# Could a homosexual get elected POTUS? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 16, 2006, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624 "2006-03-16T17:54:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/1 "2006-03-16T17:54:16Z")
In light of the recent threads about Jews, Blacks, and Mormons I though I’d ask can an openly gay man or lesbian get elected President? In my opinion no, not for at least 50 to 60 years. I also think a lesbian would have a better chance than a gay man. I think a gay cabinet member a possiblity within 10-20 years. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/2 "2006-03-16T18:10:58Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > In light of the recent threads about Jews, Blacks, and Mormons I though I’d ask can an openly gay man or lesbian get elected President? In my opinion no, not for at least 50 to 60 years. I also think a lesbian would have a better chance than a gay man. I think a gay cabinet member a possiblity within 10-20 years. Well, what if she was a Black, lesbian Mormon, recently converted from Judaism? She’d be a shoe-in!! 🙂 No, no gay presidents for many, many years. At least not openly gay. Although I suppose it’s possible there have been some already… ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/3 "2006-03-16T18:14:18Z")
There has probably been one already. [http://lindholm.jp/chinf\_buc.html](http://lindholm.jp/chinf_buc.html) But only probably, not definately. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/4 "2006-03-16T18:38:03Z")
Come to think of it, does **any** country have an openly gay elected chief executive? ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/5 "2006-03-16T18:47:11Z")
If they won’t let Homosexuals serve in the armed forces, somehow I doubt one would be able to get elected. ---
**Author:** ![Tevildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Tevildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tevildo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/6 "2006-03-16T18:49:32Z")
Pim Fortuyn, Peter Mandleson, and Michael Portillo all _might_ have achieved this if death, financial scandal, and foolish decisions by their party (respectively) hadn’t intervened. But they were all openly gay prominent politicians with reasonable chances of coming to power. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/7 "2006-03-16T18:53:04Z")
I think it’s highly unlikely-- an improbibility at best. Maybe, centuries from now, people will be more enlightened, but currently, Christian “morality” is deeply entrenched in American politics. Just two years ago, people turned out in droves to deny gays the right to marry. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/8 "2006-03-16T19:34:13Z")
[the simpsons] LISA: In answer to your question, yes, I am proud to be first straight, female president of the United States! * * * MOE: Don’t blame me! I voted for Chastity Bono! [/ts] ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/9 "2006-03-16T20:22:49Z")
I would love to see someone win the election, get sworn in, and then come out of the closet. I’m Here, I’m Queer,I’m Your President. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/10 "2006-03-16T20:24:51Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I would love to see someone win the election, get sworn in, and then come out of the closet. > > I’m Here, I’m Queer,I’m Your President. It’s hard enough for a **bachelor** to get elected. And a married president who came out of the closet would justly be denounced as dishonest (to the people, and to his wife for all those years). ---
**Author:** ![EEMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a6a055/32.png) [@EEMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EEMan)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/11 "2006-03-16T20:51:41Z")
Of the currently held prejudices held; I’m guessing this will take the longest to work out. Though we are MUCH further along than we were just a few decades ago. I would say it would be possible within the next 20 years (given the right person). ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/12 "2006-03-16T20:59:29Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I would love to see someone win the election, get sworn in, and then come out of the closet. > > I’m Here, I’m Queer,I’m Your President. As amusing as that notion is, it would be highly unlikely in our mud-slinging era that a gay person could run for office without his/her sexuality being discovered. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/13 "2006-03-16T21:02:25Z")
As you stated Openly Gay, I would say not a chance. Not for many decades, probably not in my lifetime. The very fact that we wonder if an African American, Jewish or Mormon Candidate could win should provide the answer to your question. There is “outside the mainstream” and then there is “really outside the mainstream”. I think we have a really long way to go. Now a Homosexual could be elected if they were not open. My state elected a Gay Governor, we just didn’t know it. Of course he didn’t help the Gay Agenda by being a crooked and inept governor. Jim ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/14 "2006-03-16T21:26:07Z")
> [@What Exit?](#): > > Of course he didn’t help the Gay Agenda . . . And here it is, in case you were wondering! 🙂 [http://www.bettybowers.com/homoagenda.html](http://www.bettybowers.com/homoagenda.html) ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/15 "2006-03-16T22:24:15Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Come to think of it, does **any** country have an openly gay elected chief executive? He wasn’t chief executive, but what about [Harvey Milk](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Milk)? He was a city supervisor for San Francisco and the first openly gay politician elected in the US. ---
**Author:** ![lobstermobster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobstermobster/32/10033_2.png) [@lobstermobster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobstermobster)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/16 "2006-03-17T02:02:19Z")
no ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/17 "2006-03-17T02:06:08Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > He wasn’t chief executive, but what about [Harvey Milk](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Milk)? He was a city supervisor for San Francisco and the first openly gay politician elected in the US. Well, if we’re getting down to local officials, the current mayor of Paris is openly gay. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertrand\_Delanoë](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertrand_Delano%C3%AB) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/18 "2006-03-17T13:55:26Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > It’s hard enough for a **bachelor** to get elected. And a married president who came out of the closet would justly be denounced as dishonest (to the people, and to his wife for all those years). Having lived in New Jersey through the Jim McGreevy bruhaha, I can’t image what would have happened if he had been President. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/19 "2006-03-17T14:28:38Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > He wasn’t chief executive, but what about [Harvey Milk](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Milk)? He was a city supervisor for San Francisco and the first openly gay politician elected in the US. The first openly gay elected official for any local office in America was Kathy Kozachenko, who was elected to the Ann Arbor, Michigan City Council in April 1974, three years before Harvey Milk was elected. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624/20 "2006-03-17T14:37:09Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Having lived in New Jersey through the Jim McGreevy bruhaha, I can’t image what would have happened if he had been President. Well he resigned before the bruhaha got going and he was already considered a horrible Governor before it came out that he was employing his lover in 6 figure jobs. I’ll give him credit for at least not letting himself be blackmailed. Jim [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-homosexual-get-elected-potus/348624.md?page=2)