[CBS 13] Anti-Gay Lawmaker At Gay Club Before DUI Arrest

plutoblue11 · Mar 4, 2010

Anti-Gay Lawmaker At Gay Club Before DUI Arrest
More Local News

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ― Sources tell CBS13 a state senator from Southern California was arrested for allegedly driving drunk after leaving Faces, a gay nightclub in midtown Sacramento, early Wednesday morning.

The California Highway Patrol pulled over Senator Roy Ashburn at 2:00 a.m. Wednesday after an officer noticed a black Chevy Tahoe swerving at 13th and L Streets.

Ashburn, a father of four, is a Republican Senator representing parts of Kern, Tulare and San Bernardino Counties with a history of opposing gay rights

When the officer stopped the state-issued vehicle, the driver identified himself as Senator Ashburn. He was arrested without incident and charged with two misdemeanors: driving under the influence and driving with a blood alcohol level higher than .08% or higher.

A male passenger, who was not identified as a lawmaker, was also in the car but was not detained.

Ashburn was booked into the Sacramento County Jail and released on $1,400 bond.

Ashburn issued a statement on the arrest Wednesday afternoon:

"I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuse for my poor judgment. I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to accept the consequences for what I did. I am also truly sorry for the impact this incident will have on those who support and trust me – my family, my constituents, my friends, and my colleagues in the Senate."

Ashburn served six years as a state Assemblyman before being elected to the State Senate. According to Project Vote Smart, Ashburn's voting record shows he has voted against every gay rights measure in the State Senate since taking office including Recognizing Out-Of-State Same-Sex Marriages", Harvey Milk Day and Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws.
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lock it up, if posted.

Cannonball · Mar 4, 2010

link?

plutoblue11 · Mar 4, 2010

http://cbs13.com/local/ashburn.arrest.dui.2.1534505.html

TopsDrop · Mar 4, 2010

Cannonball said:

link?
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I like your sig. I feel the same way sometimes

Depressio · Mar 4, 2010

Hey, cool! On the same day!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/04/vatican-gay-sex-scandal

When is it be safe to assume that anyone who condemns homosexuality secretly enjoyed gay sex?

jo mama · Mar 4, 2010

why is it that all these conservative, anti-gay, republican politicians keep turning out gay?

further proof that the more homophobic/anti-gay someone is, the more likely that they are themselves gay.

KingCheetah · Mar 4, 2010

Roy Ashburn (R-Calif.)

snicker

KingCheetah · Mar 4, 2010

TSchmal said:

Hey, cool! On the same day!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/04/vatican-gay-sex-scandal

When is it be safe to assume that anyone who condemns homosexuality secretly enjoyed gay sex?
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Creepy.

plutoblue11 · Mar 4, 2010

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/video/22743176/index.html

What can you say some priest and politicians, like supporting their boys and men to the best of their ability.

plutoblue11 · Mar 4, 2010

KingCheetah said:

Creepy.
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Nah... that's just frightening.

Baqui99 · Mar 4, 2010

"I was only there looking for directions on how to get out of there."

plutoblue11 · Mar 8, 2010

Ashburn comes out

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8556852.stm

ryan_98 · Mar 8, 2010

what is wrong with these people? why hide behind their sexual preference? is it because they're fearful they won't win reelection?

i haven't seen this film yet, but it looks pretty interesting.

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Calif state senator says he's gay after DUI arrest

By ROBIN HINDERY (AP) – 1 hour ago

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Republican state Sen. Roy Ashburn said Monday he is gay, ending days of speculation that began after his arrest last week for investigation of driving under the influence.

Ashburn, who consistently voted against gay rights measures during his 14 years in the state Legislature, came out in an interview with KERN radio in Bakersfield, the area he represents.

Ashburn said he felt compelled to address rumors that he had visited a gay nightclub near the Capitol before his DUI arrest.

"I am gay ... those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long," Ashburn told conservative talk show host Inga Barks.

The 55-year-old father of four said he had tried to keep his personal life separate from his professional life until his March 3 arrest.

"When I crossed the line and broke the law and put people at risk, that's different, and I do owe people an explanation," he said.

Ashburn was arrested after he was spotted driving erratically near the Capitol, according to the California Highway Patrol. Shelly Orio, a spokeswoman from the Sacramento County district attorney's office, said a breath test showed the senator's blood-alcohol level was .14 percent, or .06 points above the legal limit.

The next day, reports surfaced that Ashburn had left Faces, a gay nightclub, with an unidentified man in the passenger seat of his Senate-owned vehicle.

"The best way to handle that is to be truthful and to say to my constituents and all who care that I am gay," he said. "But I don't think it's something that has affected, nor will it affect, how I do my job."

Ashburn had been on personal leave since his arrest, but attended Monday's brief Senate session, where he avoided the media. Fellow lawmakers greeted him warmly, and he received pats on the back and hugs from some Republicans and Democrats.

Ashburn has voted against a number of gay rights measures, including efforts to expand anti-discrimination laws and recognize out-of-state gay marriages. Last year, he opposed a bill to establish a day of recognition to honor slain gay rights activist Harvey Milk.

Equality California, a group that advocates for expanded gay rights and other issues, has consistently given Ashburn a zero rating on its scorecard.

The group's executive director, Geoff Kors, said Monday that he hopes the senator's revelation will lead him to change his voting patterns.

"He's still the same person, only living more honestly," Kors said. "I hope his own self-awareness will result in him no longer voting to deny people the most basic rights."

Ashburn said his votes reflected the way constituents in his district wanted him to vote, not necessarily his own views.

"I felt my duty — and I still feel this way — is to represent my constituents, not my own point of view, not my own internal conflict," he told Barks.

Ashburn said he planned to continue voting on behalf of what he sees as the majority viewpoint in his district, which includes parts of Kern, Tulare and San Bernardino counties.

Former state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, an openly gay Democrat who was visiting the Capitol Monday, said she hopes Ashburn receives support, not condemnation, from his friends, family and constituents.

"It's very painful," she said of the coming-out process. "And mostly it's painful because you think everyone will be against you."

In the radio interview, Ashburn said he is drawing on his Christian faith, and he asked people to pray for him.

He said he does not plan to run for any public office after his term ends this year.
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http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jTmTNr4Wc0XB17-GRZP3GeiyOX4wD9EAP8BO0

raj87 · Mar 8, 2010

One of my homosexual friends sent me this one:

Phillyrocket · Mar 8, 2010

jo mama said:

why is it that all these conservative, anti-gay, republican politicians keep turning out gay?
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"We always condemn most in others that which we fear most in ourselves."

Live your life based on fear and you become what you hate the most.

rhadamanthus · Mar 8, 2010

jo mama said:

why is it that all these conservative, anti-gay, republican politicians keep turning out gay?

further proof that the more homophobic/anti-gay someone is, the more likely that they are themselves gay.
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It would be funny if their self-loathing did not deny so many people basic civil rights across the nation.

Amber Lamps · Mar 8, 2010

Anyone else read the name of the bar as "Feces?"

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[CBS 13] Anti-Gay Lawmaker At Gay Club Before DUI Arrest

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