News :: GLBT
McCain’s money shot: Manhunt co-founder raises a ruckus with donation to GOP nominee by Ethan Jacobs
associate editorWednesday Aug 13, 2008 The 2008 presidential race just got its first gay sex scandal with the news that Jonathan Crutchley, co-founder of Cambridge-based Manhunt.net, made a $2300 contribution to John McCain’s presidential campaign last March.
Huffington Post allegedly reported on the donation last week - Bay Windows was unable to find the original story - but news of the donation picked up a head of steam after the gay blog Towleroad seized on the story Aug. 13. Within hours news of the donation to McCain by the owner of one of the world’s largest gay hook-up websites spread like wildfire across the gay blogosphere, and readers of blogs like Towleroad and Queerty began filling the comments sections with calls for gay men to cancel their Manhunt accounts. Neither the McCain campaign nor Manhunt responded to a request for comment before Bay Windows went to press.
It’s hard to imagine a less appealing donor for the McCain campaign, short of Osama bin Laden, than the co-owner of a website dedicated to helping thousands of sweaty gay men hook up for anonymous sex. McCain has been trying to win over religious conservative voters and activists, many of whom question his dedication to fighting the culture wars, and his efforts finally seemed to be paying off. He won kudos from social conservatives for his support for a constitutional amendment in California to ban same-sex marriage, and even Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, who had previously vowed never to pull the lever for McCain, has publicly softened his stance on the candidate. In his efforts to portray himself as "pro-family," news of McCain receiving money from Manhunt could be radioactive.
But the news of the donation could also deal a blow to Manhunt’s reputation. The company has built its brand on an image of unapologetic and proud gay sexuality, sponsoring gay club nights and participating in Pride events around the world. The company has also been a leader in promoting safe sex on the online hook-up scene, partnering with state health departments and community organizations to allow them to do safer sex outreach on the site. By contrast McCain opposes same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples, he supports "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell," and opposes the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. He has also publicly stated he is uncertain whether condom use prevents the spread of HIV.
Crutchley defended his contribution to McCain in the comments section of an online interview he did in April 2007 with Online Personals Watch. A reader posted a comment on Aug. 9 about Crutchley’s donation, and Crutchley himself responded the next day, writing, "Welcome to the age of the internet, where everyone’s private life becomes public. Yes, my contribution to John McCain’s campaign for president was listed on the Huffington Post. I believe McCain will be a better commander-in-chief than Obama, who also opposes gay marriage. If we have an experienced, seasoned person defending the country in this dangerous age, we will be able to argue about the gay agenda later. Yes, I am a Massachusetts Republican, which is about the same as being an Alabama Democrat. But don’t call me a ’liberal.’ That’s an insult."
But word of Crutchley’s donation has angered at least some gay people. Joe of the popular gay blog Joe.My.God posted on the donation, writing, "Log in, get off, get betrayed." Over on the Queerty blog a reader using the handle "spunkbox" wrote, "so very stank. All self respecting ’mos should IMMEDIATLEY cancel their mancunt accounts." On Towleroad a commenter calling himself "The Milkman" wrote, "I will be canceling my subscription to Manhunt as soon as I can rush home after work. ... Cancel the account, guys. Just do it. There are lots of other options."
Will McCain keep the money? There’s precedent for him returning it. Back in 1995 Bob Dole’s presidential campaign returned $1000 from Log Cabin Republicans, the gay Republican group. But as Dole learned in 1995, returning the donation could generate more bad publicity than the donation itself; shortly after his campaign returned the donation Dole told the press it had been a mistake to do so.
One donation that’s been getting a lot less attention: Crutchley’s Manhunt co-owner, Larry Basile, donated $250 to Barack Obama’s campaign in January, according to the Center for Responsive Politics’ website Opensecrets.org. The site also showed that "Crutchley" was one of the most searched names on the site on Aug. 13.
Ethan Jacobs can be reached at ejacobs@baywindows.com
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