Meet Russ Towers. He’s the only openly gay county clerk in the entire state of Texas and the first out official in Lamar County. He’s also, wait for it, a Republican.
Gasp!
“I’m pretty sure there have been whispers behind my back,” he recently told the Texas Observer, “but one thing life has given me is very thick skin, and I’m not offended or my feelings don’t get hurt very easily.”
While some stubborn Texas clerks are still refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, 39-year-old Towers began happily marrying same-sex couples the instant same-sex marriage was made legal on June 26.
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“For me, it was very surreal, because it was something that I never thought I would see in my lifetime,” he said, “but to be on the other side of the counter, to be the one issuing, made it especially special for me. It was probably one of the proudest moments and days that I’ve ever had professionally.”
When asked about his colleagues who continue to deny marriage licenses to gay couples, Towers replied, “It makes me sad. We’re all clerks, and we all take the same oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, the laws of the United States and of the state, and that doesn’t apply to do just some people or the lifestyles with which you agree.”
Word!
Towers is up for re-election next year, but he’s not too concerned about a Republican primary challenger using his sexual orientation against him.
“I’m not going to put too much worry into it,” he said, “because I’m not about to go changing who I am or altering who I am or try to hide who I am in order to just win an election.”
“I am out, and nothing will ever change that. I suppose that could make some people uncomfortable, but I think most people who are active voters can recognize the changes that I made as an elections administrator to improve their voting experience, and maybe that will be enough to sway them to trust me in the job that I do as county clerk.”
Adolfo Iza
Slay
Milton Appleby
Didn’t we just see this? This isn’t newsworthy. OUT is using the same “hot” title.
Grant Mealey
Yay!! ð???
Meghan Leigh
Contrary to what the so-called Republican leadership wants people to think, most republicans aren’t down with mistreating gays.
John P Farinhas
he needs to get drilled hard
JAW
Congrats to him… He lives in a VERY Republican area, so he knows that he would not stand a chance in hell running as a Democrat… Hope the people re-elect him
Will Dalton
Congratulations? A bureaucrat did their job? I’ll go bake a cake.
Dave Greene
A clerk with a soul.
Captain Obvious
I’d swoon but Texas is a very awful place. Shame. ????
Xzamilio
@Captain Obvious: Hey… I live in Texas. That’s not a nice thing to say. True, yes, but not nice lol
But, in all seriousness, Austin and San Antonio (I’d avoid the NW side unless you work in that area) are great places to live.
darian
Girl bye. If you think for one second those bible thumpers are going to re-elect you your sadly mistaken. The better question is how many same sex marriage licenses has he issued so far? I doubt it’s enough to save his job. Hope you got a good backup plan.
BJ McFrisky
Wait-wait-wait.
For years Queerty and its readers have been adamant that gay Republicans are self-loathing, traitorous scum, but because this one is hot and follows the law, he’s suddenly a hero?
Gotta love that #LiberalLogic.
Lexie Newton
I wonder would it have the same interest if the title started with “Moderately Attractive Republican Clerk”……
notevenwrong
He’s still a Republican, meaning he is against pretty much everything else most of us stand for, both within and without the ambit of gay rights.
Atomicrob
Congrats to him. He took an oath and is upholding it. Who cares if he’s a republican? As long as he has some integrity and is true to himself. Although, a “gay republican” is an odd label . . . it is Texas, however . . .
SteveDenver
Thank you Mr Towers, you’re making a lot of people happy!
russellhm
From one Russ to another and also born in Texas, I applaud your courage and ethics to simply do your job. The couples to whom you issue licenses are quite lucky as apparently no other county has a clerk of your caliber to do so. The license itself is a treasure. Go Pride!
M J Martinez Crogan
Republican & Hot gay is definitely an oxymoron.
Xzamilio
@BJ McFrisky: I think the readers more so than the writers themselves, but yeah, I do see a little bit of inconsistency here.
Jonty Coppersmith
@Meghan Leigh:
You are too kind to Republicans. I believe the last figure I read these last few days says that 70+ percent of Republicans oppose the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of marriage equality.
Jonty Coppersmith
@BJ McFrisky:
As far as physical appearance goes, this guy is average, not hot.
Yes, anyone who is in favor of LGBT equality and votes for Republicans is stupid. Republicans overwhelmingly hate us.
darian
@notevenwrong: I think the site was scraping the bottom of the barrel to find a gay Republican worth a damn…… The best they could do was find one that was doing his job.
Jaroslaw
@BJ McFrisky: Isn’t the old saying the exception proves the rule? Regardless, there is a long list starting with Ken Mehlman. I did meet a Gay republican at a volunteer event stuffing envelopes who claimed he liked their policies for business reasons but he wasn’t a millionare. Nor did he stay very long to help. But I didn’t know him to say he was self loathing or not but his conversation seemed more than a little self-centered.
Giancarlo85
@BJ McFrisky: Except most republicans hate us and are hurting the entire country and damaging the economy. But that seems to go over your head.
JCG
@BJ McFrisky: Better than the #BJLogic that cozies up to people who continually compare us to pedophiles, practitioners of bestiality and even worse just for daring to stand up for the right to live freely and with dignity.
Guess you’re against the promise of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness for us…
cheetah69
@BJ McFrisky: It’s probably not a “liberal” thing. It’s probably more of a “gay men tend to swoon and forgive the trangressions of hot white dudes.”
I still have no respect for the gay dude who calls himself a Republican.
DimAsAnEmber
Good for him, he seems to understand what the definition of public servant entails? I don’t exactly think this is news, though.
Anthony Sylvain
This is why you don’t need laws forcing people to serve you. When given the freedom to do so, there will be someone willing to provide you with the service you desire.
Harley
“I think most people who are active voters can recognize the changes that I made as an elections administrator to improve their voting experience”. So he disenfranchised voters, threw democratic voters off the voter rolls, and limited early voting to 2 hours on 1day. Yep. Sounds republican.
Xwards
Wow, a modern-day Howard Sprague. We’ve come a long way!!