Is Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan an Ex-Gay?

by Greg Quinlan

President Obama's nominee for Supreme Court Justice, Elena Kagan, has steadfastly refused to divulge her sexual orientation, despite a CBS News blog item claiming that Kagan is known in Harvard circles as a lesbian.  In response, the White House blasted CBS News for its "lies" and CBS pulled the item off its website.

But if Kagan is a lesbian, why would the White House insist that she is not when Obama made gay rights part of his platform for change?  In issuing this month's gay pride presidential proclamation, Obama stated he is "proud to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration."

So Kagan and her alleged lesbianism should not be an issue for the White House or the Democrats, who control the Senate vote for Kagan's judicial nomination. 

Some of Kagan's friends have told Politico that she is frustrated by the persistence of the gay rumors, but "worried that denying them could imply some anti-gay prejudice." But this makes no sense either-isn't the whole point of the gay rights movement to allow people to be free to declare who they really are, without stigma? If the only way for a middle-aged woman to declare that she is straight is to marry a man, wouldn't that be a step backward, and not forward, in liberal gender politics?

There is, however, another possibility. Could it be that Kagan is ex-gay?  That would explain the White House insistence on Kagan's heterosexuality and Kagan's silence about her past sexual preference. 

As an ex-gay myself, I sympathize with Kagan and the Obama administration.  I have had to face taunts, threats, and phone calls to my employer demanding that I be fired.  There is no hate like that directed against the ex-gay community.  And the President knows it. 

When he was campaigning, Obama was criticized by gay activists for allowing ex-gay gospel singer Donnie McClurkin to perform at a fundraiser.  They insisted that Obama drop McClurkin from the program.  To his credit, Obama refused. 

Too bad the current mayor of the District of Columbia, Adrian Fenty, lacks the courage to follow Obama's example.  After issuing a certificate of appreciation to Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays, Fenty bowed to angry gay lobbyists and apologized.  Fenty, who championed gay marriage in the Nation's Capital in the name of "equality," claimed that he opposes the ex-gay community because he supports "diversity."  But aren't ex-gays considered part of diversity?  Why can't we have the same equality and tolerance that gays enjoy?  Fenty refuses to answer my questions. 

So Ms. Kagan, do not be afraid to come out of the closet.  Regardless of our political differences, ex-gays like me, and maybe you, should be able to live openly just like when we were homosexuals.

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Greg Quinlan is the President of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX) at http://pfox.org/about_us.html