Wednesday, August 29, 2007

“I am not gay. I never have been gay.”

One thing that is striking to me in the controversy around Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) and his alleged solicitation of sex in an airport men's room is his statement yesterday:
"I am not gay. I never have been gay."
Sen. Craig gives up four Senate committee seats; colleagues call for resignation, Idaho Statesman, Aug. 29, 2007.

It raises the question: what is it to be gay? Could the allegations about his seeking anonymous sex in a men's room be true and his statement that he's not gay also be true?

They say (I don't have a citation handy) that the large majority of men who sexually abuse boys identify as straight. It seems plausible to me that that many men who seek anonymous sexual encounters with other men in restrooms, parks, etc., might likewise identify as straight.

On the other hand, it seems quite plausible that men could identify as gay and not have sex with men (let alone anonymous sex in public places).

Another question raised by Sen. Craig's statement is why he would so vehemently deny being gay. Well, because he probably sees it as shameful -- indeed more shameful than either (a) being caught soliciting anonymous sex or (b) having such poor judgment as to plead guilty to a crime he didn't commit without consulting counsel (which is what he says he did).

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