Focus On The Rainbow

They quote the Bible by selected verse casting homosexuals to Eternal Damnation. They seek to keep homosexuals from having the basic rights of equality and protection which most Americans take for granted. They support an archaic military rule that deprives talented and much needed human assets from joining or being relieved of duty when the “truth” is found out about an individual. And in some cases they compare the homosexual lifestyle to that of pedophiles.

And yet while condemning a lifestyle or impeding advancement and making inflammatory comments about homosexuals, they are in a variety of ways themselves a part of the very lifestyle which they oppose or are participants in the darkest corners of illegality.

In 2006 Florida Republican Mark Foley, a six term Congressional representative, resigned over allegations he sent sexually explicit Internet messages to at least one underage male who was a former page at the Capitol. At the time ABC News reported that it had interviewed Foley, 52, about excerpts of instant messages provided by current and former pages under the age of 18. ABC reported that Foley, under the AOL Instant Messenger screen name Maf54, made repeated references to sexual acts and body parts.

In his short resignation letter Foley said, “I am deeply sorry and I apologize for letting down my family and the people of Florida I have had the privilege to represent.” Foley’s hypocrisy was he was Chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children and an opponent of child pornography.

In a New York Times article titled The Open And Closeted Lives Of A Gay Congressman from October 4, 2006 written by Shailagh Murray, First, there was whispering about the Republican congressman’s sexual orientation, beginning in 1994 during his first House campaign. He was almost outed two years later when he voted against gay marriage. In 2003, Foley dropped a Senate bid after the rumor mill again started churning. He dismissed the speculation as “revolting and unforgivable.”

But as Foley attempted to navigate the tricky path of being a gay Republican, there was yet another, darker secret that he proved unable to handle: He was making sexual advances toward teenagers. For all his caution about his sexual orientation, it wasn’t that but his pursuit of underage former congressional pages that wrecked his career.

Also in 2006 Evangelical Reverend Ted Haggard was removed from his church and found guilty of “sexually immoral conduct” by an investigative board. Haggard was accused of soliciting gay sex and buying illegal drugs.

After the allegations were made public, Haggard resigned as president of the influential National Association of Evangelicals, an umbrella group representing more than 45,000 churches with 30 million members.

He also temporarily stepped aside as pastor of the 14,000-member New Life Church.

In January of 2009, the New York Times ran a story that Haggard made payments starting in 2007 to a young male church member who had a relationship with Mr. Haggard before the dismissal, the church’s pastor told worshipers.

Mr. Boyd (senior pastor of New Life Church) said in an interview that the payments, and what has now amounted to second body blow of scandal, were kept quiet for two years partly because of legal constraints, and partly because of ministerial confidentiality rules, since the man had sought out church authorities for counseling about the affair. Mr. Boyd declined to identify the young man, but said he is now in his 20s and was over 18 at the time of the relationship.

U.S. Senator Larry Craig who twice voted against adding the words “sexual orientation” to the federal hate crimes law and also voted to give states the right to refuse to recognize gay marriage resigned when news of charges of inappropriate behavior in an airport bathroom surfaced. 

It was a relatively quick end to a drama that began Monday with the stunning disclosure that Craig had pleaded guilty to a reduced charge following his arrest June 11 (2007) in a Minneapolis airport men’s room.

Craig was arrested June 11 in a police undercover vice operation. The arresting officer, Sgt. Dave Karsnia, said in his report that the restroom where he encountered Craig is a known location for homosexual activity.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Of course there have been others including Bob Allen member of the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Chairman of John McCain’s Presidential Campaign who in 2007 was arrested for soliciting a male undercover police officer for sex in a Titusville park restroom.

Allen was considered to be acting suspicious by police as he entered and exited the men’s room three times, according to a Titusville Police report. Moments later, he approached the plainclothes officer and offered to perform oral sex for $20, police said.

Allen faces second degree misdemeanor charges. A seven-year House veteran, the term-limited Allen had been considered a likely Senate candidate next year. He also had been named a co-chairman last spring of Arizona Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign team in Florida.

Allen was one of 21 Florida legislators to sign Gov. Jeb Bush’s friend-of-the-court brief supporting the state’s ban on gays adopting children and he co-sponsored an unsuccessful bill that would have enhanced penalties for “offenses involving unnatural and lascivious acts” such as indecent exposure.

Now we have California Republican State Senator Roy Ashburn who is well known for his anti-gay voting record.

Sources tell CBS13 a state senator from Southern California was arrested for allegedly driving drunk after leaving Faces, a gay nightclub in midtown Sacramento, early Wednesday morning.

The California Highway Patrol pulled over Senator Roy Ashburn at 2:00 a.m. Wednesday after an officer noticed a black Chevy Tahoe swerving at 13th and L Streets.

The Sacramento County district attorney says Republican state Sen. Roy Ashburn’s blood-alcohol level was .14 percent when he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving near the Capitol.

Ashburn, a father of four, is a Republican Senator representing parts of Kern, Tulare and San Bernardino Counties.

Granted being seen coming out of a gay bar and having a male rider in your car does not equate to one being gay, but could this be the next shoe to drop in the ever increasing stories of the hypocrisy of those who are anti-gay and then are caught with their proverbial pants down ?

For more on Republican and even Democratic lawmakers who are anti-gay hypocrites and lead secret or double lives visit BlogActive by Mike Rogers.

UPDATE – The shoe has dropped boys and girls as is now being reported by CBS13 in Sacramento just mere hours after this article was posted on Focus On the Rainbow. According to CBS13,West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon — who is openly gay – says he has seen Ashburn in gay hotspots a number of times. He says while he respects Ashburn’s right to privacy, but not when it involved hypocrisy.

“You can’t just live a double life in politics anymore,” said Cabaldon. “To live a secret life and at the same time be attacking exactly the same people you are one of, but you are too ashamed to admit, that’s the hypocrisy for folks whether you are gay or not. It’s just unacceptable in politics.”

LATE UPDATE – Equality California sent out this brief press release regarding Ashburn.

Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors issued the following statement regarding Senator Roy Ashburn (R-Bakersfield) who was recently charged with a DUI reportedly after leaving a Sacramento gay club.

“It is extremely hypocritical for Senator Ashburn, by patronizing a gay club, to be enjoying the fundamental rights and freedoms of association that others have fought so hard for but that he himself has repeatedly voted against.”

Senator Ashburn has consistently received a zero percent on Equality California’s Legislative Scorecards since 2004, with the exception of 2007, when he scored 10 percent.

Ashburn has not been seen at the capitol since his arrest and according to CBS13 no one from his office had any comment except to say Ashburn has been on leave for the past several days and no one has spoken to him, nor would anyone in Ashburn’s office comment as whether Ashburn will resign over the incident and his now subsequent “outing” by West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon.

Ashburn did release the following statement after his arrest, “I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuse for my poor judgment,” said Ashburn, who through a spokesman declined to be interviewed. “I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to accept the consequences for what I did.”

According to Project Vote Smart, Ashburn has voted NO on the following gay issues or related topics.

Creation of “Harvey Milk Day” – AB 2567, “Harvey Milk Day” – SB 572 (two NO votes), Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws – AB 2654, Statement of Opposition to Prop 8 – SR 7 and Recognizing Out-Of-State Same-Sex Marriages – SB 54.

Ashburn once said in an interview with Lois Henry of Bakersfield.com, “Why would that be anyone’s business? Including The Californian’s? I think there are certain subjects that are simply not relevant and this is one of them. It has no bearing on the job I do.” in answer to Henry asking Ashburn if he were gay after it was rumored a gay newspaper was going to “out” Ashburn.

Henry reported in the article that in 2005 Ashburn organized a “Traditional Family Values” rally, but as she wrote he kept a “low profile” during the Prop 8 campaign. What’s most  interesting in her article was when she wrote the following, During my conversation with Ashburn last summer, we also agreed that if he were having an affair, regardless of gender, with a lobbyist, someone who worked for him or someone under age, those would also be legitimate public concerns. No, he said, none of those situations applied to him.

“Do you think I’m that stupid?”

Perhaps not in those instances but to get behind the wheel of a car after drinking at a gay bar and being seen leaving with another man no less, it does bring one to wonder how high up on the “stupidity scale” Ashburn chooses to rise.

What’s that old children’s story, oh yes, “The Emperor Wore No Clothes“.

And so it goes boys and girls, just another day in the life of anti-gay conservatives.