Big Gay Closet

In light of prominent anti-gay activist Roy Ashburn recently being caught walking out of a gay bar, and proving once again that conservative voters have little to no Gaydar, here’s a list of 10 conservative anti-gay activists who turned out to be gay themselves.

via Top 10 Anti-Gay Activists Caught Being Gay | Ranker – A World of Lists.

The list includes the stories of 10 of the worst anti-gay gays.

One thing, though. How come there are no women? Surely there must be some juicy conservative lesbian scandals out there? Or are the lesbian daughters of conservative politicians able to be out and free? Because it seemed — a few years ago anyway — to be a credible conservative politician, you need a lesbian daughter, or a pregnant teen at least.

Oh, and in John McCain’s case, a wife and daughter who openly advocate for gay rights. That’ll do nicely.

The list in short:

• Troy King
• Jim West
• Richard Curtis
• Bruce Barclay
• Roy Ashburn
• Larry Craig
• Ed Schrock
• Robert Allen
• Ted Haggard
• Mark Foley

We’re keeping our eyes peeled for that anti-lesbian lesbian scandal.

News photos capture reality. And the prominent display reflects the historic significance of what was occurring. The recent D.C. Council decision to approve same-sex marriage was the culmination of a decades-long gay rights fight for equality. Same-sex marriage is now legal in the District. The photo of Ames and Ariga kissing simply showed joy that would be exhibited by any couple planning to wed – especially a couple who previously had been denied the legal right to marry.

There was a time, after court-ordered integration, when readers complained about front-page photos of blacks mixing with whites. Today, photo images of same-sex couples capture the same reality of societal change.

via Ombudsman Blog – Readers react to photo of two men kissing.

I love that photo so much. And I love that the ombudsman’s blog makes the link between the racists of the past with the homophobes of today.

This is a stark reminder how invisible we still are. If such an appropriate gesture of affection drives people so crazy, they’re not seeing enough of it.

If the guy who spent eight years playing über-gay Jack on Will & Grace had his way, coy suggestions that he is of a certain proclivity (wink, wink) would be all he ever shared publicly on the topic of his sexuality. But nearly four years since the long-running sitcom ended, the 39-year-old not only is preparing to make his Broadway debut in the first revival of the 1968 musical Promises, Promises but also has agreed to his first interview with The Advocate.

Still, we should be clear on one thing: He’s not happy about sitting down with the magazine.

via Sean Hayes: I Am Who I Am | People | Advocate.com.

Sean Hayes has officially come out. My impression? I hate that the world makes it so weird for people to just say who they are. Nobody has to be a pioneer and not everybody was built to fight that fight. So — good for him for getting around to it, and good luck to him in the future.

That, and I never noticed how damn good looking he is.

via GayPolitics.com » Conservative California state senator comes out.

Asked about his anti-gay voting record, Ashburn said, “I felt my duty, and I still feel this way, is to represent my constituents.”

“I am gay. Those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long. It is something that is personal, and I don’t believe I felt with my heart that being gay would affect how I do my job,” Ashburn said.

This is so sad. Does it really need to be this way, Senator? Do you despair so completely of ever truly accepting yourself?

I really feel awful for him. I know he’s voted in ways that have hurt the community, but … wow. That’s some deep-seated internalised homophobia there mister.

I hope his outing will have some positive effects on his ability to accept himself. We can’t expect someone who feels so strongly against himself to help the community. Right now, he needs someone to help him.

What do you think? Is it anyone’s business? Read some of the comments on the Advocate site — some people seem to think we all should have the right to know any famous gay. Others think it’s totally his business.

“In 2000, I pushed Ricky Martin very hard to admit if he was gay or not, and the way he refused to do it made everyone decide that he was,” Walters tells The Star. “A lot of people say that destroyed his career, and when I think back on it now I feel it was an inappropriate question.”

via Walters Regrets Ricky Martin Question | News | Advocate.com.

Ganafa was first outed in 2005, when a different paper — The Mirror — printed his first name and place of employment. At the time, there were 14 men named Sam at the large telecommunications company where Ganafa works. They all came under suspicion for being gay. But it didn’t take long for Ganafa’s co-workers to identify him.

“Life became very difficult,” says Ganafa, a 48-year-old who speaks in soft tones. “I got an abrupt change of duties.” Ganafa was demoted, docked pay and forced to turn in the keys to his company car.

Ganafa’s family shunned him, too. “My relatives still harbour bitterness against me,” he says. Many of Ganafa’s gay friends also stopped hanging out with him. They didn’t want to be suspected of being gay, too.

via Xtra reports from Uganda: Gay leader urges queers to stay in the closet.