Equality Florida says that public records show the state actually paid Rekers $120,000
Anti-gay crusader hires/travels with gay prostitute
5/7 12:40 p.m. UPDATED responses from McCollum’s office and Equality Florida attached at the end…
One of the stories buzzing fastest across cyberspace this week was news that anti-gay crusader George Rekerswas caught hiring a gay prostitute.
The story is making news – from Newsweek to the BBC – for all the reasons you might expect. But it’s particularly relevant to Florida residents. Why? Because about $80,000 of your tax money went into Rekers’ pocket.
And because Mr. Rekers was Attorney General Bill McCollum’s starring witness in a court case for … wait for it … why gay adults aren’t fit to adopt children.
That’s right Florida’s antiquated ban on gay adoption was championed in court by a guy who just spent a week traveling with a 20-year-old male prostitute whose profile on Rentboy.com describes everything from his body type to his genitalia….
Some of you heard me talk about this story during Wednesday’s segment on the Philips Phile. Turns out, Mike Thomas and were both planning on writing about it … which seemed a bit much. So I decided to tackle another topic Sunday. And Mike’s going to offer his take in the paper.
But I thought I’d let you know here what I found out earlier this week. First, I contacted DCF, which estimated that the state had paid Rekers, co-founder of the Family Research Council, approximately $80,000 for his expertise in the past — but that Rekers is not currently slated to testify on behalf of the state in any other cases against prospective parents.
McCollum’s office had less to say. The full comment from spokeswoman Sandi Copeswas: “Rekers testified some time ago and the case is awaiting a ruling from the DCA. I can’t confirm any of the allegations made by the news outlets, and I’m afraid I can’t comment further on pending litigation.”
Rekers, of course, says he never had anything less than the purest of intentions with his Rentboy, Lucien. He said that he hired the boy who services were featured on a website that features graphic pictures of anal and oral sex because he wanted a strong young man to help him carry his luggage. Of course he did.
Buy that? I wonder if Dr. Rekers would. You know, if he was once again lending his “expertise” to Bill McCollum and the fine taxpayers of Florida, do you think Dr. Rekers would gleefully recommend adoption rights to an adult who had just finished taking a 10-day vacation with a gay hooker he hired for luggage help?
The truth of the matter is that not any of Rekers’ business who adopts kids in this state. Florida’s adoption laws are so antiquated, we are the only state with an outright ban on gay adoptions … no matter how loving and capable the parents. No matter whether they are taking disabled or high-risk kids that nobody else wants.
And frankly most of us wouldn’t give a flip who Rekers was traveling or sleeping with – if he wasn’t busy passing judgment on so many others … and helping legislate discrimination in the process.
UPDATE, MAY 7, 12:40 p.m. … Bill McCollum’s office sent along a lengthier response (which still doesn’t address the fact of whether the attorney general is concerned that one of his key witnesses for denying parental rights may now be credited). But it follows.
“As hired counsel for the Florida Department of Children and Families, our office is committed to providing our client with the best possible legal representation in this matter.
Dr. Rekers, a professor emeritus from University of South Carolina and a neuropsychologist with a degree from UCLA, came to our attention by recommendation from another academic after an exhaustive search for potential expert witnesses who were willing to testify. Dr. Rekers had exceptional credentials and he had provided testimony in similar cases on two separate occasions, one of which was a Florida case in Federal Court.
The contract was executed at the direction of the Department of Children and Families, and the ACLU did not object to his position as an expert at the hearing. He has completed his testimony and is no longer involved in this case.”
ALSO, Equality Florida says that public records show the state actually paid Rekers $120,000 and has records here.
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