Shortly after Illinois state Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Pontiac, announced his decision to run in next year's race for secretary of state against popular two-term incumbent Jesse White, the Illinois Family Institute ( IFI ) re-posted a Web site item questioning the Republican's gay agenda.
The IFI focused on the ''elephant in the room' that nobody wants to talk about: Rutherford's alleged self-interest in the homosexual issue.'
The organization based its conclusion on a couple of Rutherford's actions, namely voting for the state LGBT-rights bill in January and not signing the 'pro-defense-of-marriage referendum petition that has been endorsed by the Illinois GOP and a host of legislators and pro-family groups.'
In the organization's original essay, published Feb. 3, Executive Director Peter LaBarbera wrote that he did not believe that 'Dan Rutherford has been honest and straightforward with his constituents and IL conservatives, at least on one key issue: his ( alleged ) homosexuality. ... [ If he is gay ] , it explains how Rutherford could be so GOOD on the life and gun issues and so BAD on homosexual agenda issues like the SB 3186 vote.'