national
California state senator says he’s gay
Conservative Republican Sen. Ashburn comes out after DUI arrest
Published Thursday, 11-Mar-2010 in issue 1159
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – A California state senator who has staunchly opposed homosexual rights now says he is gay, ending days of speculation that began after his arrest last week for investigation of driving under the influence.
Roy Ashburn, a conservative Republican, came out in an interview with KERN radio.
Ashburn said he felt compelled to address rumors that he had visited a gay nightclub near the Capitol before his drunken driving arrest.
“I am gay ... those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long,” Ashburn told conservative talk show host Inga Barks.
The 55-year-old father of four said he had tried to keep his personal life separate from his professional life until his March 3 arrest.
“When I crossed the line and broke the law and put people at risk, that’s different, and I do owe people an explanation,” he said.
Ashburn was arrested after he was spotted driving erratically near the Capitol, according to the California Highway Patrol. Shelly Orio, a spokeswoman from the district attorney’s office, said a breath test showed the senator’s blood-alcohol level was .14 percent, or .06 points above the legal limit.
The next day, reports surfaced that he had left Faces, a gay nightclub, with an unidentified man in the passenger seat of his Senate-owned vehicle.
“The best way to handle that is to be truthful and to say to my constituents and all who care that I am gay,” he said. “But I don’t think it’s something that has affected, nor will it affect, how I do my job.”
Over 14 years in office, Ashburn has voted against a number of
gay rights measures, including efforts to expand
anti-discrimination laws and recognize out-of-state gay marriages.
Last year, he opposed a bill to establish a day of recognition to honor slain gay rights activist Harvey Milk.
Equality California, a group that advocates for expanded gay rights and other issues, said it consistently gave Ashburn a 0 rating on its scorecard.
The group’s executive director, Geoff Kors, said Monday that he hopes the senator’s revelation will lead to a change in 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.”
Ashburn said his votes reflected the way constituents in his district wanted him to vote, not necessarily his own views.
“I felt my duty – and I still feel this way – is to represent my constituents, not my own point of view, not my own internal conflict,” he told Barks.
He said he planned to continue voting on behalf of what he sees as the majority viewpoint in his district, which includes parts of Kern, Tulare and San Bernardino counties.
Ashburn has been on personal leave since his arrest but was expected to return Monday to the Senate. His spokesman, Noel Libang, did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press seeking comment.
In the radio interview, Ashburn said he is drawing on his Christian faith, and he asked people to pray for him.
He said he does not plan to run for any public office after his term ends later this year.
|
|
Copyright © 2003-2025 Uptown Publications
