Former RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman is Gay: The Hill is Alive With the Sound of Gay-Friendly Republicans
traditionally appealed to, like Latino/a voters. In recent months, he’s also been working as a strategist and fundraiser for the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which legally opposes Prop 8. He’s agreed to answer questions on his private life in order to become an advocate for gay marriage, and says he wishes that he had been in this place earlier in his life so that he could work towards marriage equality from within a high place in the party. (@nytimes)“It’s taken me 43 years to get comfortable with this part of my life… Everybody has their own path to travel, their own journey, and for me, over the past few months,
I’ve told my family, friends, former colleagues, and current colleagues, and they’ve
been wonderful and supportive. The process has been something that’s made me
a happier and better person. It’s something I wish I had done years ago.”
(@huffpo)
(@huffpo)
In a time where scandalous reveals of conservative leaders’ long-repressed homosexuality
dominate the news, it’s heartening and refreshing to see someone who came to this realization
about himself on his own terms and in a healthy way, and has been able to reconcile it with
his political identity – he is now the most prominent Republican official to come out as gay
or lesbian.
Also, this comes amid a bizarre mini-wave of conservative ‘support‘ for gay causes. But it’s
also not bizarre, because gay causes make total sense — Judge Vaughn Walker, our Prop 8
hero, was appointed by George HW Bush and has gone conservative historically. We were
represented in the Prop 8 case by the same lawyer who represented Bush in Bush v. Gore.
Senator Roy Ashburn was caught being gay a few months ago and instead of backpedaling,
he just came out and apologized. ARE THINGS HAPPENING IN UNLIKELY PLACES all
over the place?!
One must wonder when it comes to their heart of hearts, do the Republicans truly believe
what they preach against the gays or is it just that the Ultra-Conservative Right Wing is —
well — easy? when you need a big chunk of votes in your pocket, that’s a good place to
get them and all you need to do is say you support marriage between a man and a woman.
Look at McCain’s flip-flopping on the issue, fore example.
Not all of Mehlman’s party is supportive – old friend and another former RNC chairman
Ed Gillespie was quoted as saying “I think most Republicans believe as I do that marriage
is between one man and one woman,” he said, “and will continue to believe that,” we’re
proud of Mr. Mehlman for sharing his truth and representing our community, and we
wish him the best of luck.
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