Next time you’re stuck in an airport (the only time most people subject themselves to CNN) and Don Lemon is on, pretending to be a reasonable, unbiased journalist, remember his September 9 award speech from at the GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) San Francisco Gala -- the one where he responded, “Thank you, it’s about time!”
Of course, Lemon used his acceptance speech as a platform to talk about all the things that really trigger him. “We have to point out outright bigotry and racism. And as a man of color I certainly know it when I see it. I can smell it coming.”
Lemon apparently is also concerned about the actual lives of transgender people in the United States. “To fight for our trans brothers and sisters--their very lives depend on it,” he told the audience.
Below is his full list of complaints: DACA, homophobia, and white supremacy all made the cut, apparently.
“It’s important to stand up to subtle, and blatant, homophobia. To fight for our trans brothers and sisters--their very lives depend on it. They too have served and are serving our country proudly and with distinction. We have to be the voice for our immigrant brothers and sisters, especially the young ones who know no other home than America. We have to point out outright bigotry and racism. And as a man of color I certainly know it when I see it. I can smell it coming. And to make sure that some uninformed people don’t get confused--that there are no fine or good Nazis or white supremacists anywhere and it’s not about both sides! That’s where we are right now. But I’m not the only one. There are plenty of people who are fighting. There are plenty of people who are doing the right thing.”
But the real kicker was when he asked the audience to hold him accountable. “I don’t accept this lightly, and I ask that you hold me accountable as well,” Lemon said, ending his speech.
Lemon is the CNN anchor who most recently accused President Trump of “attempting to re-write history” during a rally in Phoenix.
He also can apparently smell racism from anyone who supports Donald Trump or even works for him in any capacity. In a statement made on his show in August, Lemon said, “Anyone who is in that White House and who is supporting him is complicit in their racism as well.”
This is the same anchor who, in a classy move, was drunk on the air on New Year’s Eve last year. He was so wasted that he actually got an ear piercing on his show. And in 2016 he told co-host Kathy Griffin that she had a “nice rack” on the air.
In 2014, he asked his panelists if it was “preposterous” to think a black hole caused a Malaysian flight to go missing. Coming from a CNN anchor, that statement has “fake news” written all over it. But of course, no one said anything.
Please, could somebody hold him accountable? CNN won’t.
It is surprising that GLAAD (the exclusive organization that won’t let Fox News journalists at their ceremonies) hasn’t recognized Lemon before now. As Lemon said, “I’ve been out for years. I always wondered, when is GLAAD going to give me an award? Damn!”
In a culture based on identity politics, being gay and being black automatically means you get an award.
