Former Republican Congressman Aaron Schock Comes Out As Gay

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The ex-politician, who has a long track record of not supporting LGBTQ+ causes, resigned from congress in 2015 after controversy surrounding expensive spending habits. 

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#NewsPolitics#Gay#LGBTQ+aaron-schock-comes-out-as-gay.jpgRaffy Ermac

Aaron Schock, the former congressman who fell from grace in 2015 amidst controversy about lavish spending habits while he was a member of the House of Representatives, just publicly came out as gay.

"I am gay. For those who know me and for many who only know of me, this will come as no surprise," Schock said in a very lengthy Instagram post about his decision to open up about his sexuality to the public. "For the past year, I have been working through a list of people who I felt should finally hear the news directly from me before I made a public statement. I wanted my mother, my father, my sisters, my brother, and my closest friends to hear it from me first."

He continued: 

"The fact that I am gay is just one of those things in my life in need of explicit affirmation, to remove any doubt and to finally validate who I am as a person. In many ways I regret the time wasted in not having done so sooner."

While he does acknowledge that he would support LGBTQ+ rights if he were still active in the political scene today, it's still worth noting that during his career, when he actually did have power, Schock often voted against many LGBTQ+ causes. While in Congress, he supported the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) (the federal law that defined marriage as being between one man and one woman) and opposed repealing "Don’t Ask Don’t Tell." And people on Twitter were quick to remind others of that. 

"This journey has taught me a valuable lesson," Schock concludes towards the end of his coming-out post. "Whether you are gay or straight, it's never too late to be authentic and true to yourself."

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Former Republican Congressman Aaron Schock Comes Out As Gay

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