Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk is once again the subject of gay rumors, as blogger Mike Rogerswho has a reputation for outing politiciansis claiming that Kirk is a closeted gay men, according to Huffington Post.
On his site, Rogers' BlogActive, Rogers said that he is bringing up the issue of Kirk's sexuality after sources contacted him after Kirk voted against repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." ( The LGBT-rights organization Human Rights Campaign is backing Kirk's opponent, Democrat Alexi Giannoulias, after Kirk's vote. ) Rogers is claiming that two men said they had sexual relations with Kirk while he attended college; Rogers also said that Kirk referred to his own homosexuality when they met at a party several years ago.
This is not the first time Kirk's sexuality has been discussed. In December, during the GOP primary race for President Barack Obama's old seat, Windy City Times reported that Republican Andy Martin claimed in a radio ad that "Illinois Republican leader Jack Roeser said there is a 'solid rumor that Kirk is a homosexual.'"
Kirk's campaign manager, Eric Elk, said in a statement that " [ t ] he ad is not true and is demeaning to the political process. In a press conference held Dec. 28, 2009, at the law firm of Kluever & Platt, openly gay Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jacob Meister criticized Martin's tactic: "The use of sexual orientation in this race, whether overt or by innuendo, can no longer be tolerated. Mr. Martin's statements are clear attempts to use sexual orientation as a political weapon and are criminal in their perpetuation of ignorance and prejudice."
In addition, Kirk has apologized for inaccuracies he has stated about his military career, according to the Chicago Tribune. Among the misstatements were that he served in the Gulf War and that he was attacked while flying missions over Iraq. Appearing before the Tribune's editorial board, Kirk said, "I would describe them as mistakes ... and for me going forward if you see a problem, fix it."