Brian Leubitz calls himself “a recovering attorney.” According to his bio, he “just completed my master’s degree in public policy at the Goldman School of Public policy at UC-Berkeley.” He lives in San Francisco with his husband, also named Brian. He is also among a growing list of folks who apparently knew all about California State Sen. Roy Ashburn’s proclivity for dudes, but didn’t make an effort to publicize it.
On the group “progressive issues” blog Calitics that Leubitz started in 2005, he writes, “That Sen. Roy Ashburn was a closet case was one of the worst kept secrets around Sacramento. He would periodically appear in a gay bar, trying to be as discreet as a state senator can be in Sacramento. He’s not exactly a rock star or anything, but in a city built around state government, he’s pretty recognizable. And so, on 2 occasions, somebody sent me an email saying that they had seen him at a gay bar. It had become more common over the last few years, as he was heading for his term limit and had no logical place to continue his political career. And, with his vote in support of a few minor tax increases in the California budget dispute last year, his chances of winning a Republican primary for dog catcher were also rapidly decreasing.”
So why didn’t Leubitz out the guy — before Ashburn did it himself, by allegedly driving drunk after leaving a gay bar? “Apparently, he became sloppy in his closet, either because he didn’t care anymore or because he thought he would never be caught. But, I’m no Mike Rogers, and I’ve never been all that great at the CYA work that’s necessary if you are going to start publishing that kind of stuff.”
We wouldn’t recommend every civilian go Mike Rogers on anti-gay homosexual politicians. But Mr. Leubitz is the creator and writer at a progressive blog about California issues and politics. If ever there was somebody who should call attention to an elected official who voted regularly against the rights of gay Californians, and who participated in Traditional Family Values rallies, it’s folks like Leubitz.
It’s one thing for mainstream television news and newspaper outlets to conceal politicians’ sexuality under the guise of refusing to out anyone. We disagree with that position (when it comes to anti-gay politicos), but we understand the corporate machine makes decisions, not the newsroom. (Except in the case of the Bakersfield Californian, where the editors are fingered as not reporting on Ashburn’s sexuality.)
But if we can’t rely on members of our own, like Brian — who is gay and fancies himself a Californian political commentator — then who should we rely on?
Well, us if you want. Know a gay politician voting against us? We’ll make it a headline, let it spread like wildfire, and shame the guy into either voting for us, or leaving office.
Writing on Calitics on Thursday, Leubitz titled his post “Sen. Ashburn’s Glass Closet Door Shatters.” Apparently, it could’ve shattered years ago, and we’d have on fewer elected officials voting against equal rights.
EARLIER: Meet The Man Who Outed CA Sen. Roy Ashburn to the Media (That Refused to Report the Story)
EARLIER: If Everyone Knew CA Sen. Roy Ashburn Is Gay And Voted Anti-Gay, Should They Have Reported It?
terrwill
Tough decision as to whom is the bigger scumbag, Brian Leubtz or Roy ASSburn………………
Nelson G.
The sad part, at least for me, is that even while there are people demanding transparency from others and by others- this is a systematic fail, after all, there are still people who would prefer to remain ignorant and apathetic about this.
A H
Oh brother. This is the most whiny article I have read today. Saying I Saw Him At The Gay Bar!!! would hardly compromise his career. There’s no pwoof, there’s no pwoof. Leave Leubtz alone. Although I admit, he shouldn’t have said he knew all along. But I do think Leubtz acted appropriately by not attempting to out the senator. Isn’t it a bit of a double standard and I won’t go into why.
A H
On second thought, you should commend Leubtz for confirming the gay rumor.
Leon
The double standard the media applies in these cases is truly astounding. I’ll never forget back in 200 when it was considered a huge scandal to even mention Mary Cheney was a lesbian. Yet all during the campaign and especially the GOP Convention of that year, all media outlets spoke openly of Liz Cheney being an unrepentant heterosexual (without ever obtaining her express written consent). I am totally serious. At the time, Liz had not come forward at all about her bedroom lifestyle. But the media just assumed it could ‘out’ her. Funny how the media is not shy at all about viciously ‘outing’ a straight person.
Brian NYC
Leubitz should have made it an issue. THAT would have been better for our community and, well progressive. Some people have journalistic balls and many do not.
B
No. 5 · Leon wrote, “The double standard the media applies in these cases is truly astounding. I’ll never forget back in 200 when it was considered a huge scandal to even mention Mary Cheney was a lesbian.”
Read http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,997676,00.html – it seems that Mary Cheney, until May 2000, was Coor’s official liaison to the gay community. Being openly gay was part of her job description! There was nothing to “out”.
B
QUEERTY; ‘Writing on Calitics on Thursday, Leubitz titled his post “Sen. Ashburn’s Glass Closet Door Shatters.” Apparently, it could’ve shattered years ago, and we’d have on fewer elected officials voting against equal rights.”
… the typo aside (“on” insteadof “one”), the fact is that we’d have precisely the same number of elected officials voting against equal rights if Ashburn had been outed before the last election. The district he represents, using county-figures, voted between 60% and 75% in favor of Proposition Eight. Any replacement for Ashburn would most likely be equally homophobic officially, if only to get the votes of those homophobic constituents.
Mike in Asheville, nee "in Brooklyn"
@No. 1 Terrwill
Hello Terrwill. Its easy to figure out who is the bigger scumbag, its Ashburn. Ashburn is the self-loathing homophobic bigot. He is the one who rails against us in daylight; and is sucking cock at night. Pitiful, pathic, and sociopathic.
Brian Leubitz is just incompetent and perhaps naive. What a waste of a master’s degree in public policy if one is unable to use it for promoting the public policies one supports.
ColinATL
Seriously? All Brian had was two people sending him emails. That is not definitive proof. And whether you guys like it or not, outing without a self-admission is still a sordid affair. Give him a break.
Cam
No. 10 · ColinATL said…
Seriously? All Brian had was two people sending him emails. That is not definitive proof. And whether you guys like it or not, outing without a self-admission is still a sordid affair. Give him a break.
_____________________
Oh, please, all he had to say was “I saw him at a gay bar” get one other witness to back the story and it’s a done deal, Ashburn could have either denied the story or not but it would have put a warning shot across his bow that you can’t just attack the gay community as a closet case and not expect your hypocricy to be exposed.
romeo
He just came out officially in the media. Some people are calling for him to resign, given the circumstances. He does look like a schmuck now, given his voting record.