Openly Gay AZ Lawmaker Accuses Dem Colleague of Telling Him to ‘Be More Gay’

A minor kerfuffle in the Arizona state legislature boiled over into an accusation about degrees of homosexuality, one state senator claims. Democrat Steve Gallardo is running to be a U.S. congressman, and recently came out of the closet. One of his Democratic colleagues, Cajero Bedford, questioned his motives and called for him to be removed from leadership. The vote to do so failed, but Gallardo claimed that the questioning became way too personally invasive.

Bedford called Gallardo a hypocrite because he voted to remove another state senator from leadership months ago because of her election plans, and she told the Arizona Capitol Times she found the timing of Gallardo’s announcement about his sexuality to be suspect. And Gallardo claims Bedford was very direct with him in a closed-door meeting.

“She said that I should be more gay and she questioned my integrity. She said she was glad I came out (of the closet), but that I should be more gay,” Gallardo said. “I’m more offended that she questioned my integrity.”

Bedford explained it was a joke, “an attempt to be sort of neutral,” before asking again why he was hiding his sexuality for so long.

[h/t Raw Story]
[photo via screengrab]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

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