Schock's Really Gay Outfit and Why He Pisses Me Off

Well as tiresome and allegedly insensitive and ignorant as it can be to draw implications about one's sexual proclivities based on their choice of wardrobe, this outfit is the outfit of a man strutting proudly down the streets of Provincetown trolling for a comparably pastel-clad princess to have a little bit of fun with.



I found this picture as a headlined article on Gawker today and it reminded me of a piece I had read on Congressman Schock last summer in Details. The article lauded his success in becoming the youngest living congressman and the first member of the Millennial elected to the House of Representatives. The question the interview framed the article within was would Schock be able to maintain the relevance of the Republican party despite our generation's present day favoring of a more progressive agenda, and our preferring of the Democratic party as the source of such progress.

What was interesting in light of this photograph and Schock's record on issues of gender equity and gay rights, is the way that the article undercut the old school conservative image that Schock has built himself within and around with the obvious suspicion of his homosexuality, drawing comparisons to his facial structure to Neil Patrick Harris, making note of his "carefully mussed hair and pastel ties," and making explicit mention of how his lack of romantic prospects have lead to people quesitoning his sexuality, which he has maintained is hetero.

If you're going to prance around in fitted white linen pants with a baby blue belt, don't even get me started on the checkered shirt, you better be going to a Vineyard Vines themed fraternity party or a pride parade. (Really though aren't those oftentimes one in the same?). Plus he appeared in the Details feature in May of 2009, and then did a shoot in different designer suits in different locations in and around the Hill in GQ only four months later. Details and GQ are both owned by Conde Nest. Huge narcissist. We gays are a narcissistic people I'll admit. Though he is a politician, one whose voting record against gay marriage and against including gender identity and sexual orientation in federal laws concerning hate crimes. Self-hating homophobe? Probably. To me, all signs point to gay.

I realize that I'm operating under the logic of stereotype here leaving lots of holes in my argument. But I would not hesitate to say that I strongly suspect he is this overzealous closeted midwestern glory boy who can't bear to identify as or with anything that would compromise his status within his party which promotes traditional family values that are, in my opinion, ignorant and hateful. Despite his presence as the youngest member of Congress I don't feel that he is representative of the attitudes of our generation, political and otherwise, particularly involving issues involving gay rights.

To anyone interested in issues of sexuality and the way that power is manifested through sexual identities, DC is a clear manifestation of what can happen when in order to advance within the established hierarchy you need to hide certain desires you may have because they are perceived as unnatural by the dominant culture. The HBO documentary Outrage centered around how DC is a hot bed for closeted individuals. Schock I do not believe was included in that documentary but seems as though is a continuation of that practice of furthering homophobia to protect your political interests and suppress your real desires.