Alex Morse is the openly gay, four-term Democratic mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts who is currently running for Congress while fielding a college sex scandal.
It all started last week when he admitted to hitting on and having sex with multiple students at UMass Amherst, where he is a political science lecturer, as well from other schools in the Five College Consortium, while he was on the campaign trail.
Morse connected with the students on Tinder, Grindr, and Instagram. Many later said they felt uncomfortable by his advances.
Related: Gay candidate who slept with students says people calling for him to drop out are being homophobic
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Yesterday, the 31-year-old politician put out a statement saying he never “took advantage” of anyone and apologized for making anyone feel uncomfortable.
He also called the whole story a politically motivated smear campaign rooted in homophobia and said he has no intention of dropping out of the race.
“I am being held to a different standard, one deeply connected to a history of surveilling the sex lives of people like me,” he said.
Of course, everyone and their mom seems to have an opinion on the matter.
Some people don’t see what the big deal is about…
look up Alex Morse. People are trying to cancel him for *checks notes* having gay sex with other consenting adults
— g*rr*tt (@garrrish) August 9, 2020
Have any of the young men who hooked up with Alex Morse complained? Were any his students? If not, why do we need to have an opinion on this?
— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) August 8, 2020
In my first year teaching, parents tried to get me fired for having a picture of my parter up. Clear homophobia. Today, “leftists” who are trying to demonize consexual sex between adult men are no better. I support @AlexBMorse
— Patrick Johnson 🌹 (@PatDavidJohnson) August 11, 2020
Alex Morse is getting Katie Hill’d over a consensual relationship. Nowhere is it mentioned anywhere that the involved parties were his direct students. This all feels like a homophobic smear over a gay man’s relationships. I fucking HATE it here.
— Love, Vicky (@vickgarb) August 8, 2020
Alright, some Alex Morse real talk:
I suspect there’s much more to the story and trust the students, but the story so far is all insinuations and no allegations.
Identities should be protected, but what has he actually done?
Has he broken the law or broken campus policy?
— RP Adams (@qwerty4life) August 8, 2020
Maybe the College Dems are attacking Alex Morse not because they are in the grips of “milennial puritanism” but bc they are political hacks trying to kneecap a progressive challenging a powerful incumbent
— Jack Fate (@JacktheFate) August 11, 2020
I confess I am a little confused about the Alex Morse thing. He’s a 31-year-old who… had consensual sex with adults who were not his students and not on his campaign, near as I can tell? Lmk if that’s not accurate but otherwise… why are we policing adult sexual activity?
— Beau Boughamer 🌹 (@BeauInMaryland) August 8, 2020
Gay men spend their lives afraid of the toxic stereotype that they are dirty sexual predators who want to lure children into their “lifestyle,” and now this is the bigoted trope many leftists deploy for *consensual* dates with adults if it violates their little moral codes. pic.twitter.com/YaJMzKOFBJ
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) August 8, 2020
Alex Morse was elected Mayor of Holyoke when he was 22, and this is how many colleges there are in the immediate area, where gay life would obviously be centered. It’s worth keeping that in perspective. pic.twitter.com/Bf48wqWi5m
— Rob Byrne (@RobByrneDC) August 8, 2020
I don’t think I’ve seen one coherent argument for why what Alex Morse did was wrong on a moral or ethical level. If it comes out that he coerced his students into sleeping with him then I’ll change my mind, but as far as I’ve seen he just messaged people who weren’t his students.
— Gordon Gramsci (@DouggieJones) August 8, 2020
Others are absolutely appalled by his behavior…
Good morning! Please unfollow me immediately if you think Alex Morse did nothing wrong in using his status as a candidate to sexually pursue college students. Thanks!
— every cop contribution is a policy failure (@aaronnarraph) August 8, 2020
The only thing that matters is if the student was at his college—not whether the student was in his class.
Under no circumstances should an employee of a college have sex with a student at that college, even if that student is a consenting adult.
— John Hornbuckle (@JohnRHornbuckle) August 10, 2020
Imma be honest it isn’t even the power dynamic thing that makes me go waitaminute w the Alex Morse thing. I’m just like why u goin after students at the uni u lecture at that’s just weird. U can acknowledge he didn’t do anything criminal & also accept what he did was lil weird
— Dale_Taco 🌈 (@dale_taco) August 11, 2020
YOUNG LGBTQ FOLKS WERE MADE UNCOMFORTABLE BY ALEX MORSE. WHY IS THIS SO HARD FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND?
— Vote by mail for Ed Markey!!! (@SpareBostonian) August 10, 2020
Alex Morse needs to drop out like tonight. His “apology” statement was repulsive. You don’t get to use your sexuality as a shield from inappropriate sexual behavior. A disservice to the LGBTQ community.
— Andrew Palmer (@andrewDC_) August 8, 2020
Old people shut up and stop defending Alex Morse challenge
— Tadea (ACAB) Martin-Gonzalez (@Tadea_mg) August 10, 2020
I was groomed by a 36 yo teacher when I was 17. Any sexual stuff was legally above board and started when I was 18. It’s taken me a long time to forgive myself. Anyone implying that what Alex Morse did is okay because it was legal, is telling on themselves and can fuck off.
— Alannah Boyle (@alannahboyle_) August 8, 2020
Alex Morse, as a professor and a big name locally in Democratic politics, had the ability to exert power over the careers of students in College Dems, even if it was indirect influence rather than direct control. That means that he shouldn’t be pursuing those students
— Opinion Haver (@AsInMarx) August 10, 2020
Repeat after me, Alex Morse apologists:
dating someone
younger than you
is not the same thing
as repeatedly
having sex
with students
at the university
you work at.
— ‘B’ the teacher 🌹 (@NC_Leftist) August 9, 2020
a lot of 30+ leftist men are absolutely telling on themselves today
— mikey franklin (@mikeyfranklin) August 9, 2020
Then there are those who are pointing out the multiple double standards happening on both sides of the argument…
Great so I’m assuming all the people commenting in support of Alex had the SAME reaction to when Tara Reade came out?
“Fuck cancel culture” and “we stand with Alex”
Good to know.
— Hunter Petro ⛺️⚪️ (@petro21805) August 10, 2020
The Progressive organizations being silent about Alex Morse is just disturbing to me…
Y’all claim you’re progressives, but don’t call out this shit…
— Brock Meers 🥦 (@BrockMeers) August 9, 2020
Stay away from dudes who hate Kamala Harris and who love arguing about how technically there was consent when a 30-40yo had sex with a teenager.
— Candice Aiston 🍦 (@CandiceAiston) August 9, 2020
A “pattern of behavior of” having consensual sex? What decade is this?
So the guy messages people on grindr. Who cares.
Based on current info, everyone calling on Alex Morse to withdraw should also condemn the DNC for allowing Bill Clinton to speak anywhere, ever. https://t.co/laXRNqoGx8
— Rob Byrne (@RobByrneDC) August 8, 2020
I’m am sick and tired of “leftists” defending the misdeeds of other “leftists” (such as Shahid Buttar and Alex Morse) and claiming it’s either a conspiracy by the establishment or just homophobia or whatever.
— Johnathen #DissolveTheNRA (@johni_sweeney) August 9, 2020
The LGBTQ Victory Fund issued a statement voicing its support for Morse, saying people should “review the allegations and determine whether a straight candidate would be held to the same scrutiny and standards.”
“Alex is taking responsibility for actions that made students uncomfortable and we support the independent investigation by UMass, despite no complaints having ever been made to the university,” the organization said. “But it is critical the media and others avoid reinforcing tired homophobic tropes or sensationalizing this story because of Alex’s sexual orientation.”
QJ201
some people have never heard the phrase, never sh*t where you eat.
I block every dude within 1000 feet of me at work on hook up apps.
bachy
I like your style. Me, I only mate with people from foreign countries. Even if you’re not running for public office, it keeps things nice n’ simple – y’know what I’m sayin’?
Al
I was taught “don’t f*ck the flock”, same deal. Very wise advice.
SiamSean
Exactly QJ201. Teachers have no business messing around with students. I see little difference here with Mary Kay Letourneau. Grow up buddy and find a different type to cruise.
Chrisk
I’m very thankful we still have the above pearl clutchers to show everyone how to be moral. ??
Gadfeal
Absolute, don’t shit where your eat or, as Indians do, reserve one hand for eating. If he wants to hook up with a student, at the very least, it should be with someone from a different institution
It’s just human nature, if you have a relationship with someone whom you meet in the workplace, when the inevitable breakup comes, shit happens.
UlfRaynor
The response from the LGBTQ Victory Fund sums it up best for me, noting that there were no complaints made by students to the universities he lectures at.
While I applaud Queerty in doing an updated post on this, it wouldn’t have been necessary at all if the reporting had been unbiased in the first place and reported the actual facts instead of being geared toward being a manufactured hit piece against a gay man.
firstecho
It’s this simple. Did he have supervisory or control of the education careers of anyone he hit up knowingly on Grindr or instagram?
Current evidence does not suggest so.
If he hit up an adult who happens to go to the college which he also lectures at, who cares.
TomG
Exactly, they are over 18 and NOT his students so it is no one’s business.
Doctor Benway
Graham, you seem to be obsessed about this case, get a life.
RW88
You’ve “written” two pieces on this story in the span of two days citing that he made his people uncomfortable. In neither have you given any insight as to what that means. The University investigated and found no wrong doing on his part, so why is this a story? If you think his great misdeed is hooking up on a SM app, then it’s no wonder you’re going to generate this divide. Unless you have something substantive to report that shows wrongdoing, then just stop.
Dude, it’s Grindr. How much expository information is really being exchanged here when you’re scrolling through headless torsos? Men do not always connect for any other reason than to “connect.” That’s where this story becomes socially contentious because you’re judging him for having hookups without some deeper meaning to them. That’s one of the pluses of being a gay man, I don’t have to take you out and pretend to care about where you see yourself in 10 years. I’m not saying we don’t have other needs that we satisfy through heteronormative practices but I like that if I meet a guy and want to hook up I don’t really feel the need to see his resume and run a credit check. Obviously if you take things further those things matter but they never do at 1am on a Friday night. So relax. You’re not even saying he knew they were students much less his students.
Now if you have anything to report where he actually used his position to create an unjust power dynamic then I’ll be the first in line to say he’s trash. But based on what we do know, he only swiped right and the people he hooked up with did too. So whose a victim here? Because it seems to me we’re telling an out gay man that he can exercise his rights to be an out gay man. And that’s pretty sad.
Cam
This story says he made students “Uncomfortable” yet there is no context around what this means, and no students filed a complaint. Why the effort to put that in without any backing proof?
Add to this the article by the same author that claimed Atlanta Mayor was going after “White Gays” when she said nothing about race.
What’s going on here?
Brian
He used a curse word in a meeting where a student felt it was unprofessional to do that. So at least one of the “uncomfortable” complaints has nothing to do with sex. The reporting is muddling things.
cubcmh
I don’t care who he sleeps with, but I do think it shows poor judgment on his part. Especially if he intended to run for public office.
Every educational institution that I have attended, at all levels, has an employee policy about fraternization with students. And even if Amherst doesn’t, hooking up with students is generally frowned upon in academia. (There’s a whole storyline about this in Friends 😉
Did he know they were students at Amherst, or have a reasonable basis to expect that they were? Did he actively seek out students? Did he tell them he was a lecturer, so they had they could make an informed decision to hook up with him or not?
Regardless, in the context of an election, it boils down to two questions:
1. Does his lack of judgment predict a similar lack of judgment as a public servant?
2. Can I live with that?
Brian
Shame on Queerty and so many others in the media. People are “deeply divided” because of crap reporting on this site and others, including, unfortunately, the Washington Post.
A common thread I’m seeing is, “He shouldn’t have sex with people who he has authority over // who he is mentoring // whose grades he will assign.” These responses are coming from people who read the garbage on sites like this.
He didn’t have sex with his own students. He had no control over their grades. He wasn’t advising any of them.
markthehandyman
My first affair was with one of my college professors. Best decision I ever made.
ThinkPIease
Well if this was California he could have slept with much younger people and everyone would be ok with it.
Dwight
At my school a faculty member could be fired for having a relationship with a student. Any student. It did not matter if they were in your class, your department or anywhere else in the school. And I’m aware of two faculty contracts that were not renewed over it.
I don’t think Morse did anything illegal. I don’t think he should be forced out of the race. Do I think he should drop out? Yes, but that his choice. If I were in his district I wouldn’t be voting for him because the hookups just show a complete recklessness and a lack of good judgment.
Kangol2
I find Mayor Morse’s political stands far more appealing than Richard Neal’s, though I don’t live in their district, so I can’t vote for either of them. From all the accounts outside of Queerty that I’ve read so far, Mayor Morse apparently engaged in consensual sexual relations with other adults. No problems there. If none of the students at UMass that he slept with while he was teaching there fit the categories the university defines as problematic, there shouldn’t be an issue with U.Mass or his candidacy. If any did, then that was an issue for UMass to have taken up at the time he was employed there.
(It should be noted that at many universities and colleges, even if a student does not file a grievance, because of federal and often state laws, staff, faculty or other students who learn of any possible violations are REQUIRED to report such things to higher ups. Things have gotten so rigid that there is no leeway, and if you do not report you can be sued, etc.)
An article yesterday from a local western MA newspaper said that UMass was opening an investigation, but it sounds like this was based on the new brouhaha rather than any student or anyone else at the university lodging a complaint. I can’t speak to anyone feeling intimidated by his status as mayor, but if anything, the College Democrats, if they had a problem with his overtures, could have taken this up with him privately and let him know there was a problem. Over all, it sounds like this is all very political, and the powerful, longstanding Democrat wants him out of the race. While there certainly is a strain of homophobia in the attacks on him, it’s also the case that were a straight man facing these allegations, particularly in light of #MeToo, there’d still be a firestorm, especially nowadays.
CarterATL
What does “uncomfortable” mean in this context? I am often “uncomfortable” when someone sits next to me on public transportation. That doesn’t mean they don’t have the right.
The notion the candidate should drop out is nonsense. Let voters decide what to make of this.
ScottOnEarth
He did nothing wrong and is clearly being demonized because it involves gay sex. I hope Alex remains staunchly unapologetic because he should not be held to a ridiculous standard by judgmental, uptight people.
mecmass
I am SO angry at the obvious political smear campaign just two weeks before the Democratic primary election for United States Congress from my Western Massachusetts district. Alex’s primary opponent is the 71 year old incumbent Richard Neal, who is part of the old establishment that helped get out country to where it is now. We are constantly bombarded with Neal’s negative ads on TV here, but he hasn’t dared to say anything that might sound homophobic. But it sure looks to me and many others as if he found a way to exploit Mayor Morse’s sexuality while seemingly keeping his hands clean…. maybe by “leaking” a homophobic story about something personal that might be embarrassing to Alex even though he has done absolutely nothing wrong. It sure looks like a tactic borrowed straight out of a Republican playbook: a sensationalist non-story, planting negative seeds in the minds of the voters regardless of guilt or innocence. It makes me sick to my stomach. Alex Morse did absolutely nothing wrong. This is a throwback to the homophobia of 20, 30 years ago. He did not sleep with any of his students, he did not harass anyone, he has had no allegations of wrongdoing by any college student.
At any rate, I filled out my ballot today and voted for Alex Morse, who is by far the better candidate for Congress – young, fresh ideas and perspective on the issues, and who has done a stellar job as Mayor of Holyoke since he was 22 years old and was re-elected four times. His constituents know how great he is, and this is what scares the Richard Neal establishment.
I only can hope that others will see through the thinly veiled political hatchet job as I did and vote for Alex Morse for United States Congress representing the Massachusetts 1st District.
Kangol2
Don’t forget, when the Democrats won back the House of Representatives in 2019, Richard Neal took over the House Ways and Means Committee, and had DIRECT subpoena power to request Don the Con’s taxes. Instead of doing so, he dithered, wrote a letter, and stalled, so that Don the Con’s administration would help out a powerful business interest that supported Neal. As of August 2020, we STILL have not seen Don the Con’s taxes, and Neal has made little effort, now that the Supreme Court has provide Congress with guidelines for acquiring information like this, to get ahold of them. He’s clearly scared of Alex Morse (like the people AOC, Jamal Bowman, etc. ousted), so he’s going to hammer him with every sleazy means he can. Neal does not want to give up that cushy job!
[email protected]
Its sex between conscenting adults. What’s the big deal. Geez!
mudgeguy
Golly gosh skip, a gay adult on Grindr feels uncomfortable that other gay men are on Grindr and might message them or reply to their messages. Just swipe up, down, delete or whatever and be done with it.
So much pearl clutching because the shame is apparently that the adult, happens to be a student, and the student by nature of the word must be seen as a child, and won’t someone please think of the children!
HDTex
Graham, manufacturing controversy yet again. Get. A. Life. One that doesn’t involve concern trolling and tone policing everybody else. You might want to start doing that to yourself.
radiooutmike
Much of this “outrage” is coming mainstream (“straight”) media. They don’t get the whole idea that this is completely normal for gay men.
The guys he hooked up with are described as kids which is ridiculous. They are men on an hookup app.
vancouverdoug
This was an obvious hit job from the Democratic establishment. Its disgusting that Queerty went along with this homophobic trash. Luckily as a dual citizen I am able to contribute to Alex’s campaign which I just did
thomas prentice
Of COURSE it was OK — they were *NOT* students in his courses, they met on Tindr or Grindr for crissakes.
As I recall, confirming names let alone exchanging biographical information didn’t happen until pauses during the sizzling action in the sheets.
This massacre of Alex Morse is is Pure American Pious Christian Puritanism rearing its ugly head in a SECULAR way !
And it is rank, toxic, putrid, radioactive Nixon /McCarthy / Hoover Lavender Scare stigmata on the body of the American gay man; cancel culture at its worst; Watergate, dirty tricks, plumbers, burglary, and even CROWING about it in online messages. SAD!