Atlanta lawmaker steps out of the closet
State Rep. Rashad Taylor, D-Atlanta, has just become the first self-acknowledged gay man in the state Legislature. He stepped out of the closet during a morning press conference.
Georgia Voice has posted the video:
From my AJC colleague Aaron Gould Sheinin:
Taylor, in a news conference at the offices of Georgia Equality, said he felt compelled to make the announcement after an e-mail was circulated to state lawmakers this week accusing Taylor of being gay and of using his position in the Legislature to solicit sexual relationships.
Taylor denied the allegations of improper conduct. The author of the e-mail, who signed his name as “J. Callahan,” hung up on a reporter from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and would not provide proof of his claims. Callahan had been instructed by state officials on how to file an official ethics complaint against Taylor, but no complaint has been filed, House Ethics Committee Chairman Joe Wilkinson, R-Sandy Springs, said.
Taylor said that the man who sent the e-mail is the former partner of the person Taylor is now dating.
“Although this is not the time or the way that I wanted to come out, I feel actually very lucky, thanks to all the support I’ve received,” Taylor said, surrounded by fellow lawmakers, friends and family. “As a black man, it can be a struggle to find acceptance within the community and at times with myself as well. I’m proud of the man my mother has raised, and I make no apologies for who I am.”
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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224 comments Add your comment
WHO CARES? Not Me...
May 27th, 2011
6:18 pm
Seriously????
WHO CARES????
Why are we giving this man’s personal business SOOOO much attention?? There are more important things to focus on, right now!
I am SOOO sick of the media giving people’s personal lives SOOO much attention. It’s not like this man cheated on a spouse, stole blue jeans in the middle of the night or is responsible for moving the Threashers from Atlanta…
Good grief, Charlie Brown – let this man do his job as a public official and stay out of his BEDROOM!
Last Man Standing
May 27th, 2011
6:19 pm
RGB:
Now, that’s funny
Tired of the Narrow Minded Bigots
May 27th, 2011
6:32 pm
Really wish you guys would keep your hate filled religion in the closet. I would much rather live/work/interact with just about anyone else beside you your self righteous hate.
M.
May 27th, 2011
6:52 pm
Kudos to you Mr. Taylor. I wish you the best.
Sarah P.
May 27th, 2011
6:59 pm
I’m really thinking about buying some steaks to BBQ this weekend — so should I also hold a press conference, too?
Really -people! It’s a very sad day when we must hold press conferences to talk about what happens in our bedrooms between two consenting adults!
Shame on the person who tried to blackmail this man!
Tired of Narrow Minded Bigots II
May 27th, 2011
6:59 pm
“Really wish you guys would keep your hate filled religion in the closet. I would much rather live/work/interact with just about anyone else beside you your self righteous hate.”
I am tired of narrow minded bigots that spew hate and ignornace towards religion!
Tolerance IS a two way street!
Andrea
May 27th, 2011
7:03 pm
*
LOL @ Sarah P……you are too funny.
Allan
May 27th, 2011
7:04 pm
Being gay shouldn’t be shameful, but we have a lot going on in this world (unemployment, financial crisis, high gas prices, too long to list) and coming out is the BIG news. Where are our priorities? Brother, I’m happy for you and I know this is a huge weight (no pun) off your shoulders. Now you and your partner go and enjoy life, each other, and don’t allow others to make your life miserable. Congratulations. Now let’s get back to the real news.
ATL Pride
May 27th, 2011
7:04 pm
“Shame on the person who tried to blackmail this man!”
If he was being blackmailed, the LAW is on his side as long as he has proof. Seriously have doubts any blackmail was involved. He most likely was caught with his pants down and wanted to come out before it was made public. All PR is good when you are a politician – especially a gay one!
John John
May 27th, 2011
7:06 pm
It’s not just the rednecks, the black community has been very, very unkind to the gay lifestyle. Bunch of hypocrite “Civil Rights” bigots.
rod
May 27th, 2011
7:06 pm
First of all, who cares what happens in the bedroom God Bless Him. It does not matter to me.
Second, who couldnt tell?
MRS. JACKSON
May 27th, 2011
7:10 pm
@ WHO CARES NOT ME….. “AND LET THE CHURCH SAY…..”
Crazy
May 27th, 2011
7:45 pm
That an email was circular about his gay life style, that he use his office to solicite for sex. he acknowledge his gay style and denied sex soliciting means he is a liar, he accepted being gay and was secretly using his little dirty secret to bey for gay sex to me is true. what i am saying is that he use he knew he was(is) gay, folks supected him him of being gay, why now accepting being gay and denying soliciting for gay sex at work. hypocrite. sent him away from that work site. he is jumping the gun, that it will be use as a political game. why not? let suck my ass and digg.
Atlanta lawmaker steps out of the closet | Conservative GA
May 27th, 2011
7:48 pm
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Big stommy
May 27th, 2011
7:49 pm
why can’nt he work on his protruding big fat stomuch first
Bardes, Shelley, and Schmiitd
May 27th, 2011
7:49 pm
Crucified him
midtownguy
May 27th, 2011
7:59 pm
The email came from his current boyfriends ex. Looks like “hell hath no fury like a wo-man scorned” is still true. It was refreshing to see a gay man so confident and strong.
This on the same weekend Eddie Long agreed to pay out millions to the teens he used for sex and descend even deeper into the christian closet.
Brother
May 27th, 2011
8:01 pm
If I see him in my church, I will walk out
Brother
May 27th, 2011
8:01 pm
He must be democrate
Obama
May 27th, 2011
8:02 pm
The majority of Afro-American men are gay. However, the majority of African men are not. The reason. The weak gay guys were the easiest slaves to capture. The straight up dudes put up more of a fight and remained in Africa.
God Help Us
May 27th, 2011
8:21 pm
Why are we pushing this lifestyle on others….if homosexuality is ok what do you tell your daughters…what is happening to our black men?…Where the fathers there?….were they sexually abused….what is going on with our men this time!!!????….Its always something….get it together black men…Look into the eyes of your sisters and daughters before you THINK its ok…it is not that is why you hide…God loves you but your LIFESTYLE is an abomination in his eyes….Roman 1
kbpneetroppypfv
May 27th, 2011
8:23 pm
You made a number of fine points there. I did a search on the subject and found mainly persons will have the same opinion with your blog.
Danny X
May 27th, 2011
8:24 pm
Not an issue. We Sodomites have to stick together, especially in the morning after a long night of pillow-biting action.
Cornholio
May 27th, 2011
8:29 pm
For the life of me, I can’t understand how any man would want to stick his thang in the nasty stinkhole of another man. The bristly backhair alone would cause me to lose it.
MrLiberty
May 27th, 2011
9:08 pm
The citizens of GA have been taking it up the a** from the state legislature for decades. This revelation should come as no surprise to anyone.
David
May 27th, 2011
9:09 pm
To comment on an earlier post: The reason why the article characterized the admission as an admission is because the gentleman is do something wrong. While being gay is not a crime it is however morally wrong and being like that should not be an option.
Straight Pride
May 27th, 2011
9:11 pm
Why do gay people have to make such a big deal that they’re gay? So what! Some folks wear it like some badge of honor and courage because other stupid people persecute them. But gee, lets make everybody suffer their soapbox and suffer thier insufferable gayness to the maximum until it annoys the crap out of us to the point that when something really happens to someone in the gay community we just about ignore it!
C’mon straight people! Maybe we should start advertising our straightness and start annoying the crap out of the gay people! Maybe then they’ll shut up about it!
Coming out is a big experience for a lot of gay folks. They wanna make sure everybody knows it so they can their special allocation of gay attention.
ATLPeach
May 27th, 2011
9:50 pm
First, watching him speak, I really wonder who didn’t know he was gay? It’s pretty obvious. It’s kinda like him announcing he’s black? Uh, duh! Secondly, who cares? Oh, and it’s not just the black community that doesn’t want to accept homosexuality, it’s all ethnic groups. If that wasn’t the case then we wouldn’t see teens of all races committing suicide due to their confusion over being homosexual.
I don’t get the need to tell the world your sexual preference, but if it makes him feel better, oh well.
hind tit
May 27th, 2011
10:00 pm
Yeah he’s a lucky man!
j callahan
May 27th, 2011
10:12 pm
who would want to do THIS guy? damn.
FanOfObamasComment
May 27th, 2011
11:02 pm
@Obama, that’s right on my man. I’m starting to like you.
Charlie Brown minus The Cabaret
May 27th, 2011
11:11 pm
Oh No girl, he remind me of some tired old queen that we would find hanging around the upstairs bathroom of Backstreet Atlanta. Don’t nobody want none to do with this tired ole Queen. Any man that want’s to take on the responsibility of his gots to be out they head. Just consider what Queenie gonna do to yo’ health insurance premiums, he’s might be dealing with some kind of diabetes or colitis or some kind of mess that heavy set black men be dealing with. And all this be off the record, I don’t know nothing it’s all hear say that the sistas be talking bout at church in Austell.
Clinton - I lied too so what?
May 27th, 2011
11:15 pm
Perverts, perverts everywhere. Just like roaches they are everywhere in Atlanta. Can’t understand a preacher wearing golden or red shoes. any man that lets another man penetrate his rear end or mouth with his penis is one sick puppy. At least Monica was a female. that should count for something. What’s that you say hillary? ouch ouch
@ straight pride
May 27th, 2011
11:19 pm
If I took a long hard one up my chute or gobbled a mouthfull of goo, I’d be proud or at least want credit for it. I mean- come on. It can’t be easy. They definitely see it as a badge of honor.
Ewwwww.
Proud Black Man
May 27th, 2011
11:21 pm
As a black man, if often ponder the quextion do it be better to be born black or be born gay. After many thoughts about this, I say it better to be born black because at least if don’t have to tell my parents.
Cornholio @proud Black Man
May 27th, 2011
11:29 pm
Nothing wrong with being black, my friend.
Michelle Obama
May 27th, 2011
11:31 pm
Hey- I take long hard ones up my backside and swallow goo all the time (and I do mean all the time), but I don’t see it as something to be proud of. It’s something that I do to keep Joe Biden happy.
Ralph
May 27th, 2011
11:33 pm
He is to be pitied.
Harold
May 27th, 2011
11:57 pm
This guy looks like he could pack a lot of fudge….
Proud Black Man
May 28th, 2011
12:03 am
@cornholio – Yes, there is a lot wrong with it. I fought in Vietnam. Do you know how many of my fellow black servicemen died because the got up and danced when the Sargent said: “Get down!” So don’t give me that bigoted white person crap that it’s easy in the country to be black, because it’s not, it’s difficult.
Also, we get the bad end of the deal with every sport. Hockey your slappin a black puck around. Pool you have a white ball trying to knock you in a hole. The only thing we have is bowling, where you have a black ball trying to knock down a bunch of rednecks.
Proud Black Man
May 28th, 2011
12:10 am
@Harold – LOL – If there was a prize for one liners you’d win 1st place. Good one!
Eddie Long
May 28th, 2011
12:27 am
He should be fired if he is using his position to obtain sexual favors.What was he thinking!
Clint
May 28th, 2011
12:29 am
Another gay guy that was raised without a strong father figure in his life.They’re gonna get that acceptance from a man somewhere………..
BP
May 28th, 2011
12:45 am
Hey Rick @ 1:49
You so bad in bed he probably WILL wish he were strait.
Concerned
May 28th, 2011
1:44 am
“I’m proud of the man my mother has raised, and I make no apologies for who I am.”
Mr. Taylor, I hope and trust that your mother did NOT intend to raise a man who would become a homosexual. Sir, understand these few things: God did NOT create to engage in this lifestyle, He is NOT pleased with your ‘learned” and abominable behavior, because He loves you so much you can be DELIVERED you from this lifestyle so that you become the TRUE man for which you were created and subsequently make your mother proud. It’s sad to know that you will miss Heaven because you failed to repent because refuse to feel any guilt or shame for your actions. I’ll pray for you.
Making this announcement may have been a misuse of taxpayers’ resources, however, it provided an opportunity to witness for the Lord.
Level Head
May 28th, 2011
2:12 am
Yes, this IS news. We need more LGBT individuals in elected office. As the closet doors get flung open then we might see some actual change and LGBT people might actually start to get some of the same rights enjoyed by the rest of the population. I’m sorry to hear that Rep. Taylor was forced out, as coming out should be a personal decision. But I’m glad that he is going about it in a positive way and I hope his constituents embrace him.
Level Head
May 28th, 2011
2:15 am
Oh, Clint. I’m a gay guy with a very good relationship with my dad and had wonderful grandfathers and other men in my life as well. Your armchair psychology might have played well 30 years ago, but it just doesn’t hold water.
shaking my head
May 28th, 2011
4:53 am
More and more you see black woman thinking that they can raise their sons with the Father being around. What we see here is a direct result of the absence of a strong black man in the household. This sort of behavior is becoming more acceptable in our society, but lets get this straight….said behavior (being gay) is WRONG. I’m sure his pastor told him that.
kwy
May 28th, 2011
4:58 am
Actually, what is telling here is that one gay used another gay man’s sexuality to try to harm him. If what Mr. Taylor says is true, then Mr. Callahan is a person of questionable character and any other gay man that might consider getting involved with HIM should probably rethink that situation. No one, politician or otherwise, should be forced to “come out” if they don’t want to or don’t feel comfortable doing so for whatever reason. That is a personal choice. Why the American public thinks that what goes on in a public person’s bedroom is essential for them to know is totally beyond me. Heck, if you can reduce taxes, help make me, my family and my friends safe from crime and terrorism and help provide me with good reliable services that I think that I deserve as a taxpaying citizen then I don’t care if you do it dressed as Little Bo Peep on a stage in the Georgia Dome in front of thousands of spectators with the consenting person or persons of your choice dressed as a flock of sheep!
Clint
May 28th, 2011
6:51 am
He can’t help being black but he doesn’t have to be gay…………….