West Sac mayor ends his silence - he's gay

Sacramento Bee ^ | 3/30/6 | Ed Fletcher

[SmithL]

West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon has anxiously kept his sexual orientation a secret his entire political career.

He broke his silence on the subject Wednesday night at the annual State of the City dinner at West Sacramento City Hall.

"The pressure and the stigma and sometimes the all too casual bigotry in this town made it painfully clear when I first ran for office that I could either serve this community or I could be a gay man. But I could not be both," Cabaldon said.

His disclosure - planned well in advance - concluded a speech focusing on levees, "walkable" communities and schools. After celebrating the accomplishments of the city and discussing the future, he disclosed that he was gay.

Cabaldon said he decided to disclose he's gay to make it easier for other gays and lesbians wrestling with making their sexual orientation public.

In an interview this week, Cabaldon said when he began his political career, he thought he couldn't disclose the matter. So rather than lead a double life or a secret life, Cabaldon said he decided he couldn't have a personal life.

"Nobody could really out me before because I wasn't dating," said Cabaldon. "I'm still not dating or anything like that."

His heartfelt address Wednesday night brought the crowd of 150 developers, business and political leaders to a standing ovation, some with tears in their eyes.

Developer Bryan Taylor said, "We couldn't be more proud of our mayor."

The 41-year-old mayor's unusual "coming out" will be carried in documentary form on an MTV Networks cable channel featuring gay-themed programming. A crew working for the Logo channel has been shadowing Cabaldon for the better part of a week. The program is expected to air in July.

[don-o]

Nope. Jack Sparrow is not gay.

[John O]

It's unusual to be welcomed to a Conservative forum as a homosexual. I also used to be a liberal.

There are people here with all sorts of failings. As long as you don't try to force acceptance of, or approval of your failing (or chosen lifestyle if you prefer) then you won't have any problems.

Where there's life, there's hope.

[Dionysius]

In a related story, Jumbo, the celebrated elephant of the Sacramento Zoo, was so inspired by the mayor's courageous announcement that he admitted that he wasn't an orangatan but was indeed an elephant.

[Dionysius]

"He's not only merely gay -- he's really most sincerely gay!"

[mikeyc]

Sure I'd like acceptance of my chosen lifestyle, since it's one of celibacy and acceptance that homosexuality is either a mental sickness, a genetic aboration, or some sort of combination, depending on the individual.
As I've said earlier in this thread, I'm not a supporter of the gay mayor's decisions or announcement. It raises many questions about his intentions, priorities and moral choices.

I'm not shy to admit my affliction, but I don't normally announce it to others. The only reason i've mentioned it in this thread is to show that not all homosexuals support the 'gay rights' ajenda. In fact, quite the opposite.
I support the Conservative, family values of normal men, and I denounce what is represented by this mayor and his announcement.

It's easy for normal men and women to support their own, and for homosexuals to rally together to further their own perverted cause. It's expected. It also seems fashionable for many normal folk to support what they refer to as 'gay rights', who really have no understanding of what lies beneath. But it's less common for homosexuals to be vocal about defending society against the 'gay desease', which I see as the acceptance of sexual perversions and deviant lifestyles as being equal to normal heterosexual values.
The reason I support the right-thinking and most natural opinion is exactly BECAUSE i am homosexual, and have lived as one amongst the homosexual 'community' for many years. So I understand the nature from that side of the fence, and I know first-hand the sexual and social priorities that drive these people.
THAT is why I denounce this mayor for his announcement, and why I wholeheartedly support the rolling back of the libertarian advances of homosexuality in society.

I have no strong religious convictions. I simply speak out of common sense, disgust at the negative effects of unbridled homosexuality, and for the defence of basic human standards in our society.

[John O]

Bravo, Excellent post.

I would postulate however, that you are not a 'homosexual' but someone who struggles with homosexual temptations (tendencies?).

As I believe we've already agreed, homosexuality is a chosen lifestyle. Whether one is 'homosexual' or not is entirely dependent on whether one practices homosexual behavior or not. You seem to choose not to participate in that activity. There is no way anyone can test to see if you are afflicted with this malady or not so identifying yourself with it is somewhat self-defeating (except in rare circumstances where you wish to make a point as in this discussion).

Lets assume I was a habitual glutton. Would I identify myself as a glutton? No. Not because it's necessarily shameful (although some things are) but because it's irrelevant.

There are three ideas about homosexuality that I have found to be so accurate that I've named them the three laws. (They are on my profile page) The second one applies to this situation:

The second law of homosexuality:

To the mentally healthy (heterosexual), sex is something you do;
To the mentally diseased ("homosexual"), sex is everything you are.

Someone who identifies themselves as homosexual is stating to the rest of us that what they do with their genitals is the defining characteristic of their entire life. In our brief discussion this doesn't seem to fit you at all.

[mikeyc]

Although I agree with you on so much of what you post, on this point I have to disagree completely.

To your first point, I don't struggle with homosexual temptation, but I accept them and redirect them more appropriately and privately in a way that doesn't impact on anyone else.

You say that homosexuality is a chosen lifestyle, but i disagree. It's a condition... it is a genetic or mental and sexual flaw. It catagorises a sexual tendecy... as heterosexuality means that you are sexually attracted to the opposite gender, so homosexuality is the attraction to your own gender. Whether you choose to act upon it or not isn't what defines homosexuality.

There is the old homo joke when someone is asked if they are a practicing homosexual, and the homo replies "No, i'm perfect at it".
My point being, that it isn't a choice to BE a homosexual, but it is to 'practice' it. I never chose to have sexual attraction to other men, and to have no sexual attraction to any women, ever in my life. That is something that IS, just as a man with one arm doesn't choose to have just one arm. It's an affliction that he is given, as is my homosexuality.

Where we don't meet eye to eye on this is by the definition of homosexuality. You seem to be saying that a homosexual is only such when he publically identifies himself as one...
"Someone who identifies themselves as homosexual is stating to the rest of us that what they do with their genitals is the defining characteristic of their entire life."
I disagree with this, but I don't feel that this thread is the appropriate place to discuss it. This has gone away from the thread, and may be better discussed on a new thread. It's an important topic because it reflects on many of the posts about the homosexual ajenda, as well as normal people's understanding of homosexuality and how it drives the individuals with the affliction.