“Yes, I am. But why should it matter?”
That was the crux of Congressman Mike Michaud’s announcement Monday that he is gay, and it’s a sentiment that’s shared by many Maine voters.
Speculation about how this announcement will affect the 2014 gubernatorial race is running wild: Will this drive conservative voters into Eliot Cutler’s camp? Will Gov. Paul LePage make an inappropriate comment about gays that will hurt his campaign? Will Michaud win by a landslide with the support of gay rights enthusiasts or will it torpedo his campaign?
There’s no doubt his announcement has caused a great deal of intrigue in this race, which is only just beginning.
Despite all the hubbub, however, we agree with Michaud that Mainers care far more about “health care, jobs and the economy” than they care about a candidate’s sexual orientation.
Even most of those who are not supportive of gay people will be more concerned with Michaud’s record and his plans for Maine’s future than with where his sexual desires lie, when they go to the voting booth next year.
Gay rights proponents will see this announcement as a win, and Michaud is likely to gain endorsements and funding from those who would like to see Maine elect its first openly gay governor. But while it’s important for gay youth to have positive role models, the fact that a candidate’s sexuality is an issue at all goes to show that our society is still not fully accepting of those with non-traditional lifestyles.
The reason that Michaud came out publicly was because he felt he had to address the rumors and insinuations allegedly being batted about by his opposition. It’s sad, actually, that a person who had not even told his own family about such a personal aspect of himself, felt forced to do it publicly because his sexuality was becoming a whispered secret in political circles.
Candidates for public office open themselves up to a great deal of scrutiny, but their personal lives should remain as personal as possible. Character is still important, of course, and when candidates or politicians act unethically in their personal lives ”“ from adultery to drug abuse ”“ voters want to know. What Michaud will find is that there is still a contingent of people who believe homosexuality in itself is unethical, and his support may take a hit with those voters. More than 40 percent of Americans remain opposed to legalizing same-sex marriage, according to recent polling, and while Maine has legalized it, the opposition was still significant. His announcement is a risk, no doubt, and its impact on Maine voters’ decisions has yet to be known. Regardless of how the race plays out, however, we feel Michaud’s announcement is a positive move for him and for his campaign. He no longer has to be guarded about his personal life, he’s taken the sexuality rumor card away from his challengers, and voters know he’s serious enough about the race to put all his cards on the table.
Michaud has been in politics a long time and his sexuality had never been made a campaign issue before. Some believe the announcement was a calculated political move, but that’s hard to believe considering the impact it must be having with his Franco-American, Catholic family. Only Michaud himself can speak to his motivations, of course, and we believe him when he says he doesn’t plan to make his sexuality a campaign issue and made the announcement “merely to let my opponents and the outside interests who fund them know that I am not ashamed of who I am.”
We hope this announcement is where it ends and voters can focus on each candidates’ qualifications moving forward.
Black people, women, immigrants and minorities of all stripes have faced challenges in being accepted, not only for political office but for leadership roles in general. Perceptions generally change over time when they prove they can do the job well. At 58 years old, Michaud has been in public service since 1980 and has plenty of work experience as well, all of which voters can examine and decide for themselves.
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Today’s editorial was written by Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Kristen by calling 282-1535, ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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