As soon as the news hit about California State Senator Roy Ashburn being arrested for a DUI after leaving a gay bar, news sources and blogs from around the globe began to speculate that Ashburn was gay.

Many LGBT bloggers in their subsequent postings expressed outrage, some feigning utter contempt with the use of vulgarity for the entertainment of their readership, in what appears to be the “best keep known secret” in California.

In the days which followed it was reported that many in various local communities knew Ashburn was, or at the very least suspected he was gay, having been seen in several gay bars in California. Many would share a drink or two with Ashburn. It has even been said that local media knew of Ashburn’s “closeted” side.

Yet as many pointed out even before Ashburn admitted in a radio interview on KERN that he was in fact gay, all these people including the press never, so it seems, ever called out Ashburn for being a gay man and yet voting against LGBT issues in the state of California.

In his remarks in the interview Ashburn stated, ”The best way to handle that is to be truthful and say to my constituents and all who care I am gay”.

He continued, “My votes reflect the wishes of the people in my district, I have always felt that my faith and allegiance was to the people there in the district, my constituents.”

More of this excellent post about Roy Ashburn at: Focus On The Rainbow!