“It’s not the sex, so much as the lying” is the general consensus from gays and lesbians in Portland, who reacted with shock and anger that, on a day that should have inspired hope, they found themselves defending the lies and cover-ups of their newly-elected mayor, Sam Adams. Adams is the first openly gay person to run a city the size of Portland and while he’s apologized for his relationship with then-18-year-old legislative intern Beau Breedlove, many in Portland worry that the story will cause setbacks for gays and lesbians seeking social justice. Adams says he will not resign and will hold a press conference this afternoon to speak more about the issue after speaking at length to the Oregonian editorial board yesterday Video after the jump.
| Mayor Adams meets with Oregonian editorial board part 1 |
| Mayor Adams meets with Oregonian editorial board part 2 |
OPB News has the gay community’s reaction:
“Kimberlee Van Patten “Here we are standing on the mountaintop, with our black president and our gay mayor, we were going to get this done, you know? And now I just feel like we’ve totally been let down. We spend our whole lives trying to convince everyone that we’re OK, that we’re not broken or wrong. And — I don’t care who he slept with — but he lied! That’s the part I can’t get past. He got elected under false pretenses, ’cause we didn’t know the truth, and now we have to deal with it.”
M.J. Petroni “Right or wrong, looking at Sam’s actions, I think many of us might be particularly paying attention to how harshly he’s treated.”
Petroni says he’s not looking for Sam to catch a break, but rather that justice be applied evenly.
In another corner, Ryan Schultz was thinking about whether Adams could survive politically.
Ryan Schultz “I hope he can. I highly doubt he will, though.”
Schutz remembered that when Sam Adams was initially asked about Breedlove, and claims that Breedlove was underage, he’d said his accuser was making a nasty smear — the worst kind a gay man could face. Schultz doesn’t think much of that defense now.
Ryan Schultz “He was trying to break down that stereotype, but in fact he’s building it up by lying about it.”
Matty Cakes
WHO CARES!!
If I had the opportunity for a hot 18 year old piece of ass I’d Jump on it!
Why does the gay community need to project heterosexual morals on a gay public official. Part of what’s great about being gay is that you circumvent those morals.
Sean
It’s truly sad that this happened. My one question is, was this a dating relationship or an affair? Some media is saying it was an affair which makes me think he was with his partner when it happened. But other outlets are saying they dated for 4 months and then called it quits. Which is it? The lie really sucks and borders on the disappointment of Bill Clinton. Many of us are not innocents and shouldn’t throw stones at the prospects of affairs or dirty secrets in our pasts, but this false pretense just makes it worse because it breeds the idea of mistrust in our leaders. This is just really sad.
Wolf
I’m sorry I thought 18 was legal?
You know those in the Gay Communitty that are trash talkin Sam SHOULD be talking about his RIGHT TO PRIVACY and the fact that what he did was NOT ILLEGAL or IMMORAL.
The GLBT Community has really got to learn to stand together and protect its own.
Everyone lies. Its a fact. There is NOT ONE PERSON WHO IS HONEST 100 PERCENT OF THE TIME. We are NO BETTER or NO WORSE than any anyone else. We should not be expected to be “pristine” in order to be accepted because that is IMPOSSIBLE and also a lie about who we are. We are human and we make mistakes.
To those in the GBLT Community who are “disppointed”. Go ahead and be disappointed. But SUPPORT SAM and STAND WITH HIM. because Lord knows there are many more people out there who aren;t gay who are out to get him.
Rant over.
Mad John
Telling the truth is a “heterosexual moral”? Who knew? Guess I’m straighter than I realized.
I see a lot of people on these comment threads who think it’s perfectly acceptable that a gay politician lied to their faces. Get some self-esteem. That’s not a gay or a straight thing; it’s basic integrity. Were you so charitable when it was Bush and the Republicans lying?
There’s also potential misuse of public funds in the hiring of the Portland Mercury reporter pursuing the story for a city job she admits she’s unqualified to do. But to know that, you’d actually have to read the Willamette Week story.
BrianPrince
Seriously — how can the gay community expect to hold its elected officials to a higher standard than we’ll hold ourselves?
How many sexual partners have you had in the last year? How many of you have been completely faithful, in every relationship you’ve ever had?
When the majority have a number less than that of the local crack whores, and can answer “yes” to the latter… then we can hold our political officials to those standards, as well.
CondeNasty
Hmmmm. I understand the points on all sides, to a degree. The thing that actually upsets me is the perception that he was salivating over this 17 waiting to pounce when he became “legal”. But that said I remember Jon Stewert making a joke about men everywhere being overjoyed when the Olsen twins came of age…
@Brian Prince
BTW, I am over 30 and have been in a monogamous ltr for more than a decade and have had fewer than 10 partners in my life. Please do not include me in your sweeping generalization of gays as “whores”. Its talk like that that keeps us down and fuels negative sterotypes.
Mad John
13 years of committed monogamy here. Love it when gays promote antigay stereotypes. But Brian missed the point anyway; Adams’ problem wasn’t his number of partners or even cheating (he was single at the time). It was the lying through his teeth about it for 16 months.
And yeah, I feel honest enough to expect honesty from my politicians.
Tara
As a Portlander, and a supporter of Mayor Adams, this whole thing is a non-story. He lied because he was questioned about something he should never be questioned about.
That is like saying you should get to be fired if you lie about an affair when you boss asks.
alan brickman
if he had been staright, nobody would have investigated him…it’s just the new double standard for gay policos
alan brickman
if gays want to shot themselves in the foot than they should hold gay poiticians to the new double standards….we all lose..
Scott
Sam Adams. Mark Foley. Compare and contrast. I suspect your outrage is tempered by the party you vote for.
D.B.
This isn’t about the sex, it’s about the lies. And this wasn’t just a small lie told in passing — Adams went to great lengths to publicly deny this relationship.
I don’t care about his private life — although this relationship was an incredibly stupid choice for an elected official — but it’s the lies that make me question his character and judgement.
Ed
I am sorry. But the fact that he lied about it during the race, it would have affected his character image during the race, and voters would have to make their decision on character and standings.
He perpetuated a lie, regardless if the kid was underage or not.
Idiot, had sex with a TEEN INTERN. It was irresponsible, and it affects his character judgement. He is likely to make irresponsible decisions like it at another time. He did not have the clear mind of judgment to turn him down in his position. He should step down regardless if it wasn’t criminal or not.
Ed
I DO! I am sorry. But the fact that he lied about it during the race, it would have affected his character image during the race, and voters would have to make their decision on character and what their campaign is based on. The voters have the right to dismiss his action.
THE FACT is HE WAS NOT BRAVE ENOUGH OF A MAN TO STAND UP FOR HIS GAY RIGHT!
He perpetuated a lie, regardless if the kid was underage or not.
Idiot, had sex with a TEEN INTERN. It was irresponsible, and it affects his character judgement. He is likely to make irresponsible decisions like it at another time. He did not have the clear mind of judgment to turn him down in his position. He should step down regardless if it wasn’t criminal or not.
Jaroslaw
Mad John and others – sure it would be nice if politicians were honest, but you must be living in a dream world.
ALL of them say they serve the people but we have millions without health insurance, credit card interest at 32%, wars everwhere, secret sales of arms, planes etc…
So, with all this going on, why exactly do you care that two legal adults had sex? The lie was only necessary because of the puritanical retarded country we live in. The media had no business asking these types of questions in the first place. This Beau Breedlove is old enough to vote, serve in the armed forces and get killed etc. he was not a child. If you have a problem with older men/younger men, then say so.
Perhaps it was politically stupid to have such a relationship, or whatever but it is NOT MY BUSINESS.
asabranca.net
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BEAU BREEDLOVE GUY?
Who can blame Mayor Adams?
http://gawker.com/5136726/portland-mayors-lover-might-as-well-be-porn-star
mj petroni
I am referenced in this post (in the OPB section) and I would like to contextualize my statement: I think many in the LGBTQ community will be watching how harshly Sam is treated in comparison to how a heterosexual in the same situation might. My question, which will only be answered historically, and then only subjectively, is how homophobia will influence this entire situation.