On Friday, a gay journalist accused Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) of being gay and in the closet. Itay Hod said in a long Facebook post that he is fed up with closeted anti-LGBT politicians and the media that shields and coddles them, then named Schock as one such politician.
"People always say, 'No one has the right to out anyone,'" he wrote, "that coming out is a private matter. I disagree. As you can imagine, not a very popular opinion. But bear with me."
"Here's a hypothetical," he continued. "What if you know a certain GOP congressman, let's just say from Illinois, is gay? And you know this because one of your friends, a journalist for a reputable network, told you in no uncertain terms that he caught that GOP congressman and his male roommate in the shower...together?"
He went on to point out that TMZ has regularly reported on Schock's "trolling" of gay bars and said that Schock's orientation is mostly public knowledge among a certain set. And yet, Schock has routinely supported anti-LGBT legislation and toed the viciously regressive Republican Party line on LGBT people.
What if, Hod asked, "this very same guy, the darling of the GOP, has also voted against repeal of 'Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,' opposed the repeal of DOMA, is against gay marriage and for the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would add language to the U.S. Constitution banning gay marriage and would likely strike down every gay rights law and ordinance in the country?"
"Are we still not allowed to out him?" he said.
The LGBT blog Qweerty picked up the story Friday afternoon, writing, "Schock has long been the subject of rumors about his sexual orientation. He has always claimed he is straight (although his wardrobe is not). Schock didn’t boost his heterosexual cred any by posing for a series of shirtless images showing off his abs for Men’s Health."
Schock's office has yet to comment on the allegations.
[image of Aaron Schock via Facebook]
[Ed. note: A previous version of this story identified Mr. Hod as a "CBS journalist." A spokesperson for CBS contacted Raw Story and said Mr. Hod had no current employment relationship with the company. Mr. Hod's Linkedin account, however, formerly identified him as such.]
