"Equality California, a group that advocates for expanded gay rights and other issues, has consistently given Ashburn a zero rating on its scorecard.It will be interesting to see how he votes on any gay issues that may come up before he leaves office. I'm not holding my breath.
The group's executive director, Geoff Kors, said Monday that he hopes the senator's revelation will lead him to change his voting patterns.
'He's still the same person, only living more honestly,' Kors said. 'I hope his own self-awareness will result in him no longer voting to deny people the most basic rights.'"*
“Sen. Roy Ashburn Comes Out But Plans To Continue Voting Anti-Gay!Fuck you, you hypocrite.
California State Sen. Roy Ashburn, a conservative Republican with a solidly anti-gay voting record, came out as gay today on a Bakersfield radio station talk show. Ashburn’s sexual orientation had been the talk of Sacramento since the legislator was arrested for drunk driving after leaving a gay bar in the state capital last week.
‘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.
Asked about his anti-gay voting record, Ashburn said, ‘I felt my duty, and I still feel this way, is to represent my constituents.’
Radio talk show host Inga Barks wanted assurances that Ashburn would continue to vote in a conservative manner on LGBT rights issues [mp3]. Ashburn responded, ‘I believe firmly that my responsibility is to my constituents. I will take a careful look at each measure and apply that standard. How would they vote on this? How would they want me to vote on this,’ adding that most people understood what that means.
‘I don’t know how else to ask this, but are you going to live this lifestyle now in the district?’ Barks asked. Ashburn, who announced he is not running for public office again, said, ‘I pray to God I can find peace. I want to go back to the senate and work hard for the people of my district…Now you know everything about me.’
Ashburn is in his second and final four-year term in the senate, having first been elected in 2002. He is divorced and the father of four daughters.”
[Your Representative's] unbiassed opinion, his mature judgement, his enlightened conscience, he ought not to sacrifice to you; to any man, or to any sett of men living. These he does not derive from your pleasure; no, nor from the Law and the Constitution. They are a trust from Providence, for the abuse of which he is deeply answerable. Your Representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgement; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.In other words (insert country-appropriate jargon where necessary):
Parliament is not a Congress of Ambassadors from different and hostile interests; which interests each must maintain, as an Agent and Advocate, against other Agents and Advocates; but Parliament is a deliberative Assembly of one Nation, with one Interest, that of the whole; where, not local Purposes, not local Prejudices ought to guide, but the general Good, resulting from the general Reason of the whole. You chuse a Member indeed; but when you have chosen him, he is not Member of Bristol, but he is a Member of Parliament. If the local Constituent should have an Interest, or should form an hasty Opinion, evidently opposite to the real good of the rest of the Community, the Member for that place ought to be as far, as any other, from any endeavour to give it Effect.posted by isnotchicago at 4:25 PM on March 9, 2010 [5 favorites]
"In a subsequent interview with Larry King on CNN, Massa again denied any inappropriate sexual contact with members of his staff. He also took exception to a question about whether he was homosexual. 'Well, here's that answer, I'm not going to answer that,' he said, adding, 'Why don't you ask my wife, ask my friends, ask the 10,000 sailors I served with in the Navy.'"Yeah, we know: there are no gays in the military. Never have been. AMIRITE?
Eric Massa Groped Subordinates While In The Navy.Clearly, he doth protest too much.
"In hindsight, Democratic insiders wondered about activities that before had just seemed odd. They said Massa hired a surprisingly large percentage of young gay men, and paid them so little that staffers were forced to live in the house with him. 'It's not the gay part that's a problem, it's the abuse, if it's true,' said one Hill source." *posted by ericb at 6:33 AM on March 11, 2010
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Is that for your voting record, Senator?
'Cause it sure would be cool if it was.
posted by louche mustachio at 2:51 AM on March 9, 2010 [18 favorites]