"Honestly, it's just really sad. And it's disheartening to hear somebody, in this day and age in the United States of America, say... that gay men are not men, that they're not guys. It's shocking to one's conscience that in this country -- where we believe that the content of one's character, the courage in one's heart, the strength of one's sense of purpose, the love that one has for others and their service is what defines them -- and instead [Lonegan is] challenging the masculinity of millions of Americans. That's really unacceptable and it goes against everything that I was taught about this country and what we stand for.
"[That] kind of callous, bigoted disrespect to gays and lesbians... just shouldn't be tolerated. And again, the thought that what defines manhood is the drink that you drink or the cigar that you smoke, I think that he just really misses the boat on what it means to be a man in America... which is really about the kindness of your heart, the content of your character, the courage of your spirit, and how you treat others and what you do for others as you walk the path of life."
-- Newark mayor Cory Booker, responding yesterday on HuffPost Live to homophobic smears made by Steve Lonegan, his long-shot opponent in the New Jersey Senate race.
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