Tammy Bruce
Encyclopedia
Tammy Bruce is an American radio host
, author, and political commentator. Her nationally-syndicated talk show
, The Tammy Bruce Show, airs live weekdays from 11am-1pm Pacific time online via TalkStreamLive. (A podcast of the show is also available to subscribers at her website). She is a frequent on-air contributor to Fox News Channel
, and writes material for the Fox Forum blog.
Bruce's website
describes her as a "gay
, pro-choice
, gun
owning, pro-death penalty, Tea Party
Independent Conservative
" who "worked on a number of Democratic campaigns in 1990s, including the 1992 Boxer
and Feinstein senate races and the Clinton
for President campaign" and "also has a history of supporting Republicans as well, including President Reagan
, both Presidents Bush
and, quite reluctantly, John McCain
during the 2008 presidential campaign."
In 2003, Bruce was appointed to serve on California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
's Transition Team after his successful recall election against then-Governor Gray Davis
.
professional women to create one of the first ad-hoc independent pro-choice activist groups. The group's early feminist activism began in 1987. This group confronted anti-abortion group protesters, and helped develop a strategy to stop "Operation Rescue" from successfully blocking the entrance to abortion clinic
s. During the years 1987-1990 she also participated in the Los Angeles chapter of the AIDS
activist group AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power
(ACT-UP).
For seven years, Bruce served as president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Organization for Women
(NOW) (1990–1996). Bruce served two years on NOW's board of directors, but later criticized the organization in one of her books. During the early 1990s, she spearheaded the campaign to publicly criticize the sexualized violence in the novel American Psycho
, and led an effort to boycott
all titles by the book's publisher, Knopf, for a year.
In 1996, the NOW Executive Board voted nearly unanimously to censure Bruce for what it claimed were "racially insensitive comments" during the O.J. Simpson murder trial. In May 1996, Bruce resigned as president of Los Angeles NOW. Bruce claimed that the censure was due to her focus on domestic violence
, as opposed to defense attorney Johnnie Cochran
's "racial issues" trial argument. Since then, Bruce has written about the dispute in her critique on what she sees as the failings of NOW, and the political left in general. She has said that the feminist establishment in the U.S. has abandoned authentic feminism.
In 2004, Bruce argued that gay Americans were not uniformly supportive of same-sex marriage
, and that marriage should be restricted to heterosexual couples. She described civil unions
as an alternative providing equal rights.
, who killed herself in a home she had shared with Bruce. They were romantically involved for a time after Benet left Bill Bixby
. Bruce had moved out two weeks prior to Benet's suicide
. On the day of the suicide, Bruce thought that she would meet Benet for lunch. According to Bruce, Benet was locked inside the bathroom of her home when she arrived. She sensed something was wrong and went to get help, but once Bruce stepped outside, Benet shot herself. The book Soap Opera Babylon said that Benet was involved with a male costar on Days of our Lives
just prior to her death.
Bruce holds a bachelor's degree
in political science
from the University of Southern California
.
, an independent film based on Kurt Vonnegut
's short story "Harrison Bergeron
". Bruce plays the role of Diana Moon Glampers, the United States Handicapper General in a technologically advanced, totalitarian, fascist state. Bruce's character commits murder on live television. The film was released in January 2010.
Tammy Bruce starred in a supporting role in the 2011 documentary The Undefeated
about Sarah Palin.
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
, author, and political commentator. Her nationally-syndicated talk show
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
, The Tammy Bruce Show, airs live weekdays from 11am-1pm Pacific time online via TalkStreamLive. (A podcast of the show is also available to subscribers at her website). She is a frequent on-air contributor to Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
, and writes material for the Fox Forum blog.
Bruce's website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
describes her as a "gay
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
, gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
owning, pro-death penalty, Tea Party
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
Independent Conservative
American conservatism
Conservatism in the United States has played an important role in American politics since the 1950s. Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, preservation of "the rule of law and the Christian religion", and...
" who "worked on a number of Democratic campaigns in 1990s, including the 1992 Boxer
Barbara Boxer
Barbara Levy Boxer is the junior United States Senator from California . A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives ....
and Feinstein senate races and the Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
for President campaign" and "also has a history of supporting Republicans as well, including President Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, both Presidents Bush
Bush family
The Bush family is a prominent American family. Along with many members who have been successful bankers and businessmen, across three generations the family includes two U.S. Senators, one Supreme Court Justice, two Governors, one Vice President and two Presidents...
and, quite reluctantly, John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
during the 2008 presidential campaign."
In 2003, Bruce was appointed to serve on California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
's Transition Team after his successful recall election against then-Governor Gray Davis
Gray Davis
Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who served as California's 37th Governor from 1999 until being recalled in 2003...
.
Career
Tammy Bruce collaborated with Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
professional women to create one of the first ad-hoc independent pro-choice activist groups. The group's early feminist activism began in 1987. This group confronted anti-abortion group protesters, and helped develop a strategy to stop "Operation Rescue" from successfully blocking the entrance to abortion clinic
Abortion clinic
An abortion clinic is a medical facility that primarily performs or specializes in abortions. Such clinics may be public medical centers or private medical practices.-Canada:*There were 197 abortion providers in Canada in 2001....
s. During the years 1987-1990 she also participated in the Los Angeles chapter of the AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
activist group AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power
AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power
AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power is an international direct action advocacy group working to impact the lives of people with AIDS and the AIDS pandemic to bring about legislation, medical research and treatment and policies to ultimately bring an end to the disease by mitigating loss of health and...
(ACT-UP).
For seven years, Bruce served as president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Organization for Women
National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women is the largest feminist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1966 and has a membership of 500,000 contributing members. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S...
(NOW) (1990–1996). Bruce served two years on NOW's board of directors, but later criticized the organization in one of her books. During the early 1990s, she spearheaded the campaign to publicly criticize the sexualized violence in the novel American Psycho
American Psycho
American Psycho is a psychological thriller and satirical novel by Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1991. The story is told in the first person by the protagonist, serial killer and Manhattan businessman Patrick Bateman. The book's graphic violence and sexual content generated a great deal of...
, and led an effort to boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
all titles by the book's publisher, Knopf, for a year.
In 1996, the NOW Executive Board voted nearly unanimously to censure Bruce for what it claimed were "racially insensitive comments" during the O.J. Simpson murder trial. In May 1996, Bruce resigned as president of Los Angeles NOW. Bruce claimed that the censure was due to her focus on domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
, as opposed to defense attorney Johnnie Cochran
Johnnie Cochran
Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. was an American lawyer best known for his leadership role in the defense and criminal acquittal of O. J...
's "racial issues" trial argument. Since then, Bruce has written about the dispute in her critique on what she sees as the failings of NOW, and the political left in general. She has said that the feminist establishment in the U.S. has abandoned authentic feminism.
In 2004, Bruce argued that gay Americans were not uniformly supportive of same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage in the United States
The federal government does not recognize same-sex marriage in the United States, but such marriages are recognized by some individual states. The lack of federal recognition was codified in 1996 by the Defense of Marriage Act, before Massachusetts became the first state to grant marriage licenses...
, and that marriage should be restricted to heterosexual couples. She described civil unions
Civil union in the United States
A civil union is a legally recognized union similar to marriage. Many people are critical of civil unions because they say they represent separate status unequal to marriage...
as an alternative providing equal rights.
Personal life
In her book The Death of Right and Wrong, Tammy Bruce writes of her involvement with Brenda BenetBrenda Benet
Brenda Benet was an American television and film actress. Benet was best known for her roles on the soap operas The Young Marrieds and Days of our Lives.-Early life and career:...
, who killed herself in a home she had shared with Bruce. They were romantically involved for a time after Benet left Bill Bixby
Bill Bixby
Wilfred Bailey Everett “Bill” Bixby III was an American film and television actor, director, and frequent game show panelist.His career spanned over three decades; he appeared on stage, in motion pictures and TV series...
. Bruce had moved out two weeks prior to Benet's suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. On the day of the suicide, Bruce thought that she would meet Benet for lunch. According to Bruce, Benet was locked inside the bathroom of her home when she arrived. She sensed something was wrong and went to get help, but once Bruce stepped outside, Benet shot herself. The book Soap Opera Babylon said that Benet was involved with a male costar on Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
just prior to her death.
Bruce holds a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
.
Books
- The New Thought Police: Inside the Left's Assault on Free Speech and Free Minds (Prima, 2001) ISBN 0-7615-6373-3
- The Death of Right and Wrong: Exposing the Left's Assault on Our Culture and Values (Random House, 2003) ISBN 0-7615-1663-8
- The New American Revolution: Using the Power of the Individual to Save Our Nation from Extremists (Morrow, 2005) ISBN 0-06-072620-2
Films
Tammy Bruce made her film debut in 20812081 (film)
2081 is a 2009 science fiction short film, which premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 29, 2009. It is directed and written by Chandler Tuttle...
, an independent film based on Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
's short story "Harrison Bergeron
Harrison Bergeron
"Harrison Bergeron" is a satirical, dystopian science fiction short story written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and first published in October 1961. Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, the story was re-published in the author's collection Welcome to the Monkey House in...
". Bruce plays the role of Diana Moon Glampers, the United States Handicapper General in a technologically advanced, totalitarian, fascist state. Bruce's character commits murder on live television. The film was released in January 2010.
Tammy Bruce starred in a supporting role in the 2011 documentary The Undefeated
The Undefeated (2011 film)
The Undefeated is an American political documentary on Sarah Palin, who was Governor of Alaska and later the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 United States presidential election. The documentary is written and directed by Stephen Bannon. The Undefeated was released on ,...
about Sarah Palin.