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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMissouri Republican announces he’s gay in response to ‘don’t say gay’ bill
JEFFERSON CITY | A Republican lawmaker from rural Missouri publicly announced this morning that he is gay and called for his party's leadership to denounce legislation aimed at limiting discussion of sexual orientation in public schools.
Rep. Zachary Wyatt, a Greencastle Republican, said he decided to disclose his sexual orientation for the first time publicly because of the debate over the so-called "don't say gay" bill. At a news conference at the state Capitol, Wyatt said this was his attempt to do something truly meaningful with his time as a state representative.
I will not lie to myself anymore about my own sexuality, he said.
Wyatt said he informed his family and close friends about his sexuality just last week.
Read more here: http://midwestdemocracy.com/articles/missouri-republican-announces-hes-gay-response-dont-say-gay-bill/#storylink=cpy
cali
(114,904 posts)proud2BlibKansan
(96,793 posts)LOL
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)my sister's ex partner was a republican. I told her I couldn't understand how she could be a member of a party that wanted her dead.
Justice wanted
(2,657 posts)really hate himself. He belongs to a party that basically Blames him for the Ills of America.
bluestateguy
(44,173 posts)I reckon its too late for a fundie challenger in the GOP primary, but I'm sure that those folks will challenge him the next chance they get.
Taverner
(55,476 posts)The hate is strong with them...
proud2BlibKansan
(96,793 posts)I feel kinda sorry for him.
LoisB
(7,250 posts)him for something he did not chose; his sexual orientation. I would think that anytime one has to lie about who they are in order to "belong" to a political party, he/she is in the wrong party.
proud2BlibKansan
(96,793 posts)loyalsister
(13,390 posts)He's not running again.
gratuitous
(82,849 posts)That's very commendable, Mr. Wyatt. You've embarked on a very interesting journey, bound to be chock full of self-discovery. One of the questions I hope you grapple with is why did you lie to yourself in the first place? Obviously it wasn't in your own self interest to deceive yourself. Did you lie to yourself because of expectations and pressures from other people around you?
Good luck, Mr. Wyatt. Keep close track of who supports you among your circle of most trusted friends and acquaintances.
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)He was in the military before DADT was repealed. Not to mention the fact that he's from rural MO. MO was one of the first states to pass the anti-gay marriage amendment in 2004.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)You grow up in that kind onf environment, you believe staying in the closet means survival.
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)One of my gay friends told me that there can be serious safety risks when it comes to coming out. I can definitely see how that could be a deterrent. It must be a terrible internal battle.
Posteritatis
(18,807 posts)Rex
(65,616 posts)The GOP hates gay people unconditionally as part of their charter. You need to wake up and move to the left.
qb
(5,924 posts)These wingnut idiots should take a close look at the $270,000 Anoka-Hennepin settlement http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_20104833. Bigotry can be expensive.
Swede Atlanta
(3,596 posts)While I may not agree with his general world view that brought him to the GOP, I am not going to fault someone for having those views. He may be uneducated, misinformed or "dumb as a box of rocks" as my Grandfather used to say.
But.....
(1) If he went to the GOP simply because in rural Missouri you have to be a puke to get elected but he doesn't really hold their core beliefs and is therefore a hypocrite OR
(2) He has supported or not stood against anti-LGBT issues in the past while at the same time bouncing with the bois
then he needs to understand that hypocrisy is never, ever tolerated.
Dont call me Shirley
(10,998 posts)Liberty Belle
(9,539 posts)and a gay Councilman. In this area it doesn't seem to be a stigma in the GOP to be gay anymore. Our current mayor is also a Republican who supports gay marriage and has a gay daughter.
I do think it seems hypocritical to be gay and Republican as the party is opposed to gay marriage and other gay rights issues.
But the prejudices by voters appear to be falling, even for Republicans. It's only a matter of time until we see this in more places.
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)say.