Haggard's Law

{{bronze}}
{{homophobia}}
{{cquote|The lady doth protest too much, methinks.|||[[William Shakespeare]]'s ''Hamlet''<ref>[https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/hamlet/read/ Hamlet] ''Folger Shakespeare Library''.</ref><ref>{{wpa|The lady doth protest too much, methinks}}</ref>}}

'''Haggard's Law''' is an adage named after Pastor [[Ted Haggard]] — despite him [[sarcasm|not being gay in any way, shape, or form]]. It is used as a [[Snark|purely sarcastic]] musing that people who [[Homophobia|strongly object to homosexuality]] might be likely to engage in [[homosexual]] activities and is based on the numerous public scandals<ref>[https://archive.is/euon0 Florida State Representative Accused of Offering to Perform Oral Sex Claims Innocence], archived from the original at Fox News, July 27, 2007.</ref><ref name="ph1" /><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8556852.stm US anti-gay rights senator Roy Ashburn comes out], BBC News, March 8, 2010.</ref><ref name=Murphy>[https://archive.is/rp8fL Former GOP Chief Pleads Guilty To Deviant Conduct], archived from the original at WLKY, June 12, 2008.</ref> of famous figures who oppose homosexuality and homosexual behavior. The law more often encapsulated as:
{{blockquote|The louder and more frequent one's objections to homosexuality are, the more likely one is to be a homosexual.}}

Instances of Haggard's Law are gleefully spread by the [[media]] for an audience that revels in such scandalous behavior.<ref group=note>In ''How We Lie to Ourselves'', author and philosopher {{wpl|Alain de Botton}} explains [https://youtu.be/steu0fYGqhQ?t=191 on YouTube]:
{{quotebox|We grow censorious and deeply disapproving of certain kinds of behavior and people.

What we ''don't'' admit is that we're so full of condemnation ''only because'' we need to ward off awareness that a part of us, in fact, ''really likes'' the condemned element.

We attack certain sexual tastes as 'utterly deviant!' and 'beyond the pale!' — precisely because we half-know that we ''share'' them somewhere inside ourselves.

So we're delighted when particular people are arrested or shamed in the press — 'what they did was utterly awful!', we insist — our outrage shielding us from any risk of spotting the connection between them and us.}}</ref>

==History==
{{cquote|Racists never imagine what it's like to be like the person they hate, homophobes imagine it in graphic detail for hour upon hour.|||Bob Schooley<ref>https://twitter.com/Rschooley/status/465275691961823232</ref><ref group=note>Though, results [[Strom Thurmond|may vary]] depending on [[Miscegenation|context]].</ref>}}
Haggard's Law made its first published appearance in an article<ref name="dennis">[https://web.archive.org/web/20110821071915/http://www.indecisionforever.com/2010/03/05/haggards-law-please-add-it-to-your-lexicon/ ""Haggard's Law," Please Add It to Your Lexicon"] by Dennis DiClaudio (March 5, 2010) ''Comedy Central's Indecision Forever'' (archived from August 11, 2011).</ref> written by Dennis DiClaudio of Comedy Central fame and is named after [[American]] [[evangelical]] preacher [[Ted Haggard]]. It was created after and is a reference to a scandal<ref name="ph1">[https://archive.is/2tvpg Haggard admits 'sexual immorality, apologizes], archived from the original at MSNBC, November 5, 2006.</ref> involving [[prostitute]] and masseur Mike Jones who alleged that Haggard had paid Jones to engage in [[sex]] with him over a three-year period and had also purchased and used [[meth|crystal methamphetamine]].<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/evangelist-i-bought-meth-from-gay-escort/ Haggard Admits Buying Meth From Gay Escort], CBS News, November 2, 2006</ref> Although Haggard denied using methamphetamine or having sex with Mr. Jones, the scandal has caused many evangelicals to view Haggard as extremely [[Hypocrite|hypocritical]] about his spoken views,<ref>William Crawley, [https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ni/2006/11/ted_haggard.html The Rise and Fall of Ted Haggard], BBC News, November 5, 2006</ref> as he was known to publicly preach against homosexuality.<ref>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003365311_jesuscamp08.html Pastor will shut down controversial kids camp], ''Seattle Times''</ref>

The original quote was by author Dennis DiClaudio:<ref name="dennis"/><ref>[https://timalderman.com/2019/12/16/gay-history-haggards-law/ Gay History: Haggard’s Law] by Tim Alderman (December 16, 2019) ''timalderman''.</ref>
{{quotebox|''Haggard's Law'' — The likelihood of a person harboring secret desires to engage in sexual and/or romantic activities with members of the same sex is directly proportional to the frequency and volume of said person's vocalized objections to homosexuality.}}

The "law" is more generally used to reference hypocrisy in public figures who lead the [[moral]] opposition of homosexuality and then are discovered to have partaken in homosexuality or homosexual behavior.

==Is Haggard's law true?==

So far, there is no reliable scientific evidence supporting Haggard's law which, therefore, should be taken only as an ironic term describing some hypocritical homophobes. In fact, testing scientifically if there is some truth in Haggard's law is quite hard (!) for the following reasons:
* There is no easy way to know with certainty the [[sexual orientation]] of a person. Statistical studies which rely on the sexual orientations reported by the subjects are hardly useful since, of course, no homophobe would reveal their homosexuality. Methods measuring sexual arousal via biometrics are also problematic because they measure only a physical response to a stimulus, not sexual orientation, and it is possible that similar physical responses are due to completely different psychological reasons. Probably, the only sure way to know the sexual orientation of a person would be spying on them to see if they actively look for and engage in heterosexual or homosexual activities, but of course, that poses both [[privacy|ethical]] and practical problems.
* The scandals behind the history of Haggard's law, although numerous, are statistically irrelevant with respect to the whole number of homophobes, who have never been caught in homosexual activities. Indeed, believing in Haggard's law because of such scandals is an instance of the [[Toupée fallacy]].

===Penile plethysmography===

In a 1996 study,<ref>{{cite journal|title=Is homophobia associated with homosexual arousal?|last=Adams|last2=Wright|last3=Lohr|journal=Journal of Abnormal Psychology|year=1996|volume=105|issue=3|pages=440-5|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8772014}}</ref> 64 men were assessed by the "homophobia index" and split into two groups: "homophobic" and "non-homophobic." Then, their arousal to homosexual and heterosexual images was measured via ''penile plethysmography'', a rubber gauge used to measure erectile responses. In the "non-homophobic" group, 66% showed no arousal yet in the "homophobic" group only 20% managed to restrain themselves from getting aroused — and significantly underestimated their own arousal.

However, what was measured as arousal may have been the result of the uncomfortable feelings the homophobic group was feeling on seeing homosexual imagery. As pointed out by the authors of the study: "It is possible that viewing homosexual stimuli causes negative emotions such as anxiety in homophobic men but not in nonhomophobic men. Because anxiety has been shown to enhance arousal and erection, this theory would predict increases in erection in homophobic men. Furthermore, it would indicate that a response to homosexual stimuli is a function of the threat condition rather than sexual arousal per se." Hence, this [[confounding factor]] may explain the results more consistently. The use of a penile plethysmograph to measure genital arousal has been called into question as an unreliable instrument for scientific measurement.<ref>"The plethysmograph reconsidered: comments on Barker and Howell" by W. T. Simon & P. G. Schouten (1993) ''Bull. Am. Acad. Psychiatry Law'' 21(4):505-12.</ref> Also, of course, it would yield few results with men suffering from ED.

===Implicit measures===

Some studies that rely on implicit measures both to gauge a subject's same-sex attractions as well as their level of homophobia do give credence to the suspicion that there is something to Haggard's law.<ref>Brian Mustanski (April 26, 2012). [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-sexual-continuum/201204/are-homophobic-people-really-gay-and-not-accepting-it "Are Homophobic People Really Gay and Not Accepting It?"]. ''Psychology Today''.</ref><ref>(April 6, 2012). [https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120406234458.htm "Is some homophobia self-phobia?"]. ''ScienceDaily''.</ref> However, another study on implicit measures did not share this finding.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=MacInnis |first=Cara C. |last2=Hodson |first2=Gordon |date=2013-11-01 |title=Is Homophobia Associated with an Implicit Same-Sex Attraction? |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224499.2012.690111 |journal=The Journal of Sex Research |volume=50 |issue=8 |pages=777–785 |doi=10.1080/00224499.2012.690111 |issn=0022-4499 |pmid=22989040}}</ref>

===Statistics===

By a 2011 survey, 33% of the USA population believes that [[homophobia|"homosexuality is a way of life that should not be accepted by society"]].<ref>[https://www.statista.com/statistics/219360/acceptance-of-homosexuality-in-selected-countries/] Do you think homosexuality is a way of life that should be accepted by society? (Worldwide 2011)</ref> On the other hand, another 2011 report estimates that about 8.2% of Americans have engaged in same-sex sexual behavior.<ref>[http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/research/census-lgbt-demographics-studies/how-many-people-are-lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender/]  "How many people are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender?". Williams Institute, University of California School of Law.</ref>

On the basis of said polls, no more than 24.8% (8.2 / 33) of that 33% of American homophobes — i.e.  ''one in four'' [[Not gay|active gay bashers]] — could be a closeted homosexual. This means that a literal interpretation of Haggard's Law (e.g. 'homophobe perfectly implies homosexual') fails in at least 75.2% of cases.

However, this conclusion is flawed, as the 8.2% figure only considers those who have ''admitted to'' same-sex sexual activity.

==Ethical calculus==

It's entirely possible for someone to be raised to believe that [[homosexuality]] is evil, yet still turn out to be homosexual. There are many ways for the human mind to [[Rationalization|rationalize]] this away, such as a belief that everyone else is a "sinner" but you are unique, or the common fundamentalist belief that you aren't homosexual unless you "act on it", or some other [[cognitive dissonance]]. But one way to justify "sinning" is to remove more "sin" than you cause, sort of like how for every third house firefighters save, they get to light one up for funsies. So, if a politician or preacher manages to convince other people to avoid or give up a "homosexual lifestyle", then surely they have made the world "less sinful" and are thus still "good", right?

==Bisexuality?==
Haggard's Law could sometimes be a bit of a misnomer, as the newly outed may not ''only'' be attracted to their own sex, but "[[bisexual|swing both ways]]."  Haggard himself insists that he can still "exclusively have sex with my wife and be permanently satisfied."<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-20029939-10391698.html Ted Haggard Says He's Bisexual], CBS</ref> (Perhaps the bathroom stalls led him into temptation — those seductresses!)

==Some instances of Haggard's Law==
{{cquote|'''Question''': I'm a 200 percent straight guy, married with children. About six months ago, I went to a [[Massage|masseur]] who finished things with a terrific [[Oral sex|blowjob]]. If you wonder why I didn't stop him, the truth is, I couldn't, because he was massaging my [[asshole]] with his thumb while blowing me. […]<BR>
'''Answer''': Mr. 200 Percent Straight couldn't stop the big, bad masseur from giving him a blow job because the masseur had his thumb up Mr. 200 Percent Straight's butt. What, is there a system override switch in straight men's butts? Can't… move… thumb… in… ass… send… help! Come on. I've had my thumb in a few butts, provoking reactions ranging from delight to disgust, but it has never, ever, not once, paralyzed a sex partner or struck him dumb. […]|||Answered by [[Dan Savage]]<ref>[https://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=22339 Savage Love: Golden Oldie] (Aug 4, 2005) ''The Stranger''.</ref><br/>(Not to mention that, by definition, no one's sexual preference can be more than 100% ''anything''. Double-counting doesn't make you ''more'' not gay.)}}

*{{wpl|John Atherton||,}} possibly the oldest verified example of Haggard's Law in action, was an Irish Anglican bishop who in 1634 orchestrated the passage of the Buggery Act making gay sex [[Capital punishment|a crime punishable by death]]. Six years later Atherton was accused of "buggering" his steward and became the first person to be executed for having gay sex under the law he had pushed for.<ref>''[https://books.google.com/books?id=ESlHAAAAMAAJ&q=%E2%80%9CAn+Act+for+the+Punishment+for+the+Vice+Of+Buggery%E2%80%9D+atherton The Third Pink Book: A Global View of Lesbian and Gay Liberation and Oppression]''</ref>
*Alan Chambers was responsible for founding [[Exodus International]], the largest [[conversion therapy]] ministry in the world. However, after seeing the devastating effects of [[California Proposition 8]], he shut Exodus down and apologized. Chambers would later come out of the closet and describe himself as "a gay man married to a straight woman".<ref name=Chambers>[https://www.adn.com/nation-world/2019/09/04/conversion-therapy-center-founder-says-hes-gay-rejects-cycle-of-self-shame/ Conversion therapy center founder says he’s gay, rejects ‘cycle of self-shame’] in Anchorage Daily News on 4 September 2019.</ref>
*[[Roy Cohn]], the corrupt lawyer and assistant of McCarthyism who created the homophobic {{wpl|Lavender Scare||,}} was pretty clearly into men himself. His relationship with consultant {{wpl|G. David Schine}} came to light during the televised hearings of 1954, and he was described as having office boys who were rumoured to be his lovers.<ref>[https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/05/donald-trump-2016-dinner-party-213923 My Bizarre Dinner Party with Donald Trump, Roy Cohn and Estee Lauder: I went to interview Cohn for ''Playboy''. But the night got especially weird when I got seated next to Trump.] by Peter Manso (May 27, 2016) ''Politico''.</ref> [[Roger Stone]], former associate of Cohn, has been quoted as saying: "Roy was [[denialism|not gay]]. He was a man who liked having sex with men... He was interested in power and access."<ref name=":0">[https://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/06/02/080602fa_fact_toobin?currentPage=3 Jeffrey Toobin in ''The New Yorker'': "The Dirty Trickster"]</ref>
*[[Larry Craig]], a former Republican Senator from Council, Idaho, is best known for his Christian fundamentalist bent, which includes an opposition to LGBT rights, and for pleading guilty to "lewd conduct" in an airport restroom after trying to solicit a male police officer for sex.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/29/washington/29craig.html?_r=1&oref=slogin Idaho Senator Says He Regrets Guilty Plea in Restroom Incident], ''The New York Times''</ref> One month before his arrest he had been investigated by the ''Idaho Statesman'' for allegedly having sex with men in public restrooms going as far back as 1967.<ref>Dan Popkey, [https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/special-reports/larry-craig/article40685142.html Men's room arrest reopens questions about Sen. Larry Craig]. ''Idaho Statesman'', 21 October 2015.</ref> He insists he is not gay.<ref>[https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3533305&page=1 Craig: I'm Not Gay, Did Nothing Wrong], ''ABC News''</ref>
*YouTuber [[Steven Crowder]] has been accused of sexual harassment and indecent exposure by multiple male employees,<ref>[https://www.advocate.com/news/steven-crowder-groomer-allegations ‘Groomer-ish’: Former Employees Describe Steven Crowder’s Sexual Harassment], Advocate, 21 July 2023</ref> conduct he has at least partially admitted to.<ref>(May 2, 2023). [https://www.mediamatters.org/steven-crowder/steven-crowder-responds-allegations-he-exposed-genitals-staffers-skit-about-exposing "Steven Crowder responds to allegations he exposed genitals to staffers with skit about exposing genitals to staffer"]. ''[[Media Matters for America]]''.</ref> He is also an opponent of same-sex marriage<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20100326063419/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmEux9PlOj4 GAY MARRIAGE!! (Featuring Gay Leprechaun)], YouTube</ref> and  has described the gay community as "predatory".<ref>[https://twitter.com/JasonSCampbell/status/1405907403095281664 Steven Crowder: Gay men are “definitely more predatory in nature as far as recruiting,"], X</ref> One might be tempted to think he's on to something here, since he himself has been that way — yet it's just as likely he's throwing out bullshit or seeking to minimize his actions by implying that predatory behavior is simply common among gays.
*McKrae Game, one of the most prominent homophobes in the USA and supporter of conversion therapy, came out as gay in 2019.<ref>[https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/09/04/mckrae-game-founder-conversion-therapy-group-comes-out-gay/2210789001/ Conversion therapy organization founder comes out as gay: 'Please forgive me'] ''USA Today''</ref><ref>[https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7424029/Founder-conversion-therapy-ministry-comes-gay-apologizes.html Founder of one of nation's largest conversion therapy ministries comes out as gay] in the Daily Mail on 3 September 2019.</ref><ref name=Chambers/>
*Marc Goodwin, sent to prison for murdering a gay man in a homophobic attack, later became one of the first two males to be married in a British prison.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/mar/28/convicted-murderers-become-first-gay-couple-to-marry-in-prison Convicted murderers become the first gay couple to marry in prison]. ''[[The Guardian]],'' 28 March 2015.</ref>
*[[Ted Haggard]], duh.
*Troy King resigned as Attorney General of [[Alabama]] after being caught in bed with another man by his wife. King is virulently anti-gay and has called homosexuality "[[Social degeneration|the downfall of society]]".<ref>[https://www.towleroad.com/2008/07/alabama-ag-troy/ Alabama A.G. Troy King Preparing to Resign Over Gay Sex Scandal?]</ref>
*David Matheson was a [[Mormonism|Mormon]] known for his decades-long work in the field of [[conversion therapy]] and encouraging gay people to remain celibate so as to avoid "sinning".<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/25/david-matheson-former-gay-conversion-therapy-advocate-comes-out Man who worked as top 'conversion therapist' comes out as gay] ''The Guardian''. 25 January 2019</ref> Matheson is now mostly remembered for validating Haggard's Law after writing a Facebook post in which he admitted to divorcing his wife and looking for a relationship with another man. This admission came following the gay rights group {{wpl|Truth Wins Out}} leaking private Facebook conversations with conversion therapist Rich Wyle in which he accused Matheson of being gay.<ref>[https://allthatsinteresting.com/david-matheson ‘Intellectual Godfather Of Ex-Gay Therapy’ David Matheson Comes Out Of The Closet] allthatsinteresting.com. 28 March 2019</ref> Matheson has since embraced his true nature and begun dating men.<ref>[https://www.theweek.co.uk/99221/prominent-us-gay-conversion-therapist-divorces-wife-and-comes-out-as-gay Prominent US ‘gay conversion therapist’ divorces wife and comes out as gay] ''The Week''. 25 January 2019</ref>
*Aaron McKinney, one of the two killers of [[Matthew Shepard]], was reportedly often seen soliciting other men at a gay bar prior to the Shepard murder. Other witnesses reported an incident where McKinney and two other men had been caught writhing around naked together in the back of a limo (one witness said one of the other men could have been Matthew Shepard, which would have...''interesting'' implications if true).<ref>[https://famous-trials.com/mattshepard/2498-the-matthew-shepard-murder-mckinney-and-henderson-trials-1999 The Matthew Shepard Murder (McKinney and Henderson) Trials (1999)], ''Famous Trials''</ref>
*Jonathan Merritt, son of James Merritt, former leader of the [[Southern Baptist Convention]].<ref>[http://www.advocate.com/society/coming-out/2012/07/27/prominent-antigay-evangelical-blogger-outed-gay Prominent Antigay Evangelical Blogger Outed as Gay], The Advocate</ref><ref>[http://azariahspeaks.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/jonathan-merritt-come-out-become-clean.html Jonathan Merritt: Come Out]</ref>
*Javier Suárez Pascagaza is the President of the Colombian Husband and Wife Foundation and was involved in an unsuccessful legal challenge to same-sex marriage.<ref>[https://www.washingtonblade.com/2015/07/30/colombia-high-court-holds-same-sex-marriage-hearing/ Colombia high court holds same-sex marriage hearing]</ref> He was also expelled from his [[Jesuit]] school for being gay, possibly explaining his self-hatred.<ref>[http://blabbeando.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-leading-opponent-of-same-sex-marriage.html?m=1 Leading opponent of same-sex marriage in Colombia outed as a gay man]</ref>
*[[Jesse Lee Peterson]], a minister who once described homosexuals as "evil", has been accused of having gay sex liaisons with at least two men and of propositioning others.<ref>[https://www.thedailybeast.com/allegations-of-manosphere-pastor-jesse-lee-petersons-gay-past-roil-macho-men?ref=scroll Allegations of Manosphere Pastor’s Gay Past Roil Macho Men], The Daily Beast, 13 July 2022</ref>
*''Possibly'' [[Fred Phelps]] of the Westboro Baptist Church, according to former church member Lauren Drain.<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/15/lauren-drain-westboro-baptist-church-fred-phelps-gay-experience_n_2877987.html Westboro Baptist Church Founder Fred Phelps May Be Gay, Suggests Former Member Lauren Drain], HuffPo</ref>
*George Rekers is a Southern [[Baptist]] minister and typical [[religious right]] activist who has written numerous books about the evils of [[homosexuality]]. Rekers has long been affiliated with [[James Dobson]] and the [[Family Research Council]], as well as appearing as an "expert" witness in several court cases claiming that homosexuals aren't fit to raise children and so should be prohibited from adoption.<ref name="sfgate">Bob Egelko, [http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/SAME-SEX-COUPLES-Arkansas-judge-OKs-foster-care-2741981.php Arkansas judge OKs foster care / Gay parents pose no obstacle to kids' growth, court finds.] sfgate.com, 1 January 2005.</ref><ref>Robyn E. Blumner, [https://archive.is/Jfy8n Making a loving home for two brothers.] Tampa Bay Times, 29 November 2008.</ref> He also testified on behalf of the [[Boy Scouts of America]] in support of their gay ban. When a judge was suspicious of Rekers' testimony, describing it as "extremely suspect" and said that Rekers "was there primarily to promote his own personal ideology", Rekers went on a tantrum describing the trial as "utterly corrupt".<ref name="sfgate"/> At UCLA in the early 1970s, Rekers ran "The Sissy Boy Experiment", a [[reparative therapy]] program. The program came under intense media scrutiny following the suicide of Kirk Murphy, whose parents enrolled him in the program when he was five years old. Murphy suffered physical abuse as part of the plan to cure him of his feminine behavior. Murphy's family blames the program for his depression and eventual suicide.<ref>[http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/07/ac360-preview-family-describes-anti-sissy-therapy/ Therapy to change 'feminine' boy created a troubled man, family says.] Anderson Cooper's report on the Sissy Boy Experiment.</ref><ref>Jim Burroway, [http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/what-are-little-boys-made-of-main What Are Little Boys Made Of?] Box Turtle Bulletin's analysis of the experiment.</ref> In May of 2010, he was spotted returning to Miami International Airport with a young Hispanic gentleman hired "[[Gay sex|to carry his bags]]". Like all baggage assistants, the young man had been hired from a website entitled "[[Prostitution|Rentboy.com]]".<ref>[http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2010-05-06/news/christian-right-leader-george-rekers-takes-vacation-with-rent-boy/ Christian right leader George Rekers takes a vacation with "rent boy"] Miami New Times, 6 May 2010.</ref> Much hilarity ensued, of course, with Rekers even admitting he had hired the boy from the escort website — while still insisting he had only hired him for "[[Bullshit|baggage handling]]".<ref group=note>To [[Masturbation|"handle"]] his [[Fun:Testicles|"junk"]], perhaps?</ref>
* {{wpl|Aaron Schock||,}} [[Republican]] former representative for the [[Illinois]] 18th congressional district, who is mostly (in)famous for misusing election funds and consistent opposition to LGBTQI rights in general,<ref>Jonathan Capehart, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2014/01/07/no-schock-in-gay-gossip/ No Schock in gay gossip]. ''The Washington Post,'' 7 January 2014.</ref> finally admits it after a year or more of "working through a list of people who I felt should finally hear the news directly from me before I made a public statement."<ref>Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas, [https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/120072642/former-us-politician-aaron-schock-comes-out-as-gay-in-instagram-post Former US politician Aaron Schock comes out as gay in Instagram post]. stuff.co.nz, 6 March 2020.</ref>
* Homophobic legislator Ed Schrock dropped out of the Virginia legislative race after audio recordings came to light of Schrock arranging liaisons with other men.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47194-2004Aug30.html Va. Legislator Ends Bid for 3rd Term]</ref>
* Jozsef Szajer, a MEP of [[Hungary]] and a founder of [[Viktor Orban]]'s Fidesz party (which is known to be hostile to LGBT rights), was caught fleeing a gay orgy in [[Belgium]] by climbing down a drainpipe, all while carrying narcotics. Szajer was fined for violating [[COVID-19 pandemic|COVID-19]] lockdown regulations and resigned his position.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55145989 Jozsef Szajer: Hungary MEP quits after allegedly fleeing gay orgy] BBC. December 2, 2020</ref>
* Bridget Ziegler, a co-founder of [[Moms for Liberty]], was found out to be having threesomes with her husband and another woman in a police investigation where her husband was accused of sexual assault of that same woman. Even [[Ron DeSantis]] called for her to resign following the scandal.<ref>https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-hypocrisy-is-just-off-the-charts-zieglers-face-reckoning-after-moral-crusading/ar-AA1kRBWY</ref> Bridget Ziegler had previously helped to draft [[Ron DeSantis#Criminalizing and terrorizing the LGBT community|DeSantis' "Don't Say Gay" law]], and pushed for removal of books in school libraries that contained LGBT people or characters.<ref>Kiera Butler (December 7, 2023). [https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/12/bridget-ziegler-in-the-wake-of-a-sex-scandal-a-moms-for-liberty-cofounders-career-is-crumbling/ "In the Wake of a Sex Scandal, a Moms for Liberty Co-Founder’s Career Is Crumbling"]. ''Mother Jones''.</ref>
 
===In fiction===
*The 1999 film ''{{wpl|American Beauty (1999 film)|American Beauty}}'' features a queer male character who acts violently toward the man he finds attractive after he kisses him.
*Parodied and inverted in {{wpl|The Fourth Bear|''The Fourth Bear''|,}} where a prominent politician known for his highly-publicised gay relationships is hiding the deep dark secret that he's actually straight.
*The graphic novel version of ''{{wpl|V for Vendetta}}'' features two characters, far-right politician Adam Susan and homophobic broadcaster Lewis Prothero, who are implied to be closeted homosexuals.
*A few episodes of ''{{wpl|Law & Order}}'' have the archetypal "right-wing politician who turns out to be gay". The spinoff ''{{wpl|Law & Order: Special Victims Unit}}'' has a darker example in the episode "Weak": an openly homophobic man with a live-in boyfriend who rapes women to try and convince himself he isn't gay.

==See also==
*[[Association fallacy]]
*[[Psychological projection]]
*[[Steven Anderson]] - Definitely not a sodomite
*[[Fred Phelps]] 
*[[Michael Savage]]

==External links==
*[http://gayhomophobe.com/ Days since the last prominent homophobe was caught in a gay sex scandal] (inactive)
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZmHC75FDqQ Ted Haggard is Completely Heterosexual]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20170316134920/https://theonion.com/blogpost/why-do-all-these-homosexuals-keep-sucking-my-cock-10861 Why Do All These Homosexuals Keep Sucking My Cock?], [[The Onion]]
*{{wpa|Homophobia#Internalized|Internalized Homophobia|:}} Why these ''totally'' [[not gay|heterosexual]] people act the way they do.
*{{wpa|Homohysteria}}
*[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ArmouredClosetGay Armoured Closet Gay] on [[TV Tropes]]
*[https://youtu.be/simV1ZXFsxI Tampa Bay Gay Prostitutes Gearing Up For Flood of Closeted Republicans]
==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{Eponymous laws}}

[[Category:Completely heterosexual| ]]
[[Category:Homosexuality]]
[[Category:Homophobia]]
[[Category:Internalized discrimination]]

Categories: Completely heterosexual, Homosexuality, Homophobia, Internalized discrimination