I don't think we should do anything here, for two reasons.

First, the people you dig up dirt on aren't always the people causing the problem. It's wrong to attack a random Democrat/lefty/"progressive" because of the Max Blumenthals of the world. For the same reasons it's wrong for people on the other side to do it. If it costs us in the short run to be true to our principles, well then so be it.

Second, there aren't that many people out there who are too dumb to see through the gay marriage excuse. Everybody knows it's a play to homophobia even if they won't admit it in public. I figure lots of gay people on the other side are getting an uncomfortable feeling over the whole thing, an that feeling will fester over time.

That is REDONKULOUS! This guy constructively outed himself.

If you star as "Rod Majors" in "Jawbreaker," "Donkey Dick," and "Glory Holes of Fame 3" and earn an avid following for your monsterous huge cock, as Sanchez did, you really have no business bitching about getting called out as a homo. This is especially true of you're caught in a picture hugging biggot Ann Coulter right after she calls John Edwards (who, by the way, has never been in gay porn - I would know) a "faggot."

This guy wasn't exactly "closeted." If he was, his closet was constructed pretty shitty.

Eric, I definitely don't advocate going after random liberals. I think we should be very specific, actually. If it's Blumenthal, then it's Blumenthal. If it's someone else, go after them directly.

Tobes, his movies have no connection to the work he does today. They were exposed to hurt him, nothing more. If I were him, I'd certainly hurt back.

But, K, it is rediculous to say this guy was "outed" when he was performing the act on video.

Just because he denounced his "Rod Majors" days later in life, it doesn't mean it didn't happen. When you put yourself in the public, as you know, you're inviting those skeletons in your closet to be unearthed. When you hug Ann Coulter after she uses anti-gay hate speech, you more than invite it . . . you've got it coming.

There was no outing. He outed himself.

Karol,

But what about all the colateral damage? Spouses, children, friends and acquaintances? When you take someone down like that Can you imagine the life of a high-school student whose father just hit the front pages as a former gay porn star? Have you forgotten how cruel teenagers can be? Do you think you can attack someone like that and only hurt the person you intended?

Toby, that's why these guys use stage names. They're hoping they can live normal lives when they retire. Maybe it's a vain hope, but the fact that he once did porn doesn't mean he intended to be known forever as "the guy who did gay porn".

Why is Hillary's thesis from forty years ago a relevant news item, but the corporal Sanchez's stud roles from fifteen years ago aren't?

There's no shortage of irony that Ms. Malkin cites the following quote:

Not content with trying to make all conservatives responsible for the perceived bigotry of Ann Coulter, now liberals want to punish Corporal Matt Sanchez for what they perceive to be the bigotry of the conservative movement as a whole.

Or, in summary, "All liberals are evil because they all blame the evils of a few conservatives on all conservatives."

"What the left is doing to Cpl Matt Sanchez is disgusting."

What, pray tell, is the "left" doing to Sanchez?

"In the past, when they've viciously outed someone"

Outed? Who needed to "out" him, he worked for a major porn studio?

"The fact that the left will gleefully try to ruin someone's life for daring to disagree with them needs to be punished."

What on earth are you talking about?

Oh, what a poor, poor victim Sanchez is.

So what. He did do gay porn. Using a pseudonym only protects you if your image isn't up there next to it for someone to recognize. Afterall, if you see Tupac walking the street, do you know who he is because of his name... Of course not.

If he didn't want the attention placed on his very public gay sex worker days, he should have thought of it before hugging Ann Coulter calling Edwards a "faggot."

You know, there is a big part of me that would absolutely love doing gay porn. Without having done so, perhaps there is some sad repression in my life from not being the object of someone's stroking desire. Yet, knowing that I have a career as a litigator, a past and present political life and professional and personal ambitions yet to be fulfilled, I have the modestly low sensibility to know having gay sex on camera (or any sex on camera) could contradict the type of credibility I seek to have. I'd love to use my boat as a set for gay porn, but I know someone might see it someday -- so I don't. It doesn't take much sense to realize sucking c**k on camera can come back to haunt you, no?

You out yourself when you do these things as something you don't necessarily want to be. Gay, straight, scrawny bodied hotel heiress or whatever else. If you're gonna do it, be proud of it. If you think it isn't something that is going to bring you pride, don't do it.

Call me conservative on this, but if I were to have more "serious" skeletons, not saying I do or don't, I would keep such skeletons very on the DL with only a few trusted confidents, if any, knowing. I wouldn't put all my "assets" on camera. It is just very very basic common sense. Afterall, you're right. You don't want your kids to see it.

It seems fundamental that whatever you do in public can really easily come back to haunt you. I surely want to be judged in this life for what I've done and created rather than what I own. I want to be judged on my position and my judgment. ABSOLUTELY this guys public actions relate directly to his present actions, beliefs, convictions and character. It says, very loudly, "god, this guy is stupid."

Do you really think you have the liberty to pick and chose what you've done in this life to be judged by? You're judged by the whole tapestry.

So, he disavowed. So what. You can buy it if you want. His embracing Ann Coulter's bigotry is more than mere bigotry, it's hypocritical bigotry. The fact he's done gay porn, no matter whether he's disavowed his actions, just slam's that ball down his throat (pun intended).

If I were you guys, I'd dump him on the side of the road, move on and wave at him in the rearview mirror.

All this being said, I'm not into outing. I just don't think this guy was outed. He was paid to have sex with men on camera. That is outing yourself.

I am putting myself in Cpl. Sanchez's shoes. I'm sure I have done things in the past that could be used against me by those who disagree with me. Granted, I've never done porn or anything like it. But if someone dug up something in my past and publicized it to hurt me because they disagree with me on politics, they better be ready for war, because I'd bring it. I wouldn't let it go, it would never be over, and nothing short of their destruction would be satisfying to me.

Maybe you're all better people than me...or maybe I know that teaching these lessons produces results. If Sanchez or his supporters crush Blumenthal, he'll never do anything like this again.

David, Hillary is a candidate for president. Thoughts she had as a college student are certainly fair game. Sanchez is not running for office, he isn't a politician. And, his porn movies have zero to do with his public role. If he was, say, an anti-porn activist, maybe then it would be relevant.

karol,

if he was an anti-porn activist his past as a gay porn star would probably give his advocacy MORE credance.

but if someone did that to me, i would use every (legal) resource i had to make their lives miserable.

Toby,

So what. He did do gay porn. Using a pseudonym only protects you if your image isn't up there next to it for someone to recognize. Afterall, if you see Tupac walking the street, do you know who he is because of his name... Of course not.

If I saw Tupac on the street it would freak me out, since I don't see dead people on the street very often.

If he didn't want the attention placed on his very public gay sex worker days, he should have thought of it before hugging Ann Coulter calling Edwards a "faggot."

I don't see what Ann Coulter has to do with this. Can you give me a link to this particular gentleman "hugging" Ann Coulter after she made that statement? I hope you don't try this kind of thing before a judge.

You out yourself when you do these things as something you don't necessarily want to be. Gay, straight, scrawny bodied hotel heiress or whatever else. If you're gonna do it, be proud of it. If you think it isn't something that is going to bring you pride, don't do it.

He might very well be proud of it. That's not the point. The point is there's a group of people on the left trying to use homophobia as a stick to beat him because they don't like his politics.

In a way, I agree with you. It was pretty dumb if he ever wants to be taken seriously as a public figure - not because he did gay porn, but because he did porn. On the other hand, not every guy is as farsighted as you and I in his late teens/early twenties. I still don't see how this has any bearing on his opinions regarding the war.

If I were you guys, I'd dump him on the side of the road, move on and wave at him in the rearview mirror.

Why?

All this being said, I'm not into outing. I just don't think this guy was outed. He was paid to have sex with men on camera. That is outing yourself.

How far are you willing to take that line of thought? I suppose, then, it's not outing a gay man if he's ever been to a gay bar. I mean, if he really didn't want people to know he's gay he wouldn't go to a gay bar, would he?

I'd also guess if a guy had another man stay over at his place he's outing himself too. He'd never do that if he didn't want his neighbors to know he's gay.

Personally, I don't recognize people based on movies they did a decade ago. I once ran into Steve Martin and had no idea it was Steve Martin until someone who knew him pointed it out. I'd be willing to bet Sanchez wasn't recognized based on his appearance in the movie, but someone who knew him in that time period tipped off the media because they don't agree with his politics. That's outing.

Toby,

Bro, you're focusing on what constitutes 'outing,' and I think you might be missing Karol's point.
The point is, what does bringing up Sanchez' gay porn have to do with the merits of Sanchez' arguments supporting the war ?

Toby, I agree with you that if you participate in porn which you know will be sold commercially, you are thus not 'hiding' such activity.
But the point is not about what constitutes 'outing,' rather, the question remains, why on earth does his background in porn have to be brought up when discussing the war ?
Are Sanchez' detractors taking the position that if you appear in gay porn, you forfeit the right to debate foreign policy/war ?

The ONLY reason they're bringing up Sanchez' gay porn past is to embarrass him---it has nothing to do with the merits of arguing for or against the war.

In effect, they're trying to shoot down the messenger (Sanchez) rather than shoot down Sanchez' message.

A buddy of mine is a scout for an NFL team.
As you may know, the NFL draft is forthcoming in several weeks.
If someone told him, "Aw, don't draft Joe Jones, because I understand he's a horrible karaoke singer !", my buddy would probably think, "OK, he may be a bad singer, but what does that have to do with his merits as a football player ?"

It's irrelevant.

If one wishes to challenge the merits of Sanchez' position on the war, do so.
But his gay porn past should have nothing to do with it.

Karol, His porns films, as you said have zero to do with his public role...WHEN that role was speaking about the military and defending himself from what he perceived as harrassment from the Columbia students. But when he began to buddy up with some of the most virulent anti-gay folks out there, it became very much an issue. You can't feign innocence when you've starred in 'Jawbreaker' and then pose with Sean Hannity. If you'll notice, when you read the conservative pundits out there who are 'defending' him right now, not one of them can defend him without initiating another attack on the left. They're using him as much as the porn producers did.
And Eric, he did out himself with the movies. Comparing his films with walking into a gay bar is a pretty poor analogy, unless I walk into that bar, get naked, have sex with a dude, and have it distributed worldwide where any horny guy can check me out for $39.99. Toby was right on the money with that - you were the one taking that line of thought out to a very bizarre extreme.

I'd strike back, alright.

I'd call a spade a spade and denounce the person publicily. I'd admit fully what I did in the past and then I'd state it was a mistake.

Then, I'd call out the person crowing about my past and call them on the carpet by stating, point by point, how hypocritical they are based on their platform and how they present themselves to the public.

I'd probably end the whole shebang with a statement such as, "I am who I am. I have done what I have done. But, I have recognized my mistakes and have resolved to never commit them again. If my detractors can say the same thing about themselves, they should do so. However, I, unlike them, stick with my principles and act accordingly."

There's enough ammo to take someone down simply by their actions and their hypocracy. I wouldn't need to waste my time trying to dig up dirt on someone else and dropping to their level.

Pokerwolf,

That's been his response, mostly.

Josh,

I'm still not buying it. Do you really think this all came out because someone was watching one of his videos and recognized him? For me this all goes to intent. Why is this information getting such wide dissemination?

The political gay community is starting to remind me of the feminists during the Clinton years - we need to take every woman's allegations seriously unless those allegations would hurt someone we like politically. In this case stoking homophobia is wrong unless it's someone who doesn't hold our political views. Then it's okay.

And posing for a picture with somebody famous constitues support for every one of his positions? And I've never seen Hannity make a "virulently anti-gay" statement. Do you have a quote you can share? Or does being against gay marriage make you virulently anti-gay?

I feel sorry for Cheney's daughter if she has to chum up to people like Coulter. I notice the outing of Valerie Plame, which did her career some damage, has yet to be mentioned. Was that the lefties too?

"His embracing Ann Coulter's bigotry is more than mere bigotry, it's hypocritical bigotry."

Exactly!

Here's the photo, for those interested: Sanchez with Ann Coulter, who called someone a "faggot" that day.

I have a hunch that she also would say he should have been deprived of that USMC experience he's so proud of -- you know, since he was gay and in the military.

Why doesn't he speak on *that* issue?

It's not a very popular response, but someone needs to take the high road. The Golden Rule applies. Maybe if it's used by one side, perhaps its use might be duplicated.