the audio version here (segments older than 3 weeks may be unavailable)

Sure, it couldn't be more juvenile or childish.  But from a different perspective, it couldn't be more hypocritical.  I'm referring to the emerging trend of leftists to try to bully conservatives and Christians into silence on the issue of homosexuality by "smearing" them with the accusation that they are just closeted homosexuals themselves.

It's really amazing to watch: the same folks who profess how there is nothing wrong or shameful about the practice of homosexuality, attempting to shame Christians by saying they practice homosexuality.  And, incapable of defeating conservatives on the battlefield of ideas and morality, this attack line is becoming increasingly common.

Matthew Philbin noted the most recent example:

Take, for example, Marcus Bachmann, husband of GOP presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.). The Bachmanns have been married more than 30 years, and have five children. Mr. Bachmann runs a clinic that offers Christian counseling to people struggling with "unwanted" homosexual feelings - derisively termed "praying away the gay" by liberals.

 

So Bachmann must be ... gay? While it might not be a surprising assertion in some far left quarters, like Mother Jones or TalkingPointsMemo, the rumor has gained currency in more "mainstream" outlets. According to Slate's William Saletan, the notion "started as a subtle joke among bloggers. Then it progressed to parody and overt insinuation." When "The Daily Show's" Jon Stewart picked up on it, saying that Bachmann offered ex-gay therapy "so he can hoard all the gayness for himself," cracks about Bachmann's sexuality became commonplace on the left.

 

Anti-bullying bully Dan Savage actually deemed Bachmann gay just by listening to his voice. Others commented on his walk and manorisms. The rumor made an appearance on the gossip site Gawker, which wrote, "Lots of people have been making the assumption that because he's a little bit that way, Bachmann?like so many other anti-gay weirdos?is in fact a sadly closeted gay man himself."

 

At The Daily Beast, Michelle Cottle wrote of "the growing whispers about Michele Bachmann's campaign?the uncorroborated speculation that the candidate's profoundly antigay hubby, Marcus, is a closeted gay man." Mediaite wondered whether his "good sense of style" betrayed his true leanings. From the Huffington Post to the Los Angeles Times and the Minneapolis Star Tribune, liberal journalists and gossip columnists have been gleefully repeating the charge.

Unreal.  Again, it astounds me that this is a tactic used by those who champion the idea that homosexuality is completely normal and completely moral.  Yet, to try to disparage their political opposition, they call them gay?!  Oh, and let's not forget, calling someone or something "gay" in a derogatory fashion is now completely unacceptable under the left's rules of political correctness.  Yet, that's exactly what they do with Bachmann and virtually anyone else who is perceived to oppose the lifestyle of homosexuality.

And worse yet, they level the accusation based on effeminate traits or speech patterns?!  Talk about stereotyping!

I engaged in a mini-debate of sorts with a gentleman on this very topic recently.  It didn't go well for him - not because I was that smart or crafty in our exchanges, but simply because his argument imploded on himself and I won just by letting him talk.  His thesis was that since there were a few prominent individuals (Ted Haggard and Larry Craig) that had taken anti-homosexuality positions publicly, but then later were caught in homosexual activities, that was enough to justify these accusations.

Two guys.  Others, if they rack their brains hard enough can probably come up with a few more.  Let's say they come up with 5.  Five people who oppose homosexuality were actually engaging in homosexuality.  Compare that to the millions who oppose homosexuality but who aren't.  Yet the left persists with this line of illogic as though they're onto something profound.

No, what they're onto is yet another derisive, bullying tactic to smear and insult your opposition like children because you're incapable of defeating their ideas.  Pathetic.