South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham
was caught by surprise last week with a question about his sexuality.
Mike Stark, who blogs at The
Crooked Dope, approached the Republican lawmaker to ask him
about rumors he's gay.
In May, openly lesbian politician Linda
Ketner outed Graham and two other South Carolina lawmakers in an
interview published on the progressive political blog Fire
Dog Lake.
“We have more gay people serving in
South Carolina than probably in any place in the United States.
They're just not out of the closet,” she said, then gave the
examples of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, South Carolina State Senator
Glenn McConnell and Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer. Ketner, who
came close to unseating incumbent S.C. Representative Henry Brown
last November, later apologized for her remarks. Bauer denied he's
gay – calling
the rumor “silly” – after blogger Mike
Rogers outed him.
Graham, who sits on the Armed Services
Committee, could barely manage a blank stare when asked if the rumors
were true.
“You're aware of a lot of anonymous
comments made by people who are afraid of a powerful senator from
South Carolina regarding homosexuality,” Stark asked Graham as the
men walked down a corridor.
“Yeah, but this is a little bit ...”
Graham interrupted.
“So do you have to answer questions
about that? I mean, I know a lot people from the Christian right
elect senators from South Carolina,” Stark continued.
“This is different to me,” Graham
responded referring to a previous question concerning questions he
raised during Justice Sotomayor's confirmation hearings. Graham had
asked Sotomayor to answer anonymous rumors concerning mostly her
temperament.
“I'm guessing after a long career in
the military, you're not going to dignify these rumors with any kind
of comment?” Stark offered.
“Right … Right … OK,” Graham
answered with a blank stare.