Proud of Who We Are goes public with investigation into Senator Mitch McConnell
WASHINGTON,
October 23 - Proud of Who We Are president Michael Rogers went public
today with his investigation into Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
(KY). Rogers called on the Senator to release his military records - including
documentation of the reason McConnell was discharged from the Army in
the midst of the Vietnam War - one day after the Lexington Herald-Leader
reported that Kentucky’s former Attorney General Greg Stumbo came
forward with questions of his own for McConnell.
Rogers has taken six trips to Kentucky in the last several months to investigate long-standing questions about McConnell's military service. Rogers has visited numerous towns, spoken with dozens of people, and spent hours pouring over archived public records.
Rogers has discovered inconsistencies in McConnell’s public Army records and is the first investigative reporter to note the differing answer to a section of the records titled “Transcript of Court Martial.”
For full story, click here |
Statement on Rep. Virgil Goode and federal earmarks to theater with close connections to staff and family
WASHINGTON,
October 16 - Today, Michael Rogers, President of Proud of Who We Are,
issued a statement related to the recent disclosure of Rep. Virgil Goode's
(R-VA) Congressional earmark for a theater managed by the producer of
a film starring his press secretary, Linwood Duncan.
"If Representative Goode wants to direct federal funds to a theater
to which his staff has close personal ties, he should be proud of his
work in Congress," Rogers said.
In addition to his press secretary, Goode's wife serves on the non profit theater's board of Directors.
"Once again we have seen hypocrisy at the highest level of government," Rogers added, "Rep. Goode has a consistently low rating from the Human Rights Campaign, but has no problem funneling funds to a theater that has the same management team as films with gay themes films with his staff in the cast.
Statement on Sen. John McCain's Chief of Staff, Mark Buse
WASHINGTON,
September 19, 2008 - Today, Proud of Who We Are president Michael Rogers
called on Sen. John McCain's Chief of Staff, Mark Buse, to stand up and
be proud of who is and honest with the American people.
"Mark claims to be honest with those he
interacts with in his capacity at Senator McCain's office," Rogers said
in a statement released today. "Yet, in conversations with conservative
leaders at national organizations are surprised to hear of Buse's sexual
orientation and how that may have influenced McCain's votes against the
Federal Marriage Amendment in 2004 and 2006."
Proud of Who We Are encourages Buse to be public in an effort to reduce
his boss' anti-gay rhetoric and positions, including state marriage amendments
and the US military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy which bans openly gay
Americans from the armed forces.
Statement on the arrest and guilty plea of Senator Larry Craig
WASHINGTON, August 27, 2007 - Proud of Who We Are President Michael Rogers, who broke the story in October 2006 of Sen. Larry Craig's sexual encounters with men, issued the following statement Monday regarding Craig's arrest:
"Larry Craig should stand up and be honest with the citizens of Idaho about who he is," said Rogers, the country's top gay activist blogger. "Tonight is a historic opportunity for Senator Craig to run for re-election as a proud gay American. What a great turning point for one of the most conservative states in the country to be represented by an openly gay Senator."
"Senator Craig's situation is exacerbated by the fact that he has a voting record that is counter to the interest of lesbian and gay Americans. All too often, closeted men like Senator Craig use their voting record to hide their truth from the American people. With this news now out in the open, I call upon Senator Craig to reevaluate his votes on issues like the Federal Marriage Amendment, Don't Ask Don't Tell, and the Defense of Marriage Act."
For full story, click here |
Congressman Patrick McHenry aide indicted on voter fraud charges, Proud of Who We Are reports on additional men registered at NC politician's home, and staffer registered to vote in district while paid at other address
WASHINGTON,
May 12, 2007 - Mike Rogers and Proud of Who We Are has uncovered a pattern
of questionable registration and salary payments related to the indictment
of Michael Aaron Lay, an aide to US Rep, Patrick McHenry (R-NC).
The story was first reported by CBS that Lay had been indicted. Proud of Who We Are, which had been investigating the case, has uncovered evidence of others registered at McHenry's home and a case of a campaign worker for McHenry being registered to vote in the North Carolina district Mchenry represents, while being paid at another address.
For full story, click here |
Social Conservatives Questioning Past Support for GOP as Evidence of Large Numbers of Gay Republican Leaders Grows
WASHINGTON,
Nov. 6 - Mike Rogers, the nation's leading gay activist blogger, last
night took his campaign against hypocrisy by anti-gay Republicans and
evangelicals who are gay themselves to the U.S. Capitol steps.
Under a full moon in front of the Capitol dome, at a prayer vigil organized by the Christian Defense Coalition "to put men and women in office that will honor God and the principles of this nation," Rogers handed out flyers with a list of 28 "known homosexuals in the Bush administration and Republican party."
On the leaflets was a copy of an open letter that Rogers sent over 1,000 conservative Christian pastors on Friday, bearing a picture of Republican National Committee Ken Mehlman and saying that "a staggering number of leader claim to support 'family values' in public, but secretly lead what many social conservatives call the 'homosexual lifestyle.'"
Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney first told Rogers to stop leafleting, then asked the police to intervene. When they did not, Mooney took the microphone to tell the crowd not to take the leaflets and keep praying.
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For full story, click here |
Florida Chapter of PWWA Forms,
Delivers Letter Urging Florida Gubernatorial Candidate Charlie Crist to
be Honest about His Sexuality
WASHINGTON,
November 3 - Proud of Who We Are will officially open its Florida Chapter
today when gay rights activist and president of PWWA-FL Kyle DeVries delivers
a letter urging Charlie Crist to be honest with Floridians about his sexuality
and his relationship with convicted felon and former Katherine Harris
staffer Bruce Jordan.
Both anti-gay Republican party and anti-gay evangelical
movement appear to have been led by closeted gay men
From today’s headlines it seems quite possible that closeted gay
men have been holding the top jobs in both the anti-gay Republican party
and the anti-gay national evangelical Christian movement.
It was announced Thursday that Rev. Ted Haggard of Colorado Springs, Colo., president of the National Association of Evangelicals and a leader in the get-out-the-vote effort for Republicans, has resigned his national post, after a male prostitute alleged on Denver television that Haggard repeatedly paid him for gay sex for three years.
Activist Mike Rogers, who has spent years documenting and exposing the hypocrisy of closeted gay politicians, today called on another Colorado Springs-based evangelical leader, James Dobson of Focus on the Family, to join him in investigating whether the leaders involved have been truthful, and to demand new answers from them.
For full story , click here. |
New parody video mocks Ken Mehlman’s denial of responsibility for race-baiting TV ad
Proud of Who We Are's Mike Rogers today used YouTube to release a parody TV ad mocking the multiple counts of hypocrisy put on display by Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Ken Mehlman.
The parody ad is posted on YouTube under the title "blogActive parody of Ford ad and Ken Mehlman," here. It may also be seen on Rogers’ blog, blogActive.com.
Rogers’ ad is a direct response to the RNC’s now-infamous "call me" ad, which analysts said was designed to raise old fears about interracial relationships to try to defeat the Senate campaign of African-American Rep. Harold Ford (D-TN).
For full story and script of the ad, click here. |
PWWA activist calls on Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig to “be proud of who you are” and stop gay-baiting
Mike Rogers, the nation's top gay activist blogger, today called on Idaho
Sen. Larry Craig to “be proud of who you are,” acknowledge
that his own sexuality includes private encounters with men, and cease
deceiving conservative voters by advancing an anti-homosexual agenda in
public.
Rogers, the president of Proud of Who We Are, broadcast his invitation
to Craig today at 3:35 p.m. Mountain time on the nationally syndicated
radio program, the Ed Schultz Show, and in a followup letter to the senator’s
Idaho district offices.
For full letter, click here. |
Proud of Who We Are writes to recently 'outed' Senator Larry Craig
Dear Senator Craig:
I
write to you as president of Proud of Who We Are, an organization that
is calling on closeted, anti-gay politicians to tell people who they really
are and to allow voters to elect them based on an honest dialogue with
the nation's citizens. Religious conservatives this fall are being asked
to support one group of politicians over another on the grounds that they
will fight what social conservative call "the homosexual lifestyle."
What these citizens are not being told is that some of the politicians
who want their help are or have staff who are part of the so-called "homosexual
lifestyle."
That’s not truthful, and it’s not right. It’s not OK to have a public persona that is based on a lie, and it’s not OK to ask the gay community to sit idly by while someone works against our interests – then expect us to harbor their social life.
For full letter, click here. |
Proud of Who We Are makes it official on Los Angeles drive time KABC radio: House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier is gay
Proud of Who We Are President Michael Rogers appeared today on KABC radio
Los Angeles to talk about closeted Congressman David Dreier (R-CA). Appearing
on the Al Rantel show, Rogers spoke of Dreier's secret life and asked
numerous questions about the silence of RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman, when
his party is under attack over the number of closeted gay men in the highest
echelons of the Party.
"The presence of David Drier and other high powered, closeted, gay Republicans stands in stark contrast to the rigid, hardened opposition to anyone who is gay by socially conservative activists," Rogers said in a statement following his appearance. "Right wing figures such as Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council and James Dobson of Focus on the Family must be increasingly alarmed by the high number of gays in the Republican party," he added.
Proud of Who We Are will continue it's recently launched campaign to tell these right wing figures just how many closeted gays are in the Republican Party they are being asked to support next month.
To hear the audio of Rogers's appearance, click here.
PWWA writes to Illinois religious
leaders on the role of Speaker Dennis Hastert in Foley scandal
Proud of Who We Are has sent this following letter to religious leaders
in Illinois:
Dear religious leaders:
Speaker Dennis Hastert’s private meeting today with Rev. K.A. Paul, founder of the Global Peace Initiative, is insufficient to answer the questions that his constituents and concerned citizens nationwide have about why the Speaker of the House covered up the Foley sex scandal for so long.
As a leader in the gay rights community, I am writing to you although I know we differ on many issues, because of an issue on which I believe we have a common concern: the protection of America’s young people from sexual predators.
For full letter, click here. |
Letter to Buffalo area religious leaders on role of Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-NY) in Foley scandal
Proud of Who We Are has written to Buffalo area religious leaders Pastor
Tommy Reid of The Tabernacle, Rev. Robert Behn of Last Call Ministries,
Anne F. Downey of Concerned Women for America, and Rev. Duane Motley of
New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms
Dear Madam and Sirs:
As a leader in the gay rights community, I am writing to you although I know we differ on many issues, because of an issue on which I believe we have a common concern: the protection of America’s young people from sexual predators.
I am sure you are stunned as I am by this week’s revelations about former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, and the role of Congressional leaders in protecting him and letting his behavior continue.
Mr. Foley’s alleged misuse of his office to communicate inappropriately with underage youth is, I am sure, something we both find abhorrent. As a result, we must put aside our differences to work together to clean up Congress and protect the children invited to serve there.
For full letter, click here. |
PWWA writes to national religious leaders on the Foley scandal
Rev. Lou Sheldon, Traditional Values Coalition
Tony Perkins, Family Research Council
James Dobson, Focus on the Family
I am writing to you today on an issue of concern to you and me: protection
of America’s young people from sexual predators. For once, gentlemen,
we might have something in common and an opportunity to work together
to clean up Congress.
I know that you have heard of the stunning revelations about U.S. Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) that resulted in his abrupt resignation. Mr. Foley’s alleged misuse of his office to communicate inappropriately with underage youth is, I am sure, something we all find abhorrent.
In the three days following Mr. Foley’s leaving Congress, it has become clear that a number of high ranking members of the Congressional leadership were aware of this situation for at least a year, and chose only to issue warnings to these teenage pages to avoid Mr. Foley’s unwanted attention. I spoke to a former page as a part of my organization’s investigation, and the page confirmed the warnings to pages about Mr. Foley. The leaders of Congress chose not to report to the proper law enforcement authorities what they had to suspect was sexually predatory behavior.
For full letter, click here. |
PWWA speaks with former congressional page,
Pages taught about previous scandals in safety effort
Read the Mark Foley e-mails here.
Proud Of Who We Are has confirmed with a former congressional page that
there was widespread knowledge of instant message chats and emails between
Rep. Mark Foley and a congressional page. Pages were taught the history
of the Congressional Page program, including scandals in the past.
The source, who spoke with Proud of Who We Are on the condition of anonymity, said they had seen “series of instant message conversations that the person in question had saved.” When asked if it was known if Foley had sexual encounters with the pages, the source told Proud Of Who We Are that they believed that was not the case. “I am reasonably sure that it did not go beyond flirtation and some kind of, well, sexual instant message conversations.”
For full story, click here. |
The Elephant in the Room
is that David Dreier is a Gay American
We think that the House conservatives need to come clean with the American
public and admit that they dumped David Dreier because he is gay – no
matter how talented he is, no matter how many times he voted against the
interest of other gay people. We suppose that it's their right to oppose
someone for who he is, but they shouldn't be allowed to do it using code
words such as "moderate" and "squishy."
Our first act is to today demand conservatives in the House of Representatives to be honest about why their caucus they revolted against Speaker Dennis Haster’s choice of Congressman David Dreier as the new Majority Leader to replace the sidelined Tom DeLay.