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Politics : Sioux Nation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (13491)	4/15/2005 11:39:24 AM
From: Wharf Rat	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 361426

What's wrong with these pols? Jesse Jackson wouldn't vote for a bill banning black marriages. Lieberman " with Jewish marriages. So why do gay conservatives support anti-gay legislation?..... GOP Sen. Paul Koering reveals he's gay Dane Smith, Star Tribune April 14, 2005 KOERING0414 Page: 1 2 State Sen. Paul Koering, a first-term Republican from the Brainerd area who until recently had voted with conservatives seeking a constitutional ballot question banning same-sex marriage, revealed to the Star Tribune Wednesday that he is gay and has known it since he was a teenager. He is believed to the first openly gay Republican elected official in Minnesota, and his announcement could affect the tone of the stormy legislative debate over gay marriage. However, Koering, 40, a businessman and former dairy farmer from Fort Ripley, said his "coming out" does not change his position that the state's voters should be allowed to decide whether to ban same-sex marriage, nor his basic conservative philosophy. Rather, Koering said he wanted to put an end to rampant speculation -- in the Capitol, on websites and from constituents -- about his sexual orientation. Sen. KoeringRichard SennottStar Tribune"I've always thought that my personal life was just that -- personal," Koering said. "But over the last couple of months there's been a gradual ramping up of calls and questions. And then with the vote that I took last week [breaking with Republicans on a procedural vote on the amendment], it sparked a frenzy of questions." Family, close friends and associates in Brainerd, and GOP Senate colleagues all knew that he was gay, Koering said. "My decision to come out publicly allows me to answer all the questions that need to be answered. I'm hoping to put all this behind me by the end of the week and resume doing the job that my district is paying me for," he said. Koering also acknowledged that his political career could be in peril. His central Minnesota district, competitive on a partisan basis, is considered very conservative on social issues such as abortion and gay rights. But he says if he loses his seat in 2006, it won't be the end of the world. "This is not a live-or-die job with me," Koering said. "I love it; I'm fortunate to have it. I ran for it three times in seven years. But if I don't come back here, life is going to go on." Different dynamic The announcement doesn't appear to dramatically affect the political balance in the sometimes bitter fight over a gay marriage ban, but it could affect the tenor of debate. Former Senate President Allan Spear, a DFLer from Minneapolis who in 1974 became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the nation, said he thinks Koering's new status will subtly affect how things are discussed. "It means they will have somebody in their own [Senate GOP] caucus to confront," Spear said. "Him sitting there is going to affect what they say and how they say it. It creates a different kind of dynamic." Advocates for the gay marriage ban said Koering's announcement isn't likely to affect whether the Senate agrees with the House and Gov. Tim Pawlenty to put the measure on the ballot. "Talk about Paul or his announcements doesn't do any harm to either side," said Chuck Darrell, director of communications for Minnesota for Marriage, adding that he was glad to hear that Koering still backs putting the question on the ballot. "We're praying for Sen. Koering today, and our only concern right now is that he make the best choices for himself and his constituents. ... We love the guy and have no ill will for him at all," Darrell said. Evolution On April 7, the second anniversary of the death of his mother, Koering said, he was faced with yet another vote on the gay marriage issue. This one was an effort by state Sen. Michele Bachmann, R-Stillwater, to call up the bill on the Senate floor, even though it had not been approved and sent to the floor by the appropriate committees. The effort failed, and many observers noticed that Koering for the first time voted with foes of the marriage ban. "I was very emotional that day. My mom always taught us, my three older brothers and my older sister, to do the right thing. ... And I was thinking that it was just wrong to go away from the normal procedure we do in the Senate." More... Page: 1 2 startribune.com