“I don’t think people really care these days.” That’s Richard Tisei, Massachusetts’ State Senate minority leader and just announced gubernatorial running mate of the mostly inexperienced Republican Charles Baker, on how his sexuality is no big deal. What!
As Baker (pictured, below) last week slimmed his lieutenant governor choices in his run for Massachusetts governor, Tisei’s sexuality became an issue — in so much as it was a non-issue.
First taking public office at age 22 in the State House before jumping to the Senate in 1991, the Tisei’s orientation “has been an open secret on Beacon Hill,” relays the Globe, which confirmed things in an interview. “It is not exactly a news flash,’’ the says the lawmaker, who’s been serving as Baker’s campaign chairman. (In Massachusetts, governors and their lieutenants are not officially on the same campaign ticket, but are allowed to run together; other challenger for either post can still come along.)
Well maybe not a news flash in political circles. But to the rest of us? That a gay Republican could be Massachusetts’s No. 2? That’s a “flash” of something.
Maybe it’s history.
Massachusetts, the first American state to legalize same-sex marriage, has a leg up on normalizing the gays. And it’s a crazy, crazy world when an openly gay man — a Republican, no less — can run for such a high state office.
So if Tisei wins? We recommend he give a certain fellow gay lieutenant governor a call with some career closet advice.
tavdy79
You just know the wingnuts are going to field their own candidate, like they did in NY state a few weeks back. Fundie eruption in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…
Sean
But unlike in NY-23, Massachusetts doesn’t have enough Republicans that splitting the party would “suprisingly” lead to a Democratic victory.
terrwill
Mass. is a strange state, One would think with the whole Kennedy dynasty they are a true blue state but they have had some seemingly unlikely people in the Govenors seat. Prior to the current one, the last four have been Repugnaticans. Methinks they are similar to the voters in NYC where in a overwhelming Democratic city, the last five elections have provided a Rep. Mayor. Howeva having a open Gay on the ticket may just bunch up the rightwing-nutbag zealots panties a little bit too much. The RWNBZs will probably put up a conserv. like in NY 23 and give the office to a Dem…………..
Cam
terrwill, True, but remember, when Mitt Romney ran there as a republican, he said he was pro gay rights, and he worked on a statewide healthcare reform. Also, William Weld is very pro-gay, so much so that the GOP in the Senate prevented Bush from confirming him as Ambassador to Mexico I believe So their republican governors are not the same as GOP members from say, Alabama etc…
My guess is the current national party will try to kick this guy out.
*J_C*
sometimes i feel like a gay republican i fight for my gay rights but at the same time i honestly dont want to support people who choose not to work being those who have no mental or physical disorder; but those who choose not to get a job cuz they got another extension on there unemployment, people who think that they dont have to get health care even though they qualify for some sort of health plan because they dont want to pay an extra 20 to 40 bucks off there checks thus sticking the paying public with there bills
YellowRanger
Gay Republicans confuse and frighten me.
It’s like a Jewish Nazi, a black Klan member, or an Ethiopian chef…It just makes no goddamn sense.
Timo
Paradoxically, that probably makes him just out-of-touch enough to be a politician.
AL
To: YellowRanger
As a libertarian-leaning conservative, I find your comparison of gay Republicans to so-called “Jewish Nazis” quite appalling. I haven’t heard of any Republican demanding to ship gay folks out to concentration camps. While I am not affiliated with any party, I find it very disturbing that many gay voters simply ignore “non-gay” issues. I support Democratic stance on gay rights. However, there is number of issues on which Democrats are dead wrong (national defense, fiscal policy, gun rights, crime and punishment, etc). Who will represent my views? I am actually pleased to see a growing number of Republicans who are either openly gay or gay-friendly. I am not here to debate those “non-gay” issues. But you have to realize that some people might have different political views. Or your concept of diversity doesn’t apply to people you disagree with?
John from England(used to be just John but there are other John's)
Yellowranger
Ethopian food is actually really good and very popular. I don’t know the rest of US but I’m guessing if you lived in NY, you could find dozens of really good Ethiopian food.
What’s so interesting about Ethiopia-as like America actually-is that only the South were the people who were affected with starvation not just because of the draught but because the rich North did not want to pay to help the dark Southerners.
And I use America because it seems a lot of people from your country are quite insane and live in their own world about the appalling state of some of your cities/states/areas, were these is extreme poverty and it may as well be a 3rd world country.
Attmay
@6 YellowRanger:
You automatically forfeit the argument with your monstrous and false equation. That you would name yourself after a character on one of the worst TV shows in history also speaks volumes about you.
@8 Al:
Diversity is our strength as long as you look, think, and act exactly like we do.
As for the “Democratic stance on gay rights,” that’s basically stalling and making excuses as to why we are unequal under the law. Only the Libertarian and Green parties support our equality under the law. Do you support equality under the law in all issues (marriage rights, military service, benefits)?
I will be doing all I can to support Charles Baker.
Attmay
And especially Richard Tisei.