Sen. Roy Ashburn: 'I'm gay'

This is sad. California Republican state senator Roy Ashburn, was arrested for drunk driving last week when he was leaving a gay bar. He consistently voted against any and all gay rights measures in the California legislature, and rallied with the "Traditional Values Coalition" in 2005 to oppose gay marriage and domestic partnerships. He has now come out as gay.

He said, "I'm gay. Those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long." So why has it been so difficult for him? His erstwhile ally from the Traditional Values Coalition provides the reason:

Benjamin Lopez, lobbyist for the Traditional Values Coalition, said, "I don't know why Roy strayed."...

Lopez stood with Ashburn at a rally in Bakersfield in 2005 to support a state proposal to block gay marriage as well as to get rid of domestic partnerships with any benefits of marriage.

"I think it's sad more than hypocritical," Lopez said. "We're not in Roy's head. We don't know what is he thinking. We hope he comes to terms with whatever is making him make a choice to be a gay man."

Making a choice to be a gay man?! Is this guy crazy? Clearly Ashburn would love not to be a gay man. If he had any choice about it, he wouldn't be gay. He is gay, and he's just been outed by his own actions. I think that Ashburn is actually uncommonly courageous. Ted Haggard never was willing to admit that he is gay.

People like Lopez have a lot of responsibility for the suffering of gay people on their heads.