At what price compassion?

Baltimore is abuzz about embattled city housing commissioner Paul Graziano. On Dec. 29, Graziano showed what many believe are his true colors when the former general manager of the New York City Housing Authority, in an off-hours drunken outburst, hurled antigay epithets at two patrons at Bertha’s, a bar/restaurant in Charm City’s historic Fells Point neighborhood. (Eat Bertha’s mussels, as the establishment’s longtime slogan insists? Apparently, in Graziano’s view, that is appropriate behavior only for men.) His embarrassing display led to his expulsion from the bar and to hot water at work. City residents and activists, from within and without the queer community–and even the Baltimore Sun–called for the homophobic housing commissioner’s dismissal. Graziano claimed he didn’t remember the incident (or another, similar event from earlier that evening, at Baltimore’s Brewer’s Art pub, according to televised news reports), but he knew he did wrong. He even offered Mayor Martin O’Malley his resignation. Hizzoner, however, refused to can the angry drunk, insisting that his humilated (and humilating) employee was “a very, very good man,” that Graziano’s Bertha’s behavior was completely out of character for the man, and that his alcohol problem–remember, it’s a disease–was a mitigating factor that had to be taken into consideration. Funny, in my experience with alcoholics, I’ve found drunks are more honest when soused than when sober. In any case, after meeting with representatives of Baltimore’s GLBT community (including members of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland and an organization I co-founded, the Baltimore Activists Coalition)–O’Malley finally expressed some outrage–then he approved a 30-day paid leave for Graziano, who’s now undergoing rehab. Now, don’t get me wrong: I believe compassion is a good and honorable thing and a rare quality for politicians. But it’s important to be consistent and fair too. Other Baltimore City employees have lost their jobs for making bigoted statements toward constituents. And nearly 20 years ago, on a Christmas day, a Maryland man high on PCP mistook his toddler son for Satan and lopped off the kid’s head. (And we thought getting the gift of coal made for a sucky holiday.) The dad’s legal defense: He was high, and therefore not criminally responsible for killing his son. The judge didn’t buy it–drug addiction is a disease, but the man chose to ingest the drug. As such, he had to face the consequences of making that choice. The same holds true for Graziano. He has a drinking problem. Sad, yes, and I hope the rehab helps him heal. But knowing he had a drinking problem, Paul Graziano chose to drink alcohol, which led to his hateful actions of Dec. 29. Given his responsibilities as housing commissioner–which include dealing with citizens (some of whom are queer) and mediating discrimination disputes–he’s proven himself unfit to serve. O’Malley is standing by his man for now, and he’s said that Graziano, once he’s back on the job, will have to reach out to the gay community for forgiveness. I wonder if the two guys he labeled “fags” can forgive him. Or trust him. I could forgive, but trust would be another matter altogether. Aren’t we supposed to be able to trust city employees, who are supposed to serve us? And another thought plays in my mind: Will queer Baltimoreans, many of them weary of living in an antigay country and in fear of what could happen under a Dubya presidency, stay quiet about their concerns and avoid seeking help from the city’s housing department? Apparently, Martin O’Malley doesn’t have compassion for some of his constituents.