Sole Minnesota GOP lawmaker to vote against marriage amendment comes out..

[rawstory]

http://rawstory.com

BREAKING: SOLE MINNESOTA GOP STATE LAWMAKER WHO OPPOSED GAY MARRIAGE AMENDMENT COMES OUT, BACKS EXPOSING PRIVATELY GAY POLITICIANS WHO THWART GAY RIGHTS... DEVELOPING HARD...

A Minnesota state senator who bucked his party in voting against a measure to amend the state’s constitution to prohibit gay marriage has told RAW STORY that he is gay. The senator, Republican Paul Koering, has also endorsed efforts to expose gay politicians who wield their power to oppose gay rights. Koering hails from farm country, some 150 miles north of Minneapolis. As a proud Republican legislator who stood alone against his party to take a stand against the marriage amendment, Koering’s support for reporting on “hypocritical” gay politicians — including Republicans — is certain to send a shockwave through the Washington gay community. "Somebody who is possibly in the closet and uses their bully pulpit or their position to bash gay people or to make gay people’s lives and are in essence leading a double life—people like that need to be exposed for the hypocrite that they are," he says. Other prominent gay rights groups disagree....

http://rawstory.com

[trotsky]

1. Bravo to him.

I wonder how the state 'Puke party is going to react...

[sui generis]

2. "other prominent gay rights groups disagree"???

Log Cabin Republicans may be prominent the way that boil on Rush Limbaugh's butt was prominent during his draft hearing but they don't speak for the gay community in any manner whatsoever, any more than Jews for Jesus speaks for Judaism.

[rawstory]

9. HRC also opposes outing --

[Occulus]

28. "Some Chickens Oppose Col. Sanders Investigation"

Film at 11

[Lindacooks]

3. In the House there were three GOPers who voted against the amendment

Ray Cox
Doug Meslow
Ron Erhardt

Mr. Cox is my representative, Doug Meslow used to be a good friend, and I don't know anything about Mr. Erhardt.

[rodeodance]

4. If they are in the closet -at least they can stop being hypocitical. Good

for this guy.

[Lindacooks]

7. I don't know about Erhardt, but the other two are straight.

[UCLA Dem]

5. Wow. That took such courage...How is he a repuke??

[one_true_leroy]

6. the GOP wasn't always the party of hypocrisy and bigotry.

[rawstory]

8. Here's the fuller story

http://rawstory.com/exclusives/byrne/paul_koering_minnesota_comes_out_413

SECOND EDITION: STORY DEVELOPING
Minnesota state senator comes out, endorses 'outing' anti- gay politicians

By John Byrne | RAW STORY Editor

A Minnesota state senator who bucked his party in voting against a measure to that would bring an amendment to the state’s constitution to prohibit gay marriage to the full Senate has revealed that he is gay, RAW STORY has learned.
Advertisement

The senator, Republican Paul Koering, has also endorsed efforts to expose gay politicians who wield their power to oppose gay rights.

Koering, 40, hails from farm country, some 150 miles north of Minneapolis. He says his decision to come out was a complex one, but that the marriage amendment vote—aligned with the two year anniversary of his mother’s death—finally led him to believe the time was right.

Koering also spoke at length with Mike Rogers, whose blogACTIVE.com website has reporting on the private gay lives of prominent anti-gay politicians, who he says helped him in his process of coming out. Rogers is also the editor of an editorially independent franchise site of Raw Story Media, RawStoryQ.

Since the vote, Koering says he’s been besieged by calls and emails from people wanting to know his orientation.

[Dickie Flatt]

10. GOP Senator Paul Koering Comes Out (MN)

http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/5346640.html

State Sen. Paul Koering, a first-term Republican from the Brainerd area who until recently had voted consistently for a constitutional ballot question banning same-sex marriage, revealed to the Star Tribune Wednesday that he is gay and has known it since he was a teen-ager.

He is believed to the first openly gay Republican elected official in Minnesota, and his announcement could affect the course of the raging legislative debate over gay marriage.

However, Koering, 40, a businessman and former dairy farmer, said his "coming out" does not change his position that the state's voters should be allowed to decide whether to ban same-sex marriage, nor will it change his basic conservative philosophy.

Rather, Koering said he wanted to put an end to rampant speculation _ in the capitol, on websites and from constituents _ about his sexual orientation.

[Liberal Veteran]

11. What a tool....

"I think I want my civil rights to be determined at the whims of the voters....."

*sigh*

[redqueen]

12. Was someone blackmailing him?

Has any openly gay politican ever been elected as a republican? Has he just ended his congressional career?

[davidinalameda]

16. maybe one

Steve May was a member of the Arizona House

[AuntiBush]

13. Talk about Flip-Flopping on your own personal issues!?!

:crazy: He can't even take a stand for himself. It's like Germany said. "They had their Hitler and we now have ours!"

Sen. Koering... have true dignity and take a stand! Oh, what's the point. They're all repuk thugs out to destory America one way or the other.

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[woosh]

14. "I'm gay and I should be punished!"

"Please punish me, someone? I need some punishment."

[AuntiBush]

15. LOL Really!

It's un-fricked real - and I'm not Gay but for God's sakes... I'm telling you. Rethuglicans are all :crazy: and trying to take us down w/them.

[xchrom]

17. nail -- meet hammer.

[Liberal Veteran]

23. I hear Jeff Gannon will punish him for the right price.

:D

[davidinalameda]

18. the bible beaters are going to pray for him

"We're praying for Sen. Koering today and our only concern right now is that he make the best choices for himself and his constituents...We love the guy and have no ill will for him at all," Darrell said.

they have no good will for him either

[Joey Liberal]

19. Another Gay republican

Gay republican. What a contradiction.

[rawstory]

20. DUPE

http://rawstory.com/exclusives/byrne/paul_koering_minnesota_comes_out_413

(there was earlier post -- feel free to modify my first post)

FIRST EDITION: STORY DEVELOPING
Minnesota state senator comes out, endorses 'outing' anti- gay politicians

By John Byrne | RAW STORY Editor

A Minnesota state senator who bucked his party in voting against a measure to amend the state’s constitution to prohibit gay marriage has revealed that he is gay and will come out in the Minneapolis Star Tribune shortly, RAW STORY has learned.
Advertisement

The senator, Republican Paul Koering, has also endorsed efforts to expose gay politicians who wield their power to oppose gay rights.

Koering hails from farm country, some 150 miles north of Minneapolis. He says his decision to come out was a complex one, but that the marriage amendment vote—aligned with the two year anniversary of his mother’s death—finally led him to believe the time was right.

Since the vote, he says, he’s been besieged by calls and emails from people wanting to know his orientation.

[progressivebydesign]

21. Brave guy...

I liked his comment in the article that 'those who scream the loudest about it, usually have the most to hide'. I've always believed that to be true.

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

22. kick

[genieroze]

24. Kick

[BlueIris]

25. Congratulations, Senator Koerning!

Thank you, good luck to you and good job.

[truthisfreedom]

26. you know who really needs to be outed? SWINGER WINGERS. thugs who are

in open marriages who vote against gay marriage are the ones who are really violating the sanctity of marriage.

[Ian David]

27. I think we need to actively try to entrap them

If you're hot and sexy, go out and seduce a "pro-family" Congress-critter and document their indiscretion.

[MrTriumph]

29. Look for 2006 elections to be another GOP big win

The anti-gay marriage movement (maybe it is a 'reaction', but in any case) is going to bring out the Rep. base and the Dem.s will get beat again.

The Democratic Party better come up with plan 'B'.

[renaissanceguy]

30. How about actually FIGHTING BACK

for what is right?

http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.14744291

[MrTriumph]

31. The "gay rights" movement is very, very poorly lead.

It is as if the gay rights movement wants to inflame the fundamentalists. No tact, no tactics, totally counterproductive.