Cory Booker addresses speculation about his sexuality: 'I'm heterosexual'

[Julian Englis]

Source: The Hill

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) addressed rumors about his sexuality in a recent interview, telling The Philadelphia Inquirer that he is straight.

"I'm heterosexual," Booker told the newspaper. "Every candidate should run on their authentic self, tell their truth, and more importantly, or mostly importantly, talk about their vision for the country."

Past political opponents of Booker have attempted to question his sexuality, according to the Inquirer. Booker is considering a bid for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020.

Booker also told the Inquirer that he is going to discuss his possible presidential bid with his family over the holidays.i

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/421620-cory-booker-addresses-speculation-about-his-sexuality-im-heterosexual

---

Ridiculous that this is even an issue.

[NurseJackie]

1. It never occurred to me one way or the other.

[ProudLib72]

2. Exactly. Who was trying to make this into an issue?

And who the hell cares in the first place?

Well, I know who cares, but to hell with them.

[SWBTATTReg]

3. Absolutely to what you two say...who cares and what does it matter? nt

[Julian Englis]

4. tRump tried to. n/t

[JDC]

26. Me either

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

5. The Philadelphia Inquirer has no business even asking questions about someone's sexuality.

[iluvtennis]

6. agree that this shouldn't be an issue. It's 2018, not 1918.

[MiniMe]

7. This is a perfect time for an "I don't care do you?"

[BlueStater]

8. It's 2018, isn't it?

Why does he even have to answer this ridiculous question? Who gives a flying fuck what his sexual orientation is?

[PeeJ52]

9. LOL...

Who even wonders about this shit?

[groundloop]

17. gopers, gropers, and Tiny followers.... that's who cares.

No normal person has even come close to considering this an issue that needed to be addressed. It's a total "yeah, so?"

[Honeycombe8]

10. I never heard that rumor. I actually think that would be a plus, if he were.

I don't know much about him.

[riversedge]

12. He is 49 and single--some folks just wonder if....

[Honeycombe8]

13. Ahhh. I wonder why he's not married.

Like Jane Austen said in Pride and Prejudice: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

One of our Presidents met someone and got married while he was President. I forget which one.

[Glorfindel]

21. Grover Cleveland (a single man) and Woodrow Wilson and John Tyler

(both widowers) got married while serving as President.

[Marcuse]

44. Old Grover won despite a sex scandal.

Writing to the Buffalo Evening Telegraph in the fall of 1884, Pastor Henry W. Crabbe, of that city’s United Presbyterian Church, condemned Cleveland resolutely:

I am very sorry to say that he is a corrupt, licentious man. He has never been married, and is notoriously bad with women. Cleveland is well known here, and it is a reproach to the city that he ever got into the Gubernatorial chair. I most sincerely and earnestly pray that he will not be our next President. His public life is revealing his true character. It may be said these stories are put in circulation for political effect, but the trouble is they cannot be refuted.

[Bucky]

49. And don't forget Fitzgerald Grant

He got divorced while president and had a very active dating life while in the White House.

[paleotn]

18. a la Lindsey Graham..

Of course Cory Booker supports equal rights for all. Lindsey?... not so much.

[George II]

25. I didn't get married until I was 55. I met my wife when I was 45, it was the best day of my life!

[treestar]

56. some people just never find the right one

It is BS that someone is gay if not married.

[TexasBushwhacker]

62. Yup. It's all about finding the right person

at the right time. I was so wrapped up in being a good teacher, plus working part time job and going to grad school when I was in my mid to late 20s that I rarely dated. I figured I'd find Mr Right in my 30s. I did, at age 37, but then I had to step in as my mother's caregiver and he got transferred to DC. C'est la vie.

While I wondered if Booker was gay, I also knew it was possible that he was just so wrapped up with his career that there just wasn't any time for romance.

[riversedge]

11. Cory being single is the story for the P. Inquirer.......

The newspaper must be hard up for stories!






http://www.philly.com/news/cory-booker-presidency-single-man-20181214.html



Will standing alone help Cory Booker stand out in a crowded presidential field?
by Jonathan Tamari, Updated: December 14, 2018



...........But there’s one factor that might be unique among the two dozen or so Democrats eyeing a 2020 run: He’s single.

America hasn’t elected an unmarried president since 1884 -- and only two have ever taken office without having been married first. If he runs, Booker, 49, would try to be the third.


While that might not be a top concern for Booker -- or many voters -- as he mulls his future over the holidays, a Booker presidential run would test the country’s evolving expectations of the presidency.

America is accustomed to not just a chief executive who leads the government, but a First Family that rounds out the ceremonial and symbolic aspects of the job. Spouses and their children can become national figures in their own rights, and often soften a candidate’s image.

Booker, who has thrived on personal notoriety and sharing bits of himself on social media, says all he can do is be himself.

“Clearly the norms of family relationships have been changed dramatically as you’ve seen people across this country being elected to offices with all different kinds of family situations, including the president who has had three spouses,” he said in an interview Thursday in his Capitol Hill office. “So I think a lot of that conventional thought on that doesn’t apply.”........................

[oberliner]

15. That is not insignificant

These things do seem to matter for some voters.

[Honeycombe8]

16. I guess it's not absolutely necessary. But the First Lady does have an important role in the W.H.

So it's helpful for one to be there to fill that role. But that's not to say there's not an acceptable different way, I guess.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

30. Well, it's not like we have one, now is it ?

I, for one, do not consider Melanoma to be the First Lady. To begin with, she's not his first wife - she's the "piece of ass" (and those are his words) who screwed him while he was married to his second wife. And she's not much of a lady. A woman with any class does not screw a married man. And then there are those porno shots of her full frontal. Again, not exactly lady-like behavior.

Anyone remember any other First Lady posing in the buff with another chick ? I'm sure it was on Mamie Eisenhower's "to do" list, she just never got around to it.

[treestar]

55. someone else does it

Jefferson was a widower and appointed Dolly Madison. Buchanan appointed his niece.

[politicaljunkie41910]

65. Yes, someone has to decorate the White House for Christmas and plan the Easter egg roll.

[Honeycombe8]

67. Is that all you think Michelle Obama did? Plan the egg roll & decorate the W.H?

Last edited Mon Dec 17, 2018, 07:36 PM - Edit history (2)

She represents the country around the world. She receives the leaders of the foreign countries, and represents the U.S. when traveling to foreign countries. She also chooses an issue of her own to pursue, because of her own (albeit smaller) power position. Michelle Obama pushed healthy living, organic food, and growing one's own food, concentrating on getting kids to start their own gardens, even in urban areas, and eat healthier.

The First Lady also has the ear of the President and can influence his decisions.

The First Lady is also at times the only person in the W.H. who has the interests of the President as #1. Everyone else has an agenda. Think Nancy Reagan.

The First Lady also has a voice in who the staff at the W.H. is, to some degree.

Do you really need someone to educate on this simple stuff?

But some men don't think much of what women do, no matter what they do. I'm sure some men think the FL just dresses nice and walks around the W.H. eating bon bons and buying Christmas trees.

[oberliner]

14. America hasn't elected an unmarried president in over 130 years

[bitterross]

43. Buchanan, was likely homosexual though.

While he remained unmarried his entire life, Buchanan had a very close relationship with William Rufus De Vane King, a diplomat who served as U.S. senator and the nation's 13th vice president—coincidentally, the only vice president to never have married.

Buchanan and King lived together for more than two decades, although that was a relatively common practice in the 1800s. However, historians note that the couple’s contemporaries in Washington reportedly described King as effeminate, calling him "Miss Nancy" and Buchanan's "better half."



https://www.thoughtco.com/americas-only-gay-president-3367940


He was also, apparently, a racist. Proves you can be a minority and still be an asshole.

[Bucky]

50. Wilson lost his wife while in office

I mean she died. He didn't technically lose her. That would seem careless

[oberliner]

53. He remarried fairly soon after she died

[left-of-center2012]

19. The question has been raised over past elections

I recall having heard it.

From the linked article:
"Past political opponents of Booker have attempted to question his sexuality, according to the Inquirer."

If Trump is the example of a hetero President,
I think it'd be nice to have a change.

[LakeArenal]

20. I think any bonafide Democrat or humanitarian shouldn't even want to know.

MYOB.

[Honeycombe8]

47. Everything about a Presidential candidate is the business of the public.

Including his family and personal life (up to a point), his health, his finances, his childhood. You're talking about someone becoming the leader of the free world, as they say. Whether something is important is up to the voters. If his wife is an alcoholic, if she or he has a heart condition, if he grew up in poverty, if he's married or single.

If a candidate is married, it's the whole family that is elected and moves into the White House. The First Lady is particularly important. She officially represents the country around the world, too. In a best case scenario, she is an asset, like Michelle Obama was.

To steal a line from the movie The American President, "The public has a way of deciding on their own what is their business."

[LakeArenal]

51. I still say somethings are none of our business.

That’s one of them.

[Honeycombe8]

59. You can say whatever you want. The Presidential candidate's marriage status is legitimate....

whether he's married, etc. People won't all think the same thing about something. Like marital infidelity. Some people will put a mark in the negative column for that, while others won't care. (Ex: Trump) But if a candidate has a secret, the candidate can be blackmailed over it. (ex: Trump's past criminal activities) So it's relevant.

Candidates know that when they run for President, their lives will be out in public view. Nothing will go unreported or unexamined. Bush's prior cocaine use, his Nat'l Guard service when he didn't even show up for duty, his past drunkenness. The wives don't escape scrutiny, either. Laura Bush's prior car accident that killed someone, Melania's nudie model jobs, Betty Ford's alcoholism, Obama's father's abandonment of him and being raised by his grandparents after his mother's death, etc. A President becomes an historical figure. Everything will be reported.

[LakeArenal]

60. So get over it. You know. geez

Yes I can say whatever I want. Cripes.

I did. You did. Booker did. All god’s children got to say what they want. Don’t know why you even care if I think it’s none of our business. Go have a good day and quit worrying about my one line of opinion.

[Heartstrings]

64. Considering the current POTUS, this should be a non-issue....

The myth of having a "royal family" occupying the WH was shattered in 2016....there are no standards anymore, no definitive requirements.

I agree with LA, we Dems don't judge...that's what makes us the entire lifestyle (meaning LGBTQ) party....

[IronLionZion]

22. And 5 years ago they claimed he was involved with a Portland stripper

and that was supposed to be scandalous. Who cares?

https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/09/cory_booker_and_the_portland_s.html

[MyOwnPeace]

27. Gotta' ask.........

any chance Cohen made some payments to the Portland stripper - and was it out of his own pocket?

[George II]

23. It's ridiculous that someone in this day and age has to even address something like this.....

Who cares, except those who would like to torpedo Booker's future aspirations.

BS like this makes me want to support him even more in the coming years.

[moose65]

24. OK - gay man weighing in here....

I didn’t know anything about Booker’s personal life before I read this. I didn’t know he was single. That being said, gaydar is a real thing, and I’ve never gotten any kind of vibe from Booker. Lindsey Graham, on the other hand....

[gay texan]

34. I'll second this n/t

[TexasBushwhacker]

52. Lindsey Graham gives me more of a sexual deviant vibe frankly

Pedophile, sado-masochism, something not in the traditional forms of sexual expression.

[Heartstrings]

63. I have excellent gaydar, and he never even came close to registering.......nt

[ripcord]

28. Come on now

[elmac]

29. tRumps preference is narcissism nt

[jay1124]

31. why is it always a rumor with black men?

they were whispering about Obama years back that he was gay and michelle was his beard. it pisses me off when a african american men get into position of power, that rumor starts up.

besides i thought he was dating that mindy chick from a few years ago. not th ats any of my business.

[Julian Englis]

32. Not always black men--look at Pensce & Lindsay Graham. n/t

[jay1124]

36. well let me explain

well when its black men, its always boy or something emasculating. i dont really hear it with other races.

[spooky3]

37. Welcome to DU! You make a good point about "boy" but please note that the same point

can be made about "chick" - a term that many women feel is demeaning.

[Bucky]

54. You don't think calling a white Republican closeted gay is emasculating?

The whole point of running rumors against any man is to emasculate them. It's disgusting either way -- even when Dems do that with Graham. I mean, I know there's a special history there with keeping black men down. But the tactic isn't racially exclusive. It's always wrong and it's also part of keeping gay men marginalized.

[JI7]

48. with black men it is partly about racism also. they are either violent thugs or weak and gay. they

couldn't paint Obama as the violent thug so decided he was gay and then made up a bunch of stories to go with it from doing drugs to killing gay partners so they don't reveal his secret and other shit.

[shanny]

33. who gives an eff?

this question shouldn't even be asked, or answered.

[mentalsolstice]

35. I just spent an entire weekend celebrating my 67 yo. friend's marriage!

His bride is in her late 50s. It is a first marriage for each. Both are successful, social, funny and physically attractive people. It just took them that long to find each other....

I met my husband when I was 29 and he was 43, neither of us were ever married. So I’m not one to judge when someone finds the person s/he wants to spend their life with. And I’m certainly not going to speculate about their sexual orientation in the meantime, not that it matters.

[spooky3]

38. And some day our society will evolve to the point where it accepts that

marriage is not the right lifestyle for everyone, and people who aren't married should not be viewed as somehow not "normal."

[Jedi Guy]

41. Off topic but slightly related...

I wish people would stop assuming that something is "wrong" with people who are in a committed relationship but don't have, and don't want, children. My wife and I have been married for almost 8 years, and have no intention whatsoever of having children. For one thing, she can't conceive because of endometriosis, and even if she could, we don't want kids anyway. We have cats, and I don't have to figure out how to put a cat through university.

When you tell some people that, they stare at you like you're some bizarre alien being. It's perfectly possible to have a family of two, and it's actually nice not having children. If we wanna go out for dinner and a movie, we don't have to sort out getting a sitter and all that jazz. We just go.

Like I said, off topic but slightly related, and it's always been something that just grinds my gears.

[spooky3]

42. Agree. You would think that we would have evolved more at this point to

truly believe that there are different strokes for different folks and the diversity makes for a stronger society. But we have a ways to go....

[treestar]

57. +1

I have never wanted to be married and people try to make you feel so abnormal about it. You even start to wonder yourself. But by this time in history, everyone should be able to do as they want.

[Jedi Guy]

39. Why does it matter whether he's heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or asexual? Or anything else?

I don't see why it's an issue where he puts his genitals as long as it's between consenting adults. The fact that he felt like he had to address such "speculation" is sad commentary all on its own. Such "speculation" is nothing more than a very cheap and transparent smear attempt, and those doing such "speculating" should be ashamed of themselves.

[roamer65]

40. Booker has my support.

He’s a good person, regardless of whether he prefers a man or a woman.

I think he’s handsome and definitely would not kick him out of my bed.

[StarryNite]

45. The only issue here is that there are those who judge others

based on their sexuality.

[Glamrock]

46. Let's say he's lying.

He should come out of the closet during the campaign. He'd win hands down. Seriously. A gay black Democrat running for President! Shit. Half the GOP base would die off right then and there from massive coronary's.

[marble falls]

58. I'm shocked that the question saw being asked. And sad Sen Booker had to answer it.

Last edited Mon Dec 17, 2018, 05:43 PM - Edit history (1)

[Heartstrings]

61. Oh what a relief.....

I've had a bigly amount of sleepless nights pondering Bookers sexual orientation.....🤦🏻‍♀️

[lunatica]

66. If a gay person runs for President

I want it to be someone who is openly gay and/or is married so we can have a First Partner if it happens to be a man. That will happen one day. I only wish it will happen before I die.