Studds, 1st Openly Gay Congressman, Dies

[DeclinetoState]

By JAY LINDSAY (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated Press
October 14, 2006 10:00 AM EDT

BOSTON - Former U.S. Rep. Gerry Studds, the first openly gay person elected to Congress, died early Saturday at Boston Medical Center, several days after he collapsed while walking his dog, his husband said. He was 69.

Studds fell unconscious Oct. 3 because of what doctors later determined was a blood clot in his lung, Dean Hara said.

...

In 1983, Studds acknowledged his homosexuality after the page revealed he'd had a relationship with Studds a decade earlier, when the page was 17. Studds was censured for sexual misconduct by the House, then went home to his constituents to answer questions in a series of public meetings and interviews with the press.

Studds defended the relationship as a consensual relationship with a young adult. The page later appeared publicly with Studds in support of him.
AP (http://my.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20061014/453060c0_3ca6_15526200610141497588068&sourceid=opera&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8)

He was 69, not performing a 69, when he died.

[Naturalized-Texan]

It figures that he would die at age 69. Unlike Foley, he actually HAD sex with a male page and the Democrats let him keep his seat. Can you say, "Double Standard"?

[Wolfcounsel]

It's getting ridiculous when one reads that "his husband blah blah blah".

[DeclinetoState]

I'm not "glad" that he's dead, but I couldn't think of a more "timely" death. The "his husband" phrase strikes me as a little creepy, too.

[DeclinetoState]

:sheeple: (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=221x41997)

One response: "strange timing on his death"

Problem is, he lingered for a while after his collapse.

[DoctorDoom]

He was not "gay". He was queer. There is nothing gay about that "lifestyle". As for his "husband", here's the official Massholechusetts marriage license (http://www.article8.org/docs/downloads/MarriageLicense.pdf).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v349/DocDoom777/QPIX/MarriageLicense.jpg

Doesn't that just warm your pea-pickin' heart?

[DeclinetoState]

More :sheeple: reaction:
I lived in his district and voted for him more than once. He'd been a fine Representative and a tireless worker for wetlands preservation, something very important to his district.I don't know about you, but if I had a "gay" Congressman who worked tirelessly for "wetlands preservation," I might keep that under my hat. It just sounds a bit gross.

Of course, if I were a Democrat and had a Senator named Kennedy who made a similar claim, I'd advise him to talk about something else, too.

[DesertFox]

Studds, 1st Openly Queer Congressman, Croaks

There. That's more honester.

[Etaoin]

The question is: Exactly, what was the cause of death? If it was AIDS, perhaps some form of a civil union will help confine this disease to those who have in the past been so generous in passing the disease to the uninformed, irresponsible or indifferent.

At some point the homosexual community MUST be made to accept the responsibility for the spread of this killer disease and accept responsibility for the care of those whom they have infected!

[Riverboat]

I don't know about you, but if I had a "gay" Congressman who worked tirelessly for "wetlands preservation," I might keep that under my hat. It just sounds a bit gross.Just think of him as someone who worked tirelessly to preserve Warm and Sticky Lands.

[BEST45CAL]

this would be a great place to post that gif of a computer graphic loading a file. it says:

"please wait while i try to give a rat's ass." then it says: "sorry, i'm unable to give a rat's ass. try again later."

lol

[DoctorDoom]

One variation ...

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v349/DocDoom777/giveadamn.gif" />

[Longhorn_Platinum]

Naturalized-Texan:
It figures that he would die at age 69. Unlike Foley, he actually HAD sex with a male page and the Democrats let him keep his seat. Can you say, "Double Standard"?

:unsmile: Try telling that to the liberals at Talk Amarillo. They keep insisting that Foley, & only Foley, is a perv. Conservatives have no business bringing up Studds, or Frank, or Druncle Teddy, or any other demonicrat scandals of the past that were never dealt with properly. In their minds, none of that pertains to the Foley case.

[DeclinetoState]

I've seen libs trying to bring up Laura Bush's fatal accident (http://www.snopes.com/politics/bush/laura.asp) as a response to Teddy Kennedy's problem at Chappaquiddick. AFAIK, however, while Laura may have done something irresponsible, she didn't exacerbate the situation by leaving the scene of the accident only to come back several hours later, having left the victim to die due to repeated acts of criminal negligence.

[DesertFox]

And Laura Bush has never been an elected official.

[DeclinetoState]

Yeah, but we never want to let the facts or the truth get in the way.