Story of Anti-Gay Scholar’s Use of “Rentboy” Goes Mainstream

The Washington Post has taken the saga of Family Research Council founder George Alan Reker and the “traveling assistant” he found on Rentboy.com mainstream a day after the story broke in the alternative weekly Miami New Times and then was fleshed out by the gay blogosphere.

The blogs have been buzzing for a day over the tale of Reker–an anti-gay scholar and expert witness–and the young man he found on all-male escort site Rentboy to accompany him on a European trip to “lift his luggage” and, apparently,  not for sex. While the New York Daily News was happy to go with the story, the rest of the traditional media–save the Times of London–avoided the story until WaPo decided to take it on in two of its blogs.

Reker has been oddly forthright in responding to the charges, even entering into a Facebook exchange with Joe Jervis of gay blog JoeMyGod.  Reker told Jervis that he wasn’t gay, but instead used Rentboy to find a young man named “Lucien” who accompanied Reker to Europe because a back problem prevented him from lugging his own luggage. “Lucien” was identified first by a gay porn website.

Here’s Reker’s response to the story:

Contrary to Internet stories based on this slanderous article, following medical advice Professor George Rekers requires an assistant to lift his luggage in his travels because of an ongoing condition following surgery. His family, local friends, and even another university professor colleague have offered to accompany him on trips to lift luggage. Professor Rekers was not involved in any illegal or sexual behavior with his travel assistant

While Reker isn’t a household name in social conservative circles, the story isn’t going away because, frankly, it’s too delicious. As WaPo’s expert on the conservative beat, David Weigel put it “Rekers is not a showboat who appears on talk shows — he’s not famous, he’s not an elected official. But he has a long, long record as an expert on why the gay lifestyle is dangerous, why gays shouldn’t be allowed to adopt, and so on. This story will drag on for a while.”

Jervis, who is relishing his role in the story as provacateur and first blog to identify “Lucien,” said the story was also significant because Reker has played a key role in testifying in opposition to gay adoption in Florida and was picked for that role by state attorney general Bill McCollum, who is running for governor.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.