Aa
Missouri Republican lawmaker announces he is gay
(Reuters) - A Missouri state lawmaker who is not running for reelection announced on Wednesday that he is gay, the first state-level Republican politician in the nation currently in office to do so, according to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund.
Missouri state Representative Zachary Wyatt, 27, announced his sexual orientation in a news conference at the Missouri state Capitol in Jefferson City. Wyatt said later in an interview that he did so because he wanted to openly oppose a proposal to ban discussion of sexual orientation in Missouri public schools.
"I really need to educate people on this issue," Wyatt said. "I really wanted to step up as a leader and not be in the background any more."
His decision to go public came on the heels of the resignation this week of an openly gay spokesman for the presidential campaign of presumed Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Richard Grenell resigned amid reports that conservatives opposed having him in such a high profile position.
The Missouri bill opposed by Wyatt is sponsored by several Republicans, and would prohibit any "instruction, material or extra-curricular activity" on sexual orientation from being part of public school teaching, except in studying human reproduction.
Dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill by opponents, it is still being debated in a committee and not expected to reach the House floor in the last 10 days of the state's legislative session.
Supporters of the measure have said sexual orientation is best discussed in private. Wyatt said the bill is short-sighted and even dangerous. He said banning discussion of sexual orientation could lead to further bullying of gay students.
"Gay students are the ones who are bullied most and if we passed this it would be illegal to even talk about the issue and that's dangerous," Wyatt said. "This is hiding it under the rug."
Wyatt is supporting another bill that would require public schools in Missouri to create anti-bullying programs.
He is in the second year of a two-year term. He was elected after serving seven years in the U.S. Air Force and said he was forgoing a bid for re-election because he plans to go to college at the University of Hawaii.
Wyatt is the only state-level Republican lawmaker in office in the United States to publicly acknowledge being gay, said Denis Dison, spokesman for the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. There are about 90 openly gay Democratic lawmakers, he said.
While most U.S. Republicans opposed legislation on gay rights, a minority have split with the party and supported legalizing gay marriage in New York, Maryland, New Jersey and Washington state where the measure passed state legislatures. In some cases they provided the margin of victory.
SOURCE: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/03/us-usa-missouri-gay-idUSBRE84203220120503
Missouri state Representative Zachary Wyatt, 27, announced his sexual orientation in a news conference at the Missouri state Capitol in Jefferson City. Wyatt said later in an interview that he did so because he wanted to openly oppose a proposal to ban discussion of sexual orientation in Missouri public schools.
"I really need to educate people on this issue," Wyatt said. "I really wanted to step up as a leader and not be in the background any more."
His decision to go public came on the heels of the resignation this week of an openly gay spokesman for the presidential campaign of presumed Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Richard Grenell resigned amid reports that conservatives opposed having him in such a high profile position.
The Missouri bill opposed by Wyatt is sponsored by several Republicans, and would prohibit any "instruction, material or extra-curricular activity" on sexual orientation from being part of public school teaching, except in studying human reproduction.
Dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill by opponents, it is still being debated in a committee and not expected to reach the House floor in the last 10 days of the state's legislative session.
Supporters of the measure have said sexual orientation is best discussed in private. Wyatt said the bill is short-sighted and even dangerous. He said banning discussion of sexual orientation could lead to further bullying of gay students.
"Gay students are the ones who are bullied most and if we passed this it would be illegal to even talk about the issue and that's dangerous," Wyatt said. "This is hiding it under the rug."
Wyatt is supporting another bill that would require public schools in Missouri to create anti-bullying programs.
He is in the second year of a two-year term. He was elected after serving seven years in the U.S. Air Force and said he was forgoing a bid for re-election because he plans to go to college at the University of Hawaii.
Wyatt is the only state-level Republican lawmaker in office in the United States to publicly acknowledge being gay, said Denis Dison, spokesman for the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. There are about 90 openly gay Democratic lawmakers, he said.
While most U.S. Republicans opposed legislation on gay rights, a minority have split with the party and supported legalizing gay marriage in New York, Maryland, New Jersey and Washington state where the measure passed state legislatures. In some cases they provided the margin of victory.
SOURCE: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/03/us-usa-missouri-gay-idUSBRE84203220120503
Good for this guy standing up. More should step forward and quite playing "politics" with issues like this.... this is neither republican nor democrat, this is HUMAN.
I'm personally over people judging others on their sexuality. What a hollow thing to base one's opinion on. Character, honor, and integrity... why not use those as starting points to judge people on?
I'll never figure out racism and I'll never figure out the bigotry regarding ones sexuality....
I'm personally over people judging others on their sexuality. What a hollow thing to base one's opinion on. Character, honor, and integrity... why not use those as starting points to judge people on?
I'll never figure out racism and I'll never figure out the bigotry regarding ones sexuality....
http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc3=&id=99235
The fact that Cheney loves his daughter and accepts her sexuality despite catching flack from his Party's social conservatives, means I can no longer consider him 100% pure evil. Just when I thought I'd discovered an absolute.
The fact that Cheney loves his daughter and accepts her sexuality despite catching flack from his Party's social conservatives, means I can no longer consider him 100% pure evil. Just when I thought I'd discovered an absolute.
I have so much respect for this man going public even though it does seem to go against his political parties general belief system. Waiting for the day when sexual identity is no longer an issue in any way. Good people are good people and bad are bad...sexual orientation has no bearing on that. Good on him!
I'm so confused by this story.
Republican... high-level politician... openly gay...
MALFUNCTION. MALFUNCTION. DOES NOT COMPUTE. MALFUNCTION. MALFUNCTION. DOES NOT COMPUTE.
I'm kidding of course. But seriously, this kinda goes against the Republican grain, don't ya think?
I have no issue with the LGBT community. Actually have an L in my immediate family, and I think maybe a G or 2 in my extended family.
You go BOY!!!
Republican... high-level politician... openly gay...
MALFUNCTION. MALFUNCTION. DOES NOT COMPUTE. MALFUNCTION. MALFUNCTION. DOES NOT COMPUTE.
I'm kidding of course. But seriously, this kinda goes against the Republican grain, don't ya think?
I have no issue with the LGBT community. Actually have an L in my immediate family, and I think maybe a G or 2 in my extended family.
You go BOY!!!
You must join this user group in order to participate in this discussion.
You are reading content posted in the Current Events . . . Group
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
