CA State Senator Ashburn: Truth and Consequences

I have been thinking about how I would comment on State Sen. Ashburn’s situation.  The fact that he voted against every gay Bill in California, except the one in his bed, is ultimately between the senator and his Golden State constituents.  After all, this country is a representative republic.  You would have to be smoking something other than medicinal to believe a vote from this district, which voted in favor of Prop 8 by a 3 to 1 margin, would ever yield anything other than a decisive “no” on any anti-gay discrimination legislation.  In fact, locals refer to this Bakersfield district as “Texas meets Orange County”.

What I would like to focus on is Sen. Ashburn’s admission.  I have to give him credit, he didn’t run to some rehabilitative religious reprogramming center, nor did he fall on his knees at a political prayer breakfast professing his sins of indiscretion.  He stopped denying and honestly admitted on a radio talk show, “I am gay …those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long.”  Make no mistake about it, his political career is over.  Conservatives are calling him a sinner, and with his voting record, I don’t see those equality leaning Log Cabins putting out the welcome mat any time soon, either.  Gay rights activists are saying he cast his ballot behind a beard to protect his secret, and that is probably true.  I say those of us who have never passed through omission cast the first stone.

Though I don’t necessarily agree with Roy Ashburn’s politics, I have seen the personal tragedy associated with the fear of living one’s truth, and I can certainly empathize with his decision.  The consequences of that decision are the swift kicks from some members of our community.   It’s their right I suppose.  I choose to offer a hand rather than a foot.  Though the outing of a closeted Conservative certainly makes headlines, the bigger story here is that eventually, the truth wins out.  For those ignorant souls who proclaim sexuality is a choice, ask Senator Ashburn.  After all these years, would he really choose this?

I sincerely hope Roy Ashburn finds the inner peace and the validity that unburdening often brings.