State Sen. Roy Ashburn (R-Calif) is yet another example of Republican hypocrisy running wild. It's not just your everyday, run-of-the-mill hypocrisy, but the the Mark Foley, Larry Craig, and Ted Haggard type of hypocrisy that's even worse when it's all wrapped up in a think layer of denial.
Come on! - Jesus Christ! - It's 2010, don't tell me there are grown men still afraid to come out of the closet? - Do gay men still believe that getting married and having children will "cure" them of thier homosexuality? It wouldn't be so bad if they just kept their gayness a secret if they so choose, but to get married, have children, join the God Damn Republican Party and then take an anti-gay stance to further thier cover is just plain old fucking nuts.
Sen. Ashburn who is a fierce opponent of gay rights was arrested last week for drunk driving after leaving a gay nightclub. The senator, who avoided reporters in the Senate chamber Monday afternoon, broke his silence in an interview on Bakersfield radio station KERN-AM (1180) in the morning, saying the episode had led to "restless nights" and "soul searching."
Ashburn told radio host Inga Barks that he owed his constituents an explanation. She responded, "Do you want me to ask you . . . the question, or do you want to just tell people?"
"I am gay," Ashburn answered. "Those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long. But I am gay. But it is something that is personal and . . . I felt with my heart that being gay didn't affect -- wouldn't affect -- how I did my job.
"Through my own actions," said Ashburn, a divorced father of four, "I made my personal life public."
The arrest, widely discussed on Internet blogs, in newspapers and on TV, brought accusations of hypocrisy against the senator.
In 2005, Ashburn, like all but one other Republican in the Senate, voted against a bill that would have allowed same-sex marriage in California. The bill was later vetoed by the governor.
Ashburn also voted no, along with most of his GOP colleagues, on legislation passed last year that designated May 22 of each year as Harvey Milk Day, in honor of the slain gay-rights leader.
"It is unfortunate he helped spread the bigotry that forced him to stay in the closet," said Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California, a group supporting gay marriage. "We hope he now takes this opportunity to educate people in his district and throughout the state that his sexual orientation is irrelevant."
Ashburn said his votes "reflect the wishes of the people in my district."
The senator announced months ago that he would not seek reelection this year. He had been under fire from conservative leaders in his district for voting with Democrats a year ago to approve tax increases.
"His recent drunk driving incident certainly adds to the concerns about his personal responsibility and his regard for the taxpayers whose vehicle he was driving," said Martin Bertram, president of the nonprofit Republican Assembly of Kern County.
He said the senator's revelation that he is gay "will not win him favor among conservatives," but he did not see Ashburn's past votes as hypocritical.
Ashburn faces arraignment next month in Sacramento County Superior Court on two misdemeanor counts involving driving under the influence of alcohol. However, he faces an even greater up-hill battle if he truely believes his own rationalizations regarding the conflict between what he says and what he does.
ON HIDING HIS SEXUALITY
Ashburn said "I've always believed I could keep my personal life personal, and my public life public. But through my own actions I have made my personal life public. And I owe explanation to my constituents and to the people who have been so kind to me through the years."
Well, Mr. Ashburn......you're about to find out how unkind your Republican constituents can be when they find out that you tricked them into voting for a card carrying friend of Judy. Savor the flavor sister, they won't be as kind as you recall in future elections.
ON COMING OUT
Ashburn said "I am gay. Those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long. But I am gay, but it is something that is personal and I don't believe — I felt with my heart being gay … did not effect, would not effect how I do my job. What happened through my own actions the other night changed all that.
It couldn't have been that difficult. You said "I am gay" twice in row in the previous paragraph. Unfortunately it's something I am sure your wife would've liked to know before she walked down the aisle with a man she only thought that she knew. Obviously Mr. Ashburn still fails to realize that his deception calls into question EVERYTHING that his wife and children believed to be true. It was not! - It was for the most part a self-serving facade, a perpetual three-card monty that he played on those that love, trust, and respected him the most.
ON HIS VOTING RECORD
My votes reflect the wishes of the people in my district. And I have always felt that my faith and allegiance was to the people there in the district, my constituents. So as each of these individual measure came before the legislature, I cast "no" votes. … I cherish the fact that we have a remarkable system of government, and that system of government provides for representatives elected by the people to go to the legislative bodies, whether it be Washington D.C. or Sacramento, and cast votes on behalf of the people, not my own point of view, not my own internal conflict, certainly to use my best judgment, but to vote as my constituents would have me vote. There's never been a doubt in my mind on the position of the vast majority of the people in my district, the 18th senatorial district, on these different issues. I voted as I felt I should on behalf of the people who elected me.
Voting in line with your constituency is admirable, but for a gay man to adopt an across the board anti-gay posture that denies equality for gay folks is hypocrisy plain and simple. Just as Gov. Mark Sanford (R-NC) and Senator John Ensign (R-NV) did, Mr. Ashburn wrapped himself in the GOP's self rightousness cloak of "Family Values" in word, while doing something entirely different in deed. Typical Neo-Con......
ON WHETHER CRITICISM FROM THE GAYS SAYING HE'S A HYPOCRITE WILL CHANGE THE WAY HE VOTES
I believe firmly that my responsibility is to my constituents. On each measure that may come before me, I will take a careful look at it, and apply that standard: How would my constituents vote on this?
I believe that even Mr. Ashburn doesn't believe this.....
WHY DID HE FEEL THE NEED TO COME OUT?
Because my own actions the other night, resulting in a DUI arrest, point to, Where was I?, What was the behavior I was engaged in?, those aspects that I thought was my personal life, obviously that changes the circumstance, so I felt it best to just let people know.
Hey Dipshit! - You didn't come out! - Neither did Mark Foley, Larry Craig, or Ted Haggard. Each of you allowed your reckless behavior to betray your deception. Winona Ryder didn't come out as a shoplifter, she got fucking busted and so did you and those other Three Stooges. Welcome to the club Roy!
NOW WHAT?
I would ask people to pray for me.
Pray for you? - You should be asking people to pray for your wife and children as they come to terms with this or are you still putting yourself before them.
WILL HE LIVE AS AN OPENlY GAY MAN?
I pray to God that I can find peace, and I want to go back to work in the Senate.
Not gonna happen....
WAS ALL THIS PART OF THE REASON HE DECIDED NOT TO RUN FOR CONGRESS?
Yes
Fuckin' A Skippy it was.
TO HIS CONSTITUENTS
I appreciate you. I believe that it's an amazing responsibility and privilege to represent you in Sacramento. Now you know everything about me. I will do the very best job that I can to represent you as faithfully and with as much dignity and honor as I can.
Are you shittin' me with this? - You've lied to the people you represent! - You've lied to your family! - You've put the public in danger by driving while intoxicated! - Now just apologize and resign.
Chico Brisbane
UPDATE: Here's the audio with host Inga Barks, who is just terrible.
Read more: http://www.queerty.com/ca-sen-roy-ashburn-im-gay-and-stand-by-my-anti-gay-votes-20100308/#ixzz0hgNebjU3
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