Everyone’s heard stories of friends outed by the usual suspects: protein-stained Men’s Health magazines, poorly concealed gay porn files and telltale santorum on the bedsheets. But Southaven, MS, mayor Greg Davis’ coming-out tale may be the strangest of all—it happened when state auditors were looking to deduct proper expenses from the $170,000 they say Davis owes.
The Memphis, TN-based Commercial Appeal reports that “Davis spent thousands of dollars at the Mesquite Chop House in Southaven and thousands more at local liquor stores. Also included in the receipts is a charge for $67 at Priape, a store in Toronto that is described by its website as ‘Canada’s premiere gay lifestyle store and sex shop.’ ”
Oh, Priape! Greek for penis—such a cute name. Love their selection of anal beads!
This would’ve been an embarrassing reveal even for an openly gay mayor, but it seems that Davis campaigned on that whole family-values thing in an unsuccessful 2008 Congress bid. The Appeal even squeezed a confession out of the embattled Republican.
How about we take this to the next level?
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“At this point in my life and in my career, while I have tried to maintain separation between my personal and public life, it is obvious that this can no longer remain the case,” Davis said Thursday afternoon at his Southaven home. “While I have performed my job as mayor, in my opinion, as a very conservative, progressive individual—and still continue to be a very conservative individual—I think that it is important that I discuss the struggles I have had over the last few years when I came to the realization that I am gay.”
Lesson to be learned here, political officials: don’t spend the public dime on sexytime accoutrements.
FreddyMertz
I’m no longer shocked, eh.
Panserbjorne
You struggled with being gay because you are a DOUCHEBAG, Gregie.
I swear, we’ve got innocent bullied gay kids committing suicide left and right, and then piles of crap like Greg Davis who continue to live. Sometimes I hate the world I live in.
Caliban
“as a very conservative, progressive individual”? Isn’t that an oxymoron, like “Republican Think Tank”?
Jack E. Jett
SHIT ON ALL CLOSET CASE BIGOTS…….
randy
I’m sure Andrew Breitbart is beside himself over the outing of yet another Republican.
He’s a Southern Baptist and is 45. He got divorced in 2010 and has three children. I’m sure his church will welcome him with open arms in this season of love and forgiveness.
Steve
It seems Greg Davis has been a right-wing political bigot, because he is afraid of being gay. He hates himself so much, that he must demonstrate that hatred and bigotry for all gay people at every opportunity. Except, of course, when he goes to the baths.
What he really needs is a few hundred hours of therapy.
And, of course, to apologize to all the people he has harmed during his political career.
Ray
Southhaven is in north Mississippi and Tupelo also in north Mississippi is the home of the American Family Association. Someone should look into whether he’s connected to that christian hate group.
Ian
@randy: Yeah, I’m sure we’ll hear the standard “I’ve been struggling with satan’s influence”… blah blah blah…. tears, “forgive me Jesus….” soon. As for Breitbart, anyone who starts a website called “BigPeace” dedicated to fighting those working toward peace is a giant douchebag.
Dan
This is why you should always out people in politics and religion.
ZHammer
@Dan: I agree.
B
You’d think he would at least have had sense to use cash instead of a credit card or check.
Tom J
@Panserbjorne: You took the words out of my mouth..some days are really hard to get thru, when I read stuff like that and “they” continue to play their right wing trombone…
Continuum
Another right wing, bigoted, self-hating Rethuglican appears. The real story has been going on for months. He ran up about $190K on his mayor’s expense account and never documented the expenses as legitimate. The state auditor finally demanded repayment. It took a criminal investigation to make this crook own up. Gay, straight, or in-between this guy is your typical Rethuglican hypocrite and thief.
JElder
It’s people like this that help create the disdain within the LGBT Community for those of us who are either Republican or “not liberal”. It creates a very unwelcoming atmosphere where we boo our own people who don’t share all the same political beliefs.
I was at a pride parade in Chicago a few years ago and shocked at the sheer number of people who boo’ed the Log Cabin Republican float. I happily cheered them on while everyone gave me the stink eye.
Cam
Who are these idiots that use public funds for stuff like this? It’s like when Jerry Springer was mayor and used a city check to pay off a hooker. These guys are just stupid.
jargon
@JElder: It’s not so much “people who don’t have share the same political beliefs” as people who devote their time, money and energy to a party where a huge part of its leadership and base regards LGBT as abominations (and as we see from this article and many others, plenty of those in the leadership are hypocrites). That is what is getting them booed. As much as one might be more in line with economic policies of the Rep. party, if they continue to field leaders who deny your basic humanity and rights, things one might agree upon seem kind of small by comparison.
Steve
Southaven, MS in the house, keepin it classy up in this bitch.
COOL
I have always heard that right-wing types can be hot. This guy isn’t too bad and it sucks that he spend so much time in “The Power Closet”, that many other political and religious people have made their stay. It does tear me up a bit that many of the guys that are forced out, come out positive and should be guys that you should have a distaste for but most gay men and women know of the struggles of figuring out who you are. That process is a lifetime of struggle. I know so many people that have came out, went back in and then came out again and you just can’t be upset with them. In Greg Davis case, you feel pity for him but you feel angry as well, at least I do. It’s like going out with someone on the sly and they are hanging out with folks making all types of anti-gay jokes and comments. Do you break up with the guy or do you give him a bit of scolding? Mr. Davis big masquerade was on a larger scale, then say the guy from Blockbuster video, who is going to the gay club on the weekend and having a ball or two. Then this same clerk or jerk is feeling uncomfortable, when you come up as an open and out gay man and rent Noah’s Arc, The series.
It’s a twisted world and we somehow have to deal the best we can everyday and even though most gay folks know that the guys or girls screaming the loudest about how uncomfortable gay people make them feel, have their own inner-gay going on.
You know we could welcome Greg Davis into our little family/community with open-arms and give him a bit of lashing for pretending and not sticking up for the many gay citizens not only in his town but all over. Or we could just do what we do and forgive and forgot and move on to the next undercover guy or gal.
harry berkley
here we go again. for all the racist talk white gays blab about black men being closeted losers on the down low, this story once again proves that it is cowardly white men that are the essence of down low scum.
declanto
@harry berkley: Are you feeling insecure when you read about this scumbag? Do you need somebody to hate? Does race occupy a big portion of your awareness? I guess what I’m asking is “What the f*ck is your problem?” This pathetic pol at least finally came clean when confronted with all the evidence. That’s at least a start in a new direction.
BubbasBack
Well well well, another self-hating, conservative, piece of trash. Feed him to the hogs.
Burp.