# What percentage of extremely anti-gay public figures are in the closet? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 12, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470 "2011-08-12T16:30:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/1 "2011-08-12T16:30:14Z")
This is just the latest one: [http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/anti-gay\_marriage\_state\_rep\_accused\_of\_offering\_young\_male\_money\_for\_sex.php](http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/anti-gay_marriage_state_rep_accused_of_offering_young_male_money_for_sex.php) My brother has said for a long time that he expects ALL politicians and preachers who rage against homosexuals and homosexuality are secretly gay, which I’ve always scoffed at. I still don’t think it’s all of them, but it certainly does seem to be a significant portion- I assume that for every hypocritical gay-basher politician/preacher that gets caught, there’s 10 or 20 that don’t. So what do you think the percentage is? ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/2 "2011-08-12T16:42:27Z")
Some quotes from the relevant article, just to name names: > [@](#): > > The Indianapolis Star obtained e-mails sent from **Rep. Phillip Hinkle’s (R)** publicly listed personal address, responding to a Craigslist posting by Kameryn Gibson that said “I need a sugga daddy.” Gibson told the Star that the post was in the “Casual Encounters” section under m4m, or men for men. He used his sister Megan’s e-mail address – and she later sent the e-mails to the Star. > > “Cannot be a long time sugar daddy,” says the e-mail response from what is allegedly Hinkle’s address, “but can for tonight. Would you be interested in keeping me company for a while tonight?” > > \ > > The Star reports: > > > [@](#): > > > > The young man told The Star that they met, but that he tried to leave after the man told him he was a state lawmaker. He said the lawmaker at first told him he could not leave, grabbed him in the rear, exposed himself to the young man and then later gave him an iPad, BlackBerry cellphone and $100 cash to keep quiet. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/3 "2011-08-12T16:59:11Z")
I assume that anybody who is rabidly anti-gay is struggling with his or her own sexuality, so I would put the number at close to 100%; I just don’t think most people spend that much time worrying about other people’s sex life. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/4 "2011-08-12T17:22:00Z")
I have no idea. But it dawned on me that when people say “Being gay is a choice!” they may have arrived at that notion because they “chose” to resist their own same-sex urges. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/5 "2011-08-12T17:43:57Z")
Contrariwise, I suspect that it’s probably pretty close to the proportion of gays in the general population. Rabid anti-gayness is less its own sexuality than a product of culture. ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/6 "2011-08-12T17:53:21Z")
Dunno about homosexuals, but I expect there are a fair number of closet Conservatives on this board. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/7 "2011-08-12T17:55:31Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I just don’t think most people spend that much time worrying about other people’s sex life. :dubious: > [@B.Serum](#): > > But it dawned on me that when people say “Being gay is a choice!” they may have arrived at that notion because they “chose” to resist their own same-sex urges. That makes some sense; but so does the theory that when people say “Homosexuality is unnatural!” they’re looking at things from their own heterosexual point of view, in which activity with a member of their own sex _would_ be unnatural (i.e. against their nature). ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/8 "2011-08-12T18:07:22Z")
I’d say somewhere between 33% and 66% - higher than the societal norm, but not all of them. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/9 "2011-08-12T18:07:45Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > I have no idea. But it dawned on me that when people say “Being gay is a choice!” they may have arrived at that notion because they “chose” to resist their own same-sex urges. Not doing a very good job of resisting them. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/10 "2011-08-12T18:11:25Z")
\> 0% \< 100% ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/11 "2011-08-12T18:40:18Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > This is just the latest one: > > [http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/anti-gay\_marriage\_state\_rep\_accused\_of\_offering\_young\_male\_money\_for\_sex.php](http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/anti-gay_marriage_state_rep_accused_of_offering_young_male_money_for_sex.php) > > My brother has said for a long time that he expects ALL politicians and preachers who rage against homosexuals and homosexuality are secretly gay, which I’ve always scoffed at. I still don’t think it’s all of them, but it certainly does seem to be a significant portion- I assume that for every hypocritical gay-basher politician/preacher that gets caught, there’s 10 or 20 that don’t. > > So what do you think the percentage is? I wouldn’t say all, but I suspect an inordinately high percentage of male conservative Republicans in politics have homosexual proclivities. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/12 "2011-08-12T18:47:17Z")
> [@Rune](#): > > Dunno about homosexuals, but I expect there are a fair number of closet Conservatives on this board. Wishful thinking on your part? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/13 "2011-08-12T18:48:30Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > I wouldn’t say all, but I suspect an inordinately high percentage of male conservative Republicans in politics have homosexual proclivities. And because this is Great Debates, you of course have some sort of facts or citation to back up your suspicion? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/14 "2011-08-12T18:50:45Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > And because this is Great Debates, you of course have some sort of facts or citation to back up your suspicion? I think this is more of an IMHO topic anyway. Moving it now. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/15 "2011-08-12T19:25:35Z")
I have heard the theory that anti-gay politicians, religious figures, and activists may not know they are being so hypocritical. They are taught that being gay is a sin and a moral problem that has to be actively fought against or it will spread throughout society like an infection. That makes perfect sense to some people who are gay and don’t fully realize it. They have to fight those evil urges all the time so they devote lots of energy into fighting it sometimes quite publicly. What they don’t realize is that heterosexual people don’t go around thinking about homosexual sex acts the vast majority of the time. It is those that are speaking out so passionately against it who are the ones inclined that way but they don’t have a good point of comparison with real heterosexual thoughts so they think they are perfectly normal in their reaction. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/16 "2011-08-12T19:52:19Z")
Back in college I was friends with a guy from Topeka. At the time (mid 1990’s) Fred Phelps wasn’t as well-known as he is now, but just about every man, woman and child in Topeka knew who he was and what he was about. My friend would have bet you his firstborn that Fred was gay, and that his rabid anti-gayness was his way of burying it deep _deep_ down. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/17 "2011-08-12T20:21:06Z")
> [@](#): > > I have no idea. But it dawned on me that when people say “Being gay is a choice!” they may have arrived at that notion because they “chose” to resist their own same-sex urges. Right, you always hear about how tempting homosexuality is, and how we have to fight that temptation, and so on, which would be utter nonsense to any heterosexual. If Satan were to try to tempt me with sex, he’d send a woman. Now, that’s not the only possible root cause of extreme homophobia, and there are probably a fair many who don’t use that sort of rhetoric. It can also just be a form of xenophobia, if a person happens not to know any gay folks (or more likely, just doesn’t realize they know any). But whenever you hear someone spouting the “temptation” line? Gay. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/18 "2011-08-12T20:25:02Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I have heard the theory that anti-gay politicians, religious figures, and activists may not know they are being so hypocritical. They are taught that being gay is a sin and a moral problem that has to be actively fought against or it will spread throughout society like an infection. That makes perfect sense to some people who are gay and don’t fully realize it. They have to fight those evil urges all the time so they devote lots of energy into fighting it sometimes quite publicly. What they don’t realize is that heterosexual people don’t go around thinking about homosexual sex acts the vast majority of the time. It is those that are speaking out so passionately against it who are the ones inclined that way but they don’t have a good point of comparison with real heterosexual thoughts so they think they are perfectly normal in their reaction. I agree with this. Someone may say, offhandly, that homosexual acts are sinful, for example, and not trigger this kind of analysis. But the folks that are so strongly anti-gay that they devote a large percentage of their lives to worrying about it, passing laws against it, etc., are those that fit right in to the comments above. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/19 "2011-08-12T20:55:11Z")
As long as we’re speculating, dollars to donuts says Marcus Bachmann gets outed sometime between now and Election Day 2012. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470/20 "2011-08-12T21:21:54Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > As long as we’re speculating, dollars to donuts says Marcus Bachmann gets outed sometime between now and Election Day 2012. Frankly, I’m surprised he hasn’t been already. I suspect he has a long time lover, and may possibly have Michelle’s blessing on the situation. When was the last political scandal of this sort revealed where the extracurricular activities weren’t of the rentboy/Craigslist variety? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-extremely-anti-gay-public-figures-are-in-the-closet/592470.md?page=2)