Posted on 10/15/2006 9:20:08 AM PDT by shortstop
BOSTON - Former Rep. Gerry Studds, who became the first openly gay member of Congress when his homosexuality was exposed during a teenage page sex scandal, died early Saturday (Oct. 14, 2006). He was 69.
Rep. Studds died at Boston Medical Center several days after he collapsed while walking his dog, his husband said. Doctors determined his loss of consciousness was due to a blood clot in his lung, Dean Hara said.
Rep. Studds regained consciousness and seemed to be improving, but his condition deteriorated Friday because of a second blood clot. The origin of the second clot was not immediately determined, said Hara, who married Rep. Studds shortly after same-sex marriage was legalized in Massachusetts in 2004.
Hara said Rep. Studds gave courage to gay people by winning re-election after publicly acknowledging his homosexuality.
"He gave people of his generation, of my generation, of future generations, the courage to do whatever they wanted to do," said Hara, 49.
Rep. Studds was first elected in 1972 and represented Cape Cod and the Islands, New Bedford, and the South Shore for 12 congressional terms. He retired from Congress in 1997.
In his early career, Rep. Studds was known for opposing the Vietnam War and military intervention in Central America. Rep. Studds later became an advocate for a stronger federal response to the AIDS crisis and was among the first members of Congress to endorse lifting the ban on gays serving in the military.
In 1983, Rep. Studds acknowledged his homosexuality after a 27-year-old man disclosed that he and Rep. Studds had a sexual relationship a decade earlier when the man was a teenage congressional page.
The House of Representatives censured Rep. Studds, who then went home to face his constituents in a series of public meetings.
At the time, Rep. Studds called the relationship with the teenage page, which included a trip to Europe, "a very serious error in judgment." But he did not apologize and defended the relationship as a consensual relationship with a young adult. The former page later appeared publicly with Rep. Studds in support of him.
The scandal resurfaced when Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fort Pierce, resigned after exchanging sexually explicit instant messages with a page. Republicans accused Democrats of hypocrisy for savaging Foley while saying little about Rep. Studds at that time.
Hara said Rep. Studds was never ashamed of the relationship with the page.
"This young man knew what he was doing," Hara said. "He was at (Rep. Studds') side."
Rep. Studds told his colleagues in a speech on the floor of the House that everyone faces a daily challenge of balancing public and private lives.
"These challenges are made substantially more complex when one is, as am I, both an elected public official and gay," Rep. Studds said at the time.
In Congress, Rep. Studds was an outspoken advocate for the fishing industry and was hailed by his constituents for his work establishing a limit for foreign fishing vessels 200 miles from the coast. After leaving Congress, he became a lobbyist for the fishing industry and environmental causes.
"His work on behalf of our fishing industry and the protection of our waters has guided the fishing industry into the future and ensured that generations to come will have the opportunity to love and learn from the sea," Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., said in a statement. "He was a steward of the oceans."
In 1996, Congress named the 842-square-mile Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary after him in recognition of his work protecting the marine environment.
In addition to Hara, Rep. Studds is survived by a brother, a sister and four nephews.
There's no mention of his party affiliation because it's assumed!
not only no mention that studds was a lib/dem but also that he was given a standing ovation (3 times) by the lib/dems in the house!!!....it is all foley 24/7 by the msm...who are impartial and have no political agenda...at least that is what they report!
"His husband said"... how can they tell?
There are multiple stories here, all of which should help the GOP, if only the media...aw shucks! How could I expect the old media to see ANY story here?
vaudine
Look, I think Democrats are hypocrites like everyone else with a brain, but the Foley situation was, in my opinion, a lot more troubling than Studds. If it came out 10 years from now that Foley had sent his digusting IMs, no one would have cared. Its worse because the Foley thing was occuring in real time.
Match the Sodomite and the Pedophile with their picture!
Yes and no. Weren't the IMs actually several years old?
Prayers for family/friends/colleagues.
Most of the major "personalities" in the MSM are announced Defeatocrats. Katie Couric, Brian Williams, Fat guy at ABC, Mike Wallace, Chris Matthews, Tim Russert, on and on and on and on.
They are simply carrying water for their party. The DNC is going with this Foley thing until election day, and so are they.
Notice how Harry Reid's Mafia connections are being ignored.
Think the MSM is neutral? Not on your life.
A pioneer at chasing sixteen year old boys?
Is walking your dog a new term for AIDS?
No mention of his party afiiliation? He's called "Rep. Studds" so many times in this article, I thought his first name was "Rep."
Correct link to column: http://www.sptimes.com/2006/10/15/Worldandnation/First_openly_gay_Rep_.shtml
"His husband said"?
Never thought I'd ever see that in print!
Typical - but Studds has no name recognition and therefore I don't believe it's an issue. It's just some on the democrat side want to try to make a connection - when there isn't one. Studds was having an affair with the Page - while the Page was working for him.
Foley did not do that - and there is no evidence to support any physical contact between Foley and ANY Page. And .. a recent report indicates they have searched the Page's dormatory records and there is NOTHING about Foley ever being there.
It's just the continual smear by the drive-by media - because if the democrats lose the next 2 elections - the MEDIA IS ALSO TOAST!! Consequently, the drive-by is trying to survive .. but they're not going to .. because they no longer deal with the truth but only with how they can damage the repubs.
I'm sick of it .. and I'm voting repub more to dump the media as much as to keep any dems from winning their elections.
And there you have it folks. Possibly the beginning of NAMBLA?
Dims truly believe that if you are 17, 16, 15, 14, 13 years old and consent to having sex with someone 10, 20, 30 years older, and the older person is a Democrat, then it is okay and no one else's business and laws against this be damned.
Shades of NAMBLA.
It IS an AMAZING double standard, isn't it?
And with a 20 year age difference, a May-December romance....PUKE!!! There, I feel better!
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