A CALIFORNIA state senator who has been a staunch opponent of homosexual rights was yesterday forced to admit that he himself is gay.
Republican lawmaker Roy Ashburn, a divorced conservative Roman Catholic, came out on KERN radio, saying he felt compelled to address rumours that he had visited a gay nightclub near the Capitol before his arrest last week for drunk driving.
I am gay. And so, those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long.
The 55-year-old father of four said he had broken the law, putting people at risk, so he owed the public an explanation.
Ashburn has consistently voted against gay rights measures since he was elected to the state Assembly in 1996.
He has said those votes reflected the way constituents in his district wanted him to vote.
The Senator from Bakersfield, was spotted driving erratically in downtown Sacramento in the early hours of last Wednesday morning.
He was arrested after taking a breathalyser test and later charged with driving under the influence. A male passenger in the car, who has not been identified, was released without charge.
A statement issued after Ashburn’s arrest said:
I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuses for my poor judgement. I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to accept the consequences of 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.
Senator Ashburn was arrested after leaving Faces, a gay nightclub in midtown Sacramento, according to cbs13.com.
Writing on The Gospel According to Hate, (ex)-Father Tom said:
What happens when a good Catholic, married father of four, grandfather of two, tea-bagger, Reagan lover, Republican, senator, and staunch opponent of gay rights takes a state-issued vehicle out for a spin after dark on your tax dollars?
Ding! Ding! Ding!  He goes to a Sacramento gay bar (appropriately named Faces), gets trashed, picks up a trick, drives away drunk, swerves all over the road, gets pulled over, and blows a whopping .14 into the breathalyser. My dear heretics, it’s time to canonize another conservative Catholic and Republican anti-gay hypocrite.
Joining the likes of Senator Larry Craig, Reverend Ted Haggard, and Representative Mark Foley, I bestow upon you, State Senator Roy Ashburn of California, hypocrite for the post-Proposition 8 age.
Senator Roy-Toy has voted against every piece of civil, immigration, labor, LGBT, and women’s rights legislation since being elected, but that didn’t stop him from having his boys on the side. According to his website: In the tradition of Ronald Reagan, Senator Ashburn is a true reformer and a champion of openness, accountability, and bi-partisanship.
Well, recent events have definitely confirmed that he’s open and bi.
Hat tip: BarrieJohn (“Rest dear? Me Dear? NO DEAR!”)