Sam Adams and the Double Standard

[FreeState]

This is part two of Box Turtle Bulletin's series... its good, and a must read for those interested in just how GLBT persons are held to different standards in public life.

http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/01/24/8324

There’s a lot of confusion over Portland Mayor Sam Adams’ tryst with Beau Breedlove, the intern who Adams admitted to having a sexual relationship with. It’s time to bust some of these myths.

Myth: Because Breedlove was an intern, Adams abused his position of authority when he entered into a sexual relationship with Breedlove.

Fact: Beau Breedlove was a legislative intern in Eugene, not a Portland city intern. They met when Breedlove was interning in the Oregon House for state Rep. Kim Thatcher (R-Keizer). Adams did not hold a position of professional authority over Breedlove.

Myth: Breedlove was just a 17-year-old boy.

Fact: According to Adams’ admission, Breedlove was an 18-year-old man when they initiated their sexual affair. At eighteen, Breedlove was old enough to sign contracts, join the army and go to war, and be tried as an adult for any crimes he might feel like committing.

Breedlove, because he is a legal, consenting adult, bears equal responsibility for the affair. What’s more, he appears to have an affinity for older men. Mark Merkle, 39, was Breedlove’s boyfriend for two years until last August.

[IndianaGreen]

1. For a second I thought you were talking about the beer

Whew! I agree with all the points you make. This is much ado about nothing.

[dsc]

2. Why should be believe either of them since they lied for 2 years?

Adams only came clean after he got caught.

[FreeState]

4. I would have probably not answered any questions about it myself

one lie does not discredit everything someone stands for or has done IMO.

I think thats the main point here too - how many heterosexual politicians get asked about sex with another adult while they were single? The question is beyond homophobic IMO - they were two consenting adults who did not even work together. No one asks heterosexual politician if they have sex with another adult when they were single, and if asked I would not expect an answer either.

[dsc]

6. He wasn't single

he had a partner. And yes, single politicians do get asked about their sex lives. But we are assuming Beau was a conscenting adult based on only their word, a word which isn't so hot.

[FreeState]

7. Somehow I missed that part...

One how I never read he had a partner at the time... I agree its open game then - very disappointing to say the least about that

[MNBrewer]

9. no, that doesn't change a thing

It's still only the participant's business, and MAYBE the partner's as well.

Certainly NOT ours.

[Toasterlad]

10. Bingo.

I sure wish the press would spend less time investigating who's fucking who, and more time investigating who's fucking over who.

[Chovexani]

12. Thank you

It's interesting how this is the first time I've heard about the intern not being the mayor's intern. None of the stories I've seen or posts from outraged pearl clutchers seems to mention that little tidbit. That would be the ONLY way it would be our business.

And forget the partner. Shit, no one knows what kind of relationship the mayor has with his partner, they may not even be monogamous. Still none of our business.

[FreeState]

16. He was single - with source:

http://www.out.com/detail.asp?id=24552

Q: Yet there’re certainly similar such relationships among unelected officials.

A: But elected officials are held to higher standards, and I know that. I can say, at the time, I was very flattered by the attention. I’d recently ended my 11-year relationship. I was dating again. I didn’t think it through.

[mitchtv]

11. because there's enough strates ready to trash him

I give the benefit of doubt. On TV here TV blare "..... had an affair with teen" kind of trashy no?

[HillbillyBob]

13. Sounds like he should have said instead none of yo bidness to those asking

How many straight polyticks have affairs with 18 or 19 year old females AND
they are married have kids etc etc, it is a double standard.
Sounds like someone trying to crucify him because he is humaseksual.
What about David Vitter and the prostitutes and him wearing diapers to boot?
He gets and applause in congress, that woman was much younger I don't remember what her age was and why did nothing come of the madam and the prostitutes reputed suicides
mysterious as they were kind of glossed over?

[OregonBlue]

3. They may have lied but it was no one's business to begin with. I'm so sick of gotcha politics!!

I hope he does not resign. I wish he had spent the week out there talking to Portland instead of hiding out though. he has nothing to hide now and nothing to be ashamed of so it bothers me that he didn't just keep coming out every day and saying that it was his private life and he will not apologize for what he does in private any more than a straight man would. At least he's not accused of wearing diapers!!

[ThomCat]

5. If they were both adults, and didn't work together

then why is this a scandal? Why is it anyone's business if the two of them were dating?

:wtf:

[Rowdyboy]

8. Answering personal questions in general and lying in particular were Adams' mistake

I seriously doubt that cheating on a same sex partner is illegal in Oregon. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with having consensual sex with an adult 20 or 30 years younger or older than you. I've done both and no one suffered in either situation.

I wish politicians would just say "Thats an inappropriate question. My personal life is none of your business." Republican or Democrat, legal sex should be off-limits.

[Christian30]

14. I don't have a double standard

when it comes to this. My feeling is this:

Either Sam Adams (who is totally yummy, btw) should have admitted to the relationship during the campaign or refused to answer the question. Instead, he lied.

Now, we all know the kind of political culture we live in, where it's long been said "don't get caught with a dead girl or a live boy." A lot of progress has been made on LGBT rights, so that Adams could successfully win this election. So why fuck it up by having this relationship and then lying about it? If he would have answered the question truthfully, I would have defended him to the hilt. Instead, like Clinton, he lied about it and, in so doing, gave his enemies all the ammunition they need to bring him down.

[TEmperorHasNoClothes]

15. Not just about age, about power

I was all over Bill Clinton about Monicagate-- mostly because he lied to the country.
There is a power imbalance between a boss and an employee, between someone in a highly regarded person and someone who looks up to him or her. There wasn't anything illegal about the relationship, but there is something icky about barely an adult and a person with a lot of power-- gay or straight.

[foxfeet]

17. Well, that's why there is the legal concept of "age of consent."

Creepy or not, a person of the age of consent is allowed to do what they want even if they later come to regret their actions. It doesn't seem as if Breedlove is prone to regrets.