Was This the Gayest Thing a Presidential Candidate Has Ever Said?

It was reported last Friday that JD Vance, the GOP vice presidential nominee, told conservative podcaster Joe Rogan that he and Donald Trump could likely win the votes of "normal" gay men because they "just want to be left the hell alone."

To watch "Emily in Paris," apparently. While on the attention is being given Vance's "normal gay" remark, Vance perhaps said the gayest thing said in the campaign thus far in speaking to Rogan.

It happened when they were discussing Lily Collins' hit Netflix show. When asked about the "stupid show" he was watching with his wife during the Republican National Convention, Vance apologized for that term.

"Sorry, I don't mean to call that a stupid show, I actually think 'Emily in Paris' is a masterpiece."

On the show, The Wrap writes, "Collins plays Emily Cooper, a millennial marketing executive from Chicago who moves to Paris to give her French firm an American touch. The show's fourth season finished in September and it has been renewed for Season 5. "Emily in Paris" was among the Top 10 most-streamed shows for five straight weeks after it's August return, according to Netflix's rankings."

"Emily In Paris" has become something of a phenomena over four years (and four seasons). What helped it become a hit was it was a simple and fun diversion during the dark days of the pandemic, but its appeal has grown substantially over the decade. And while analysis has shown it has a predominantly female audience (some 77% in 2022); it has strong appeal with gay men due to its mix of Paris, romance, high fashion, humor, and hotties as Emily finds her way in the French capital. Only adding to its gay vibe is that the show was created by out show runner Darren Star, whose best-known series thus far was "Sex and the City," a similarly-themed show about single women dealing with contemporary life in a sleek, lighthearted way. Plus Emily is an American social media guru working for a French advertising agency that caters in luxury brands, so there is plenty of high-end product placement. And she is surrounded by hot men, so much so that Vogue recently ranked the top 5 in descending order, Victor Meutelet (Timothée); Lucas Bravo (Gabriel); Paul Foreman (Nicolas); Lucien Laviscount (Alfie); and Eugenio Franceschini (Marcello).

Let's face it, calling "Emily in Paris," a show derided by critics since day one, "masterpiece" is about as gay a statement as any man can make.

Vance, the 39-year old Ohio senator who is married and with three kids, has found himself in the awkward position of having to defend his sexuality as recently as this past week in an interview with gay conservative podcaster Tim Dillon, during which Vance needed to assure viewers that he isn't attracted to men.

"I'm not a gay guy, but I've heard this from gay friends of mine..." Vance said, being interrupted by laughter from Dillon. He then went on to falsely say that gender-affirming care, a collection of practices that affirm LGBTQ+ identities, is "in some ways like the pharmaceutical answer to conversion therapy," a practice that attempts to erase LGBTQ+ identities," reports The Advocate. He claimed without evidence that gender-affirming care is purely a "profit-motivated entity [that] tries to manipulate government policy," and that "people who are getting rich off this are also lobbying the American Medical Association."

"He did not address the countless other organizations and medical practitioners that support the care, nor the fact that most health care in the U.S. is for-profit," adds The Advocate.

But what is a "normal gay?" On face value, it is an oxymoron. Gays are outsiders even if they wear MAGA hats. And they always will be. This think tank sounding term likely came about due to assimilationists who want to gays to be part of mainstream America and thought same sex marriage would be the vehicle to get them there. But same sex marriage hasn't been the great cultural leveler and gay culture is being more demonized than ever – the goalposts have just been moved. Just look at Vance's stances on gay issues: according to the Human Rights Campaign, he has railed against the Respect for Marriage Act and the Equality Act, which would protect LGBTQ+ Americans from discrimination in key areas of life such as housing and education; has introduced a bill to ban best-practice health care for trans youth while encouraging hateful and dangerous smear campaigns against the LGBTQ+ community and its allies; and held up the Senate nomination of a diplomat introduced a bill to ban best-practice health care for trans youth while encouraging hateful and dangerous smear campaigns against the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. In his personal life, he was once close friends with a transgender classmate and expressed support for their identity while criticizing Trump - then turned his back on their rights in service to his political ambition.

If elected, would Vance invite such gay conservatives as Richard Grenel, Peter Thiel, and Caitlyn Jenner over to the VP's residence for an "Emily in Paris" viewing party. And he can also ask such pols as George Santos, Lindsey Graham, and Josh Hawley, who could bring along his bff Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, whose recent photo of them at a campaign event looked like a gay couple making their wedding announcement.

As for Vance's "normal gays" remark to Joe Rogan, it received plenty of push back on social media. Here is a sample.