Former Vice President Joe Biden’s performance at CNN’s LGBTQ Town Hall may not have been filled with his usual gaffes, but there were plenty of head-scratching and simply awkward moments.
The Democratic presidential candidate was one of nine 2020 contenders who spoke on LGBTQ issues with CNN’s Anderson Cooper at Thursday’s Democratic presidential town hall, making several cringe-worthy impressions with viewers as he joked about coming out and reminiscing about “gay bathhouses and ’round the clock sex.”
(Video: CNN)
Biden told the audience at the outset that, as all of his opponents support LGBTQ rights like himself, the differences between them would be manifest in each person’s “degree of emotional concern.” He went on to attempt to prove multiple times that he was completely at ease with the topics while almost proving the opposite with his uncomfortable remarks.
When making a point that there is a need to “educate people” about LGBTQ discrimination, the Democrat had a slip of the tongue that gave the audience and Cooper a good laugh.
“Because, for example, when I came out and — when I came out. When I publicly stated–” he said, as he tried to correct himself, laughing.
“That would be news,” the gay CNN anchor quipped.
Biden walked over to Cooper, reaching out his arm, and joked, “I’ve got something to tell you.”
“I kind of figured it out a while ago,” Cooper responded.
“OK. Don’t jump, folks. You’re way up there,” Biden told audience members in the balcony.
He provided another awkward moment in the night when he recounted to Cooper how in 2012, former President Obama gave him a kiss after he expressed his support for gay marriage.
#Pandering RT @BlazeTV: To show how woke he is, Joe Biden almost kisses CNN’s Anderson Cooper.
Seriously:pic.twitter.com/fER961YuFv
— Josh (@NerfHerder1) October 11, 2019
“And so when I went on ‘Meet the Press’ the next week, I think it was the next week, I answered the question honestly, and everybody thought that I had jumped the gun on the president,” Biden recalled.
“I went in on Monday, and all the national press is saying Biden is really going to get nailed when he walks in and sees the president,” he said as he moved closer to Cooper to reenact the moment. “He got up, and he walked over to me and he said well, you told me. He gave me a kiss. I swear to God.”
…..and now Biden pretends to kiss Anderson Cooper..?!?? I’m not sure I dig this “prove how down with queers I am by flirting with them” strategy
— Christina Cauterucci (@c_cauterucci) October 11, 2019
By far, one of the strangest comments came from the former vice president during his concluding remarks as he spoke about acceptance and how things have changed in the LGBTQ community.
“Think about it. The idea it’s normal. It’s normalized. It’s not anything strange. It’s not strange. That’s the generic point,” he said.
“And the more people know that, the more they understand it — remember, Anderson, back 15, 20 years ago, we talked about this in — in San Francisco was all about, well, you know, gay — gay bath houses,” Biden continued. “And everybody — it’s all about around-the-clock sex. It’s all — come on, man. Gay couples are more likely to say together longer than heterosexual couples!”
Joe Biden says 15 years ago in San Francisco “it was all about gay bathhouses & ’round the clock sex.”
15 years ago my former boss @GavinNewsom ordered the SF county clerk to marry same-sex couples
But monogamy should not be a requirement for someone to enjoy equal rights pic.twitter.com/3CZWJtZmSN
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) October 11, 2019
“We’re going to leave it there, Mr. Vice President,” Cooper said, concluding the segment.
Tonight, Joe Biden was a straight guy who found himself at a gay bar and thought he’d plant himself in the middle of the dance floor for a second, just to prove he was OK with all the gay stuff going on around him.https://t.co/5j3jiw5S4p
— Christina Cauterucci (@c_cauterucci) October 11, 2019
While his last words did not get as much video replay on media outlets, Twitter users were more than vocal in their reactions.
if you don’t think gays are still all about round the clock sex, you’re ?not?paying?attention? https://t.co/2W9bz9Ldik
— Christina Cauterucci (@c_cauterucci) October 11, 2019
I was not expecting Biden’s remarks to conclude with him rejecting fear-mongering about gay bathrooms and round the clock sex, but that certainly made it memorable.
— Chris Johnson (@chrisjohnson82) October 11, 2019
Well, the Biden segment ended with the former VP saying that decades ago the talk was all about bathhouses and “round-the-clock sex,” so if you had that on your Bingo Card, CONGRATS! (He went on to say that gays get married now! ?)
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) October 11, 2019
Joe: “Gay bathhouses, round-the-clock sex!”
Anderson: “We’re going to leave it there, Mr Vice President.”
Me: pic.twitter.com/FbaQUCTaXa
— Bobert (@bobertAH09) October 11, 2019
“San Francisco! Gay bathhouses! Round the clock sex!” – Biden, somehow
— Melissa Gira Grant (@melissagira) October 11, 2019
Hearing @JoeBiden say “gay bath houses and round the clock sex” on @CNN could not have been more Awkward if it came out of my own Dad’s mouth.#Biden #EqualityTownHall #CNN
— David (@PrettyBeardDC) October 11, 2019
Listen I would have been fine going my entire life without hearing Joe Biden day “gay bathhouses! Round the clock sex!” but here we are.
Anyways, go to a bathhouse and have as much sex as you want. Queer liberation doesn’t mean monogamy!
— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) October 11, 2019
“…round the clock sex in gay bathhouses…” What are you talking about Joe? #EqualityTownHall pic.twitter.com/qWDwsPGj8m
— MissyLiz ? (@MissyFitArt) October 11, 2019
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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