August is the sort of month where Vermont cheesemakers become the top news story on NPR's Morning Edition.  Yet Senator Craig, the staunch conservative from the blood red state of Idaho who voted for every anti-gay piece of legislation that came before him, was caught possibly soliciting sex in a men's airport restroom, with --gasp --another man. 

While the media has been covering the fallout, except Fox News, the story has a predictable arc.  The hypocrisy of another anti-gay Republican opening the closet door is up there with the media's hypocrisy in conflating what Craig was doing with Foley going after children.  And next to conservatives accepting Senator Vitter paying for (heterosexual) sex but calling for Craig to resign for peering through the bathroom stall.

After hypocrisy and homophobia comes the denouement.  Craig will resign no doubt and be replaced by another anti-gay Republican (who may or may not be gay).  The media will move on to the next story (read: scandal) and Hurricane Craig will pass with minimal damage and little national discussion on the underlying issues.

The culture of homophobia in this country that drives celibate priests to molest young boys, a sitting senator to find refuge in an airport bathroom, and the host of others who can't even admit to themselves who they are let alone support legislation that doesn't demonize gays is despicable.

The fact that so many people can't even accept, let alone appreciate, the amazing differences that make this world beautiful is alarming.  From racism, sexism, and anti-Semitism to homophobia and xenophobia, we have too many words describing the prejudices that shape such policies as hate crimes, immigration, access to education, and the right to marry the person you love.

Mother Jones has a timely article on The Science of Sexual Identity.   Maybe that’s a good place to start having a conversation about the underlying conditions behind Hurricane Craig.