And in Other News….

The Amazing Randi has come out of the closet.

Reason on the legendary skeptic here. Link via Colby Cosh's Twitter feed.

Comments

[EJM]

I was hoping that it was going to be this...

"IMF warns wealthiest nations about their debt"

[Marc]

Ah, bless him. I love that guy.

[speedwell]

I read the article on Swift, and I have to admit that my first reaction was, "Yeah, so what, it's his business, I never even thought about it. What's the big deal?"

And then I realized what the big deal was. For a man of Randi's age to come out with that fact about himself, yet provoke no more than a yawn from a typical middle-class American... when else in his life could that have happened?

[bleek obummer]

No matter what his sexual orientation, he's a smart and witty skeptic. Only morons would go after him with his CV.

[^]

As a young amateur magician in the 1970s I got the impression most magicians are gay. Not surprising as it is theater.

[Sylvia Browne]

I've seen this day coming for years.

[Anonymous Backstabber]

+1

[wylie]

That +1 is probationary, pending a review of Sylvia's alleged powers of prediction, to be conducted by the Amazing Randi.

[Johnathan Reale]

Good man.

[BakedPenguin]

Mark, I have to ask, even if it's off topic, are you related to the guitarist from the NYC hard rock band Riot (not Quiet Riot) by any chance?

Back on topic, while I'm disappointed that he mentioned Maddow and Frank, in context, it's understandable that he would view their openness in a positive manner. I'm just disappointed, because they both of them have been trying to pull the rug over everyone's eyes, and Randi usually stands against that.

[Tristan Band]

I think his mentioning of Oscar Wilde and Stephen Fry balances it out.

[BakedPenguin]

Sorry, I didn't mean Mark - I meant Jonathan. The guitarist was named Mark Reale.

[J sub D]

Who gives a shit? His work exposing con artists and the self deluded speaks for itself.

[Episiarch]

"God, you're gay! You don't think violence solves anything?!? What kind of monster are you, anyway?"

[Fist of Etiquette]

I'm in excellent company: Barney Frank-

Stop right there.

[Tristan Band]

Dude, don't turn this into another political bout of bullshit. This about a man coming out of the closet, not politics.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Sometimes I just get super bitchy.

[JW]

Really? Is this why he named political loudmouths as 3 of the 6 examples for his raison d'?tre?

Here's my list off the top of my head:

Harvey Firestein
Clay Aiken
John Barrowman
Graham Norton
Boy George
George Michael
Freddie Mercury
Liberace
Truman Capote
Ian McKellen
John Waters
Nathan Lane

Yes, all entertainers, but that's where the money is. And that's without having mucho time to think about it, as Randi did. Randi, for whatever reason, chose polarizing politcial figures.

That said, him being gay is just one more data point of a brilliant man.

[SIV]

What No Rob Halford?

[Fred Dreier]

"Do you remember all that? Well if you do, you're gay [vigorous head-nodding].

[Voros McCracken]

Boy George is gay?!?

[Groovus Maximus]

Excellent thoughts speedwell.

So he's gay; give him a cookie.

Next.

[Is he allergic to]

nuts?

[Groovus Maximus]

Unlikely. And neither are you;-)

[diagnosed]

again.

[Anonymous Backstabber]

So the little dungeon master is gay... Who knew?

Can't say the topic of his sexuality has *ever* crossed my mind.

I am shocked and disturbed, however, at the realization that he is Canadian.

Also, FWIW, for all his skepticism and great work, the guy has stunning credulity for typical liberalisms.

[Tristan Band]

Also, cut the political bullshit. God, now I'm pissed off.

[Banned Tryst And]

And even though their thoughts were deemed the aristocratic voice,
They also had a "thing" for little boys.
Catherine the Great--so it's been said--
Needed large animals to be fulfilled in bed...

[JW]

Barney Frank, Oscar Wilde, Stephen Fry, Ellen DeGeneres, Rachel Maddow, are just a few of those who were in my thoughts as I pressed the key that placed this on Swift and before the whole world.

I'm fine with Randi being gay, but not with *this* rationalization. Get the pitchforks!

[heller]

Also, Ellen DeGeneres is god-awfully unbearable.

[DanD]

OK

[Warty]

I had always kind of assumed he was asexual.

[Sanjuro Tsubaki]

Yippy skip. Amazing how a Californian who is celebrated for having a keen, independent intellect could be so paranoid. Randi, some people aren't going to like you whether you're white, black, gay, straight, a jehovah's witness, or what have you. Deal with it.

[scape]

I'm maintaining my skepticism about this until I see some poof.

[Jake Boone]

Did nobody else spot this? Brilliantly done, sir or madam!

[Rhywun]

I agree it takes some guts for an old dude like that to come out. And the more who do it, the more we'll hear "so what?" from everyone. Cool.

[David McElroy]

It's not really fair to call Randi a skeptic. He's someone who's trying to debunk what he's already decided isn't true. A skeptic is open-minded. Regardless of what you think of Randi or some of the charlatans he's exposed, he's not a skeptic, IMO.

[Les]

A skeptic is someone who practices skepticism. The word "skepticism" isn't an adjective, so your opinion doesn't really count as much as the definition of the word, which is, according to Merriam-Webster:

1 : an attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity either in general or toward a particular object
2 a : the doctrine that true knowledge or knowledge in a particular area is uncertain b : the method of suspended judgment, systematic doubt, or criticism characteristic of skeptics
3 : doubt concerning basic religious principles (as immortality, providence, and revelation)

So, yes, he is a skeptic. And he doesn't "decide" something isn't true, but merely points out when there is no objective evidence that something is true.

[WTF]

I had a subscription to Skeptic magazine for a couple years, and I never got the impression Randi was trying to debunk things he had already decided weren't true. You're misunderstanding skepticism. He challenges things presented as factual but that have no scientific or objective evidence or no basis in fundamental scientific principles, and he asks those who purvey such things to support their claims with objective, scientifically defensible proof. For many years, he put up $1,000,000 of his own money to anyone who could do so for certain types of claims (e.g., paranormal, etc.). In other words, his mind has been completely open - i.e., "show me - convince me." He's just expecting them to do so scientifically.

Oh yeah - so he's gay. Big whoop.

[BarryJV]

This will make him so unpopular with Religious Fundamentalists.

[John C. Randolph]

I didn't realize he was in the closet. I thought he just didn't talk about his orientation because it's a non-issue in Skeptic circles.

-jcr

[Crosby Bill]

I agree it takes some guts for an old dude like that to come out. And the more who do it, the more we'll hear "so what?" from everyone. Cool pariuri sportive

[cheap soccer jerseys]

You're misunderstanding skepticism. He challenges things presented as factual but that have no scientific or objective evidence or no basis in fundamental scientific principles, and he asks those who purvey such things to support their claims with objective