Yep, as in “out of the closet.”
Last week Sen. Roy Ashburn was arrested for drunk driving after reportedly leaving a gay bar called FACES. Today, on a radio station where he used to host a talk show, he told radio host Inga Barks he is gay.
This news would be unremarkable if it weren’t for one tiny little, itsy-bitsy, minor, small problem. In the legislature Ashburn has repeatedly voted against gay rights, and in 2005 he hosted a rally in favor of “traditional marriage.” Furthermore, he has voted against expanding anti-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation, recognizing gay marriages performed in other states, and establishing a day honoring Harvey Milk.
Ashburn claims he voted the way “his constituents wanted.”
Shame on you, Senator Ashburn. If your constituents wanted you to vote in favor flag burning, would you have done that too? If they favored kiddie porn, would you try to legalize it? Do you have any moral compass of your own or are you strictly driven by political ambition?
Senate terms are for four years and Ashburn won’t be up for re-election this year. He’ll leave the Senate in 2010 due to term limits. I can’t wait to see how Hollywood portrays his life story of dissociative identity disorder that I suspect will be titled “The Two FACES of Roy.”
In the meantime, humorists already have their tongues in Ashburn’s cheeks. Over at the Borwitz Report, Andy Borowitz writes
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Anti-gay California State Sen. Roy Ashburn today demanded a sweeping recall of the vehicle that drove him to a gay nightclub this week.Sen. Ashburn, a Republican who has consistently voted for anti-gay legislation, said that the car drove him to the club “against my will.â€â€œIf we are recalling cars for problems with their brakes and power steering, then surely we should be recalling vehicles that force their drivers to go to gay nightclubs,†Sen. Ashburn said.
Read the whole parody here.
Gee, a politician without a soul? Who ever heard of such a thing?