PA St Rep Mike Fleck a Republican COMES OUT THE CLOSET!
GOP lawmaker in Pa. says he's gay. State Rep. Mike Fleck, who recently separated from his wife, said he hoped his disclosure helps others.
A Republican lawmaker from rural central Pennsylvania who describes himself as a conservative Christian has made history as the first openly gay member of the state legislature.
Rep. Mike Fleck, 39, of Huntingdon, disclosed that he is gay in an interview with the Huntingdon Daily News published Saturday.
Fleck, who recently separated from his wife of almost a decade, told the newspaper he had struggled with his sexuality for years and hoped his openness would help others better understand the journey people have to take to live an authentic life.
"Coming out is hard enough, but doing it in the public eye is definitely something I never anticipated," he said.
It was unclear why the three-term lawmaker, believed to be only the second openly gay Republican legislator now serving in the country, decided to come out at this time.
The Pennsylvania General Assembly will swear in another openly gay lawmaker in January. Philadelphia lawyer Brian Sims, who beat longtime Rep. Babette Josephs in the Democratic primary, ran unopposed for her Center City seat in November.
Fleck, who through a friend said he was not interested in discussing his decision any further at this time, told the newspaper his announcement had not changed the fact that he remained a fiscal conservative and Christian.
"I'm still the exact same person and I am still a Republican, and, most importantly, I am still a person of faith trying to live life as a servant of God and the public," he said. "The only difference now is that I will also be doing so as honestly as I know how."
He told the paper he waited until after the election so the news did not become a distraction during the campaign.
Fleck represents the 81st District, squarely in the "T" in the central part of the state, encompassing parts of Blair, Huntingdon, and Mifflin Counties and where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by 2-1.
Fleck, who attended Christian schools and graduated from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., founded by evangelical leader Jerry Falwell, said he spent years in therapy trying to reconcile his homosexuality with his faith.
Before being elected, Fleck, an Eagle Scout, had been employed as a regional director of the Boy Scouts of America, which bars gay youths as members and prohibits gay troop leaders. He said that job contributed to his difficulty in making his sexual identity known.
Gay-rights groups and legislative Democrats applauded his decision to come out.
"We're so happy he's chosen to come out," said Jason Goodman, a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania and executive director of the Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition, which has been working with Fleck on anti-bullying legislation. "Young people can be inspired that a state representative has come out and recognized that [lesbian, gay, transgender, and bisexual] people come from every community in state."
Steve Miskin, spokesman for House Republican leaders, said that Fleck's announcement didn't change anything as far as they were concerned and that the caucus was "proud to have him as a member."
In recent years, Republicans have tried to advance legislation that would ban same-sex marriage in the state Constitution, and blocked gay-rights measures that would have included sexual orientation in the hate-crimes law and in the state law banning discrimination in employment and housing.
"I firmly believe that this announcement shows how far Pennsylvania has come," said State Rep. Dan Frankel (D., Allegheny), sponsor of the nondiscrimination bill. "The legislature, which is so often far behind the public, is finally coming to reflect the prevailing sentiment among Pennsylvanians: that people's sexual orientation simply doesn't impact their ability to do their job and should not negate their basic rights."
Okay he came out. And is still against Gay Marriage and HATE crimes laws????? He could have stayed in the closet!...What say Ye?
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