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Closeted Gay Politicians a 'Sad Cliche'

Hypocrites like Roy Ashburn aren't truly serving the people

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Mar 12, 2010 5:22 AM CST

(Newser) – When California State Senator Roy Ashburn came out of the closet following a DUI arrest this week, he made a curious argument about his virulently anti-gay voting record: He justified it by saying that it “reflects the wishes of the people in my district.” Meghan McCain finds it fascinating that Ashburn “seems to think there is a delineation between the public and private lives of an elected official,” she writes in the Daily Beast.

Yes, an elected official is there to serve his constituency. “But that only works if there is transparency and honesty. If Barney Frank votes against an anti-gay discrimination measure, at least voters know he is gay.” In the end, Ashburn is “just another cliché, another Republican forced out of the closet who offered a self-loathing apology.” It shouldn’t be this hard to be a gay politician in America, but being a “sad hypocrite” isn’t the answer.

In this photo provided by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, state Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, is seen in this booking photo.
In this photo provided by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, state Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, is seen in this booking photo.   (AP Photo/Sacramento County Sheriff's Department)
Roy Ashburn, who had announced earlier in the day that he was gay, talks with Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Thousand Oaks, right, at the capitol in Sacramento, Calif., March 8, 2010.
Roy Ashburn, who had announced earlier in the day that he was gay, talks with Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Thousand Oaks, right, at the capitol in Sacramento, Calif., March 8, 2010.   (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 68 comments
So_Cal_Larry
Mar 15, 2010 4:02 AM CDT
This self-loathing homophobic homosexual hypocrite faggot did not come out of his closet. He was dragged out unwillingly by a reporter for a Sacramento newspaper who looked into this DUI arrest in the gay bar area of Sacramento. Of course, like so many self-loathing Rethug faggots, Roy Cohn (sorry - Roy Ashburn) do their dirt while drunk and in the dark.

One could tolerate all this about Senator Roy if only he did not castigate his gay brothers and sisters. It is his ilk that help young gays towards suicide because they are denied their rights, and they are denied the dignity of humans. All this is done in the political arena. And, this faggot garbage, Senator Roy, was a participant in this degradation. In short, he put down people of his own special group.

Senator Roy need be forgiven nothing. He can keep kissing those Rethugs in the State Senate till his term runs out. Then he has to give back his behemoth SUV and its unlimited gas card. He loses his daily stipend, he loses his salary. In short, this low life loses a very good deal for which he became a whore to keep it.

Rot in hell, Senator Roy. And change your name to Cohn.
Snarfeh
Mar 13, 2010 8:09 AM CST
No gay muslim politicians....stopping gays....Sodom and Gomorrah....lmao!

This has been an extremely funny thread....funny ha-ha as well as funny queer... =oD
Count-Spatula
Mar 12, 2010 3:36 PM CST
No self-loathing like Republican self-loathing. If they can't suppress themselves then Damnit , they'll suppress society.

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