Ten Reasons Why We Would Want Aaron Schock To Come Out–Or Maybe Not Come Out

Aaron Schock had a no-good, terrible, very bad week last week. Of course, for Schock, any week where he is in the news is generally unwelcome because it raises all those pesky questions about, well, you know.

The whole week was a reminder why it would be great if Schock came out (assuming he’s gay, and you can calculate the odds of that assumption). The week was also a reminder of why it would be awful if Schock actually came out. Here are ten reasons why we would love to see Schock came out–and why we would hate it if he did.

In favor of Schock coming out:

His Downton Abbey-inspired office. Okay, it may be a bit over the top, but by Congressional standards it’s pretty fabulous. Plus, we could use someone who was willing to bring Downton Abbey into current political discourse.

Quoting Taylor Swift as a media response. Of all the possible ripostes to come up with when his office became newsworthy, Schock went for the gayest one possible: quoting Taylor Swift. Imagine the explanations a theortetically out Schock could use as he cycles through boyfriends. He might as well just hire Taylor as his new press secretary.

The Instagram account. Yes, the one with Schock surfing, weight lifting doing the ALS ice bucket challenge, and performing a combat swimming exercise with West Point cadets. Schock shut it down after the outing controversy a year ago (when he was following Tom Daley, or at least his account was), but it is back with a shirtless vengeance. It’s a little like Grindr, with training wheels. There’s also a photo of Schock with Apple CEO Tim Cook, who could provide a few tips about coming out.

His personal photographer. How this for fantasy fulfillment: hiring your own photographer–a former wedding photographer, at that–to follow you around and snap you being wonderful. Jonathon (yes, Jonathon) Link now gets paid to follow Schock around and take pictures of the Congressman walking hand-in-hand with himself down the political aisle.

An out gay Republican. Schock is considered one of the bright lights in the dim universe of the GOP. Having him come out would be an important step forward for the party, which really needs to get used to LGBT issues for its own sake and everyone else’s. The last out gay Republican in Congress was Jim Kolbe, who left office eight years ago. It’s about time there would be another.

On the other hand:

He hires racist jerks. Schock’s aide Benjamin Cole panicked when a Washington Post reporter snapped shots of the office. That put Cole in the spotlight, which was a bad career move. It turns out Cole liked to post racist comments on Facebook, suggesting that African-Americans in his neighborhood had escaped from the National Zoo. Cole was also featured in a film about the efforts of Southern Baptists to convert Jews, telling the camera that homosexuality is “an abomination.” Except when it’s signing your paycheck, which it won’t be any longer, now that Cole has resigned.

Not exactly Mr. Ethics. Schock has a slew of ethical problems on his hands now. One is whether he inappropriately got his office designed for free. Another involves the sale of his home to a donor at a huge profit. Then there’s his tendency to charter private planes at taxpayer expense. Remember Mark Foley? The Florida Republican had to leave Congress after his history of hitting on male pages came to light. Schock’s scandal may not be sexual, but do we really want to claim someone with a touch of sleaze about him?

The Chevy Tahoe. If you’re going to spend $74,000 on a car, would you spend it on a Chevy Tahoe? Schock did. No disrespect to the hard workers at GM, but it’s not exactly an A-gay vehicle.

The Instagram account. It’s not just shirtless pics. It’s also photos of Schock with George W. Bush (“a great man”) and Donald Trump. If you’re known by the company you keep, Schock can keep to himself.

An out gay Republican. Schock could move the GOP forward on LGBT issues. He could also provide the party much needed cover for antigay stands. He has a perfect voting record on gay issues in Congress–perfectly antigay, that is. It may be expecting too much for Schock to start standing up for his people after so many years of making sure they were kept in their place.

Photo credit: Aaron Schock’s Instagram account

JohnGallagher

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WATCH: 5 Artists You Need to Hear Right Now

These spoken-word artists are serving up unapologetic realness about being a trans or queer person of color in America. Sit back, listen up, and prepare to be blown away.

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Sunnivie Brydum

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2015/02/10/watch-5-artists-you-need-hear-right-now

PHOTOS: 11 Important Life Lessons From Men’s Fashion Weeks

Now that the mens of the Men’s Fashion Weeks about the globe have strutted back into their stables — and with New York Fashion week heating up this week — let’s take a look at what we learned from this annual man mannequin parades.

JW Anderson

There’s a time and place for subtlety. This isn’t it.

Burberry
Fringe benefits.

Givenchy
Makeup: it’s not just for ladies anymore. But don’t go overboard, this isn’t a Real Housewives publicity shoot.

Moncler Gamme Bleu
Stand out from the pack or you’ll get lost in the clone war shuffle.

Calvin Klein
Recycling is good for the environment, and OK for pants.

Givenchy
If it ain’t Baroque, don’t fix it.

Burberry
Take a catwalk on the wild side.

Dolce & Gabbana
There’s a thin line between “eccentric billionaire” and “crazy homeless person.” And that line is silk.

Gucci
Treat yourself. Why not take a trip to the dandy store and satiate that sartorial sweet tooth.

Armani
Swagger is sexy, even when you’re giving off (more than) a little Joan Collins vibe.

Rick Owens
Finally, when in doubt — just hang out with your wang out. Public indecency be damned, this is fashion.

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PHOTOS: Vintage Fashion Ads From The 1980s

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Conchita Wurst Brings Fashion Icon Jean Paul Gaultier To His Knees

Les Fabian Brathwaite is voguing through this Wintour of our discontent. 

Les Fabian Brathwaite

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Anwar Ibrahim's Sodomy Conviction Upheld; Court Sentences Opposition Leader To 5 Years In Prison
PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s top court on Tuesday upheld opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy conviction and sentenced him to five years in prison, a verdict he slammed — while standing in the dock — as the “murder of judicial independence” and the result of a political conspiracy.

The case was widely seen at home and abroad as politically motivated to eliminate any threats to the ruling coalition whose popularity has slowly been eroding since 2008 after more than five decades of unquestioned dominance. Anwar is the most popular, vocal and visible symbol of the opposition’s resurgence and had become a potent political threat to Prime Minister Najib Razak. This was Anwar’s final appeal, and once the proceedings ended he was led by police out of the court, presumably to immediately start serving time on charges of sodomizing a then 23-year-old aide who worked in his office.

“I have to go. Time’s up,” the 67-year-old politician told his supporters inside the court. “I will miss you all,” he said bowing to them before walking out.

Anwar was accused of sodomizing Saiful Bukhari Azlan, who was working as a lowly functionary in the opposition election campaign office, in 2008. Anwar was acquitted by the High Court in 2012 but the Appeals Court overturned the acquittal in March last year and sentenced him to five years in prison.

Anwar appealed in Federal Court, which in its Tuesday ruling said there was “overwhelming evidence” to support the conviction. “It is beyond reasonable doubt that (Saiful) was sodomized by the appellant. The appeal is dismissed,” said Justice Arifin Zakat, who read the verdict for two hours on behalf of the five-judge panel.

The court also sentenced him to five years imprisonment, even though the prosecutor had asked for more than six years. Sodomy, even consensual, is a crime in Muslim-majority Malaysia and is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Saiful maintained that he submitted to it because he was afraid of Anwar.

Now 30, Saiful has since got married and has a son. He said on his blog Tuesday he is thankful for the judgment, which proves the court found him a credible witness. “What is important is that I and my family can now move forward,” he wrote.

The Federal Court said Anwar’s allegations that the case was a political conspiracy “remains an allegation, unsubstantiated by any facts whatsoever.” It also rejected the defense argument that the semen samples taken from Saiful’s body were tampered with by the police.

Addressing the judges from the dock after the verdict, Anwar said: “You have become partners in crime in the murder of judicial independence,” prompting them to get up and walk out of the room, with Justice Arifin heard saying “I don’t need to hear all this.”

Anwar, however, continued speaking from the dock. “Allah be my witness. I pledge that I will not be silenced. I will fight on for freedom and justice. I will never surrender.”

“I maintain my innocence. This to me is a fabrication coming from a political conspiracy to stop my political career,” Anwar said.

As the last words of the verdict were read out, Anwar’s wife, Wan Azizah, burst into tears. Anwar hugged and consoled her before turning to his children and grandchildren. He smiled and hugged them too.

Watched by about 300 policemen, hundreds of his supporters gathered peacefully outside the imposing court building in Putrajaya, the administrative capital of Malaysia. The supporters are “definitely disappointed,” said Edmund Teoh, 29, calling the court partial and unjust.

The verdict is the “death of justice. We will keep on fighting for a better Malaysia. We won’t give up,” said another supporter, Tey Khang Fai, 33.

In an apparently pre-written statement released minutes after the verdict, the Prime Minister’s Office said Anwar’s case has gone through an exhaustive legal process, and that the case was brought by an individual, not the government.

“The process is now complete and we call on all parties to respect the legal process and judgment … Malaysia has an independent judiciary, and there have been many rulings against senior government figures,” it said.

Anwar previously was imprisoned for six years after being ousted as deputy prime minister in 1998 on earlier charges of sodomizing his former family driver and abusing his power. He was freed in 2004 after Malaysia’s top court quashed that sodomy conviction. That case was also widely seen as politically motivated, as it came at a time when he was locked in a power struggle with then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

The latest verdict brought forth a torrent of criticism from local and international human rights groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and International Federation for Human Rights. They called the verdict “disgraceful,” a “black day” and “totally unjust.”

Malaysian human rights group Suaram pointed out that that the political nature of the trial was apparent from the fact that Saiful had met with the prime minister and senior officials before making a police complaint; medical records had shown no penetration; one of Anwar’s lawyers was charged twice with sedition for criticizing the Appeals Court judgment.

“The Federal Court’s verdict is the disgraceful conclusion of a relentless judicial campaign against Anwar Ibrahim. Malaysia’s judiciary failed to demonstrate its independence from the executive branch in a trial that had clear political motivations,” said FIDH President Karim Lahidji.

Anwar said his jailing for a second time would be toughest on his family, but that they were all very supportive.

Instead of breaking up his three-party alliance, he warned Najib that jailing him could backfire and galvanize more support for the opposition.

“They will continue with or without Anwar,” Anwar said. “Authoritarian leaders always believe the best way to deal with dissidents is to jail them, but throughout history, it has always backfired,” he said.

Anwar led his alliance to unprecedented gains in 2008 elections and made further inroads in 2013 polls. Najib’s National Front coalition won with a slimmer majority and lost the popular vote to the opposition.

—

Associated Press journalists Paul Joshua and Vincent Thian in Putrajaya contributed to this report.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/10/anwar-ibrahim-sodomy-conviction_n_6650188.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices