Two reports last week questioned the sexual orientation of U.S. Senator Barbara
Mikulski, who finally last weekend announced her opposition to the Federal Marriage
Amendment. (Photo by AP)
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By ADRIAN BRUNE
Friday, July 09, 2004
WASHINGTON, D.C. —Senate staffer Jonathan
Tolman, a senior aide for the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works,
chaired by conservative Republican Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, has become the
first Capitol Hill staffer publicly outed through a campaign led by two activists.
After word of Tolman’s outing reached Inhofe, the senator’s office
released a statement emphasizing that the Senate Environment & Public Works
Committee employs Tolman, and not the senator personally. “Senator Inhofe
does not hire openly gay staffers due to the possibility of a conflict of agenda,”
an official statement said.
Mike Rogers and John Aravosis, the two men loosely heading an ongoing outing
campaign on the Hill, say they plan to continue their actions. As the date nears
for a Senate vote on the Federal Marriage Amendment, Rogers said the outings
have picked up steam — from 13 documented offices to nearly 20 currently
on a target list provided by Rogers to the Blade.
Aravosis said he decided to target Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland,
67 and never married, after she declined for months to state her position on
the Federal Marriage Amendment. Within days after Aravosis claimed on his Web
site that Mikulski is a lesbian, the Maryland Democrat issued a statement declaring
her intention to vote against the amendment. Mikulski was also targeted this
week by gay journalist Michelangelo Signorile in the New York Press. Mikulski
in 1996 voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act.
In the House, Florida Republican Mark Foley said in March that he would vote
against the Federal Marriage Amendment one week after a spokesperson said he
would not take a position until it came up for a House vote. Despite his FMA
opposition, Aravosis purported to out Foley as well — for supporting President
Bush.
Rumors that Foley is gay had long circulated, and local newspapers in South
Florida cited his long-term relationship with a Palm Beach physician. Foley
called discussion about his sexual orientation “revolting.” He declined
at that time to answer questions about his sexual orientation and subsequently
abandoned his bid for the Senate, citing concerns over his father’s health.
Aravosis said he obtained the latest information about the five-term congressman
from Foley’s former chief of staff, Kirk Fordham. Fordham, who is gay,
is now the finance director for Mel Martinez, who has come out in favor of FMA.
Fordham denied ever speaking with Aravosis.
Both Aravosis and Rogers said they continue to collect information from their
network of sources and plan on outing more staffers and members. The leadership
of the Human Rights Campaign, Log Cabin Republicans and other gay lobby groups
have urged activists not to reveal personal information about gay Hill staffers
or members of Congress.
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