Yet Another Republican Gay Sex Scandal

Once upon a time, I thoroughly enjoyed a good Republican Gay Sex Scandal. Mark Foley, Larry Craig, Ed Schrock, Ted Haggard. I was hooked on the thrill of the unveiled hypocrisy, weeks upon weeks of excuses and dull apologies, plus the general titillation of a salacious sex scandal.

Now we can add California State Senator Roy Ashburn to the list. But, I have to be honest, the honeymoon is over for me. Ashburn, a father of four and a dedicated husband, has been a fierce opponent of all things pro-gay -- he has voted against gay marriage, sexual orientation non-discrimination laws, even the idea of Harvey Milk Day pissed him off. So when news got out that he had been arrested for drunk driving, after leaving a Sacramento gay bar, with a man "not identified as a lawmaker" (read: booty call) in the passenger seat, Ashburn's mugshot flooded the internet as the latest Anti-Gay Republican who likes to pick up men in his off hours.

This one, for reasons I can't really explain, struck me as incredibly sad. I know that I'm supposed to celebrate this as a comeuppance for all the hateful rhetoric he has spewed against homosexuals in his life, but I just feel bad for the guy. It's no fun living in the closet. Not to mention the perverted psychological mind game of railing against a part of you so vehemently and publicly in an effort to scare it out of your system. But the fact that being an elected Republican official and being an out gay man are almost entirely mutually exclusive is a sad fact.

The other thing is, this is just more fuel for the anti-gay fire. Every time one of their guys is caught in the act, it's usually with a young boy, a prostitute and/or a drug dealer and they all respond with the same canned statement, and I'm paraphrasing, "This is a terrible, dirty sin I've committed and I am totally ashamed of myself and I am going to work hard to make myself not have gay feelings anymore and can only hope that God, my wife, and the voters will forgive me." All of which only underscores the already false concept floating around that gay men are pedophiles, preying on our young, out cruising for drug-fueled sex with anything that moves, but when they take the time to pray on it, turn themselves into good, hetero boys all over again.

Ashburn has issued the following apology: "I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuse for my poor judgment. I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to accept the consequences for what I did. I am also truly sorry for the impact this incident will have on those who support and trust me -- my family, my constituents, my friends, and my colleagues in the Senate."

Well, Mr. Ashburn, I'm sorry, too, and I offer you this: "I am deeply sorry that you live in a country where homosexuality is still a dirty word, and that you yourself played a part in perpetuating that myth. I can only hope for you that the impact this incident has on you and your family is one of acceptance and communication and that you emerge a more honest version of yourself. And please don't drink and drive."

Photo credit: California State Senate