Come out Come out wherever you are....Mike!

Today the Senate of the Commonwealth passed a revised version of the PA Marriage Protection Act. I said before that politicians with skeletons in their closets should be careful about how they vote. I consider a gay senator voting against himself and his own people a newsworthy event.

As promised, I have the unfortunate duty to tell you that the gay and lesbian community has been betrayed on by one of their own. It is commonly believed and a viewed as a "public secret" that Michael O'Pake, State Senator for Berks County, is gay. I grant you that the Senator has never acknowledged that he is straight or gay but if you talk to anyone of standing in the gay community in Berks County they will tell you that Mike O'Pake is gay and that would make the Senator a hypocrite.

For the Senator to vote in favor of this discriminatory amendment is beyond redemption. If the Senator is afraid of being gay or ashamed to be gay, that's his issue and he should seek out appropriate help to deal with it. But do not condemn the minority gay and lesbian tax-paying population to second-class status because we don't have the votes to beat a well-organized, well-funded group of bigots.

Laws are often used to protect the minority because the majority, by definition, needs no protection.

Time to explain yourself Senator...put up or shut up. I give you credit for doing many things to help the county but this is beyond belief.

I call on the Senator to explain himself and to explain why people who pay taxes should not have the same rights as every other citizen who pays taxes. More importantly, I call on the Senator to stand up and do what's right.

You should be ashamed of yourself Mike. Your community has been good to you and this is how you repay our loyalty.

Raven