Disgraced congressman Aaron Schock has come out as gay in lengthy Instagram post. And we mean, lengthy! Guess that’s what happens when you’re a size queen. (We’re JOKING… kind of).
Just days after being pictured with circuit promoter Eliad Cohen, Schock has given his full life story including being rejected by his parents when they found out he was gay. But if you were expecting an apology – which was the only thing any of us wanted (it’s ten fold more important than the actual coming out) – you’ll have to keep on waiting.
Starting the post, he writes: “I am gay”
Continuing that his sexuality is “one of many things in my life in need of explicit affirmation, to remove any doubt and to finally validate who I am as a person”.
“I offer my story as one person’s experience. I’ve come to believe it is, in some respects, just a more public version of a difficult and ultimately, now optimistic, journey familiar to many LGBTQ people”.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9W8bGvjTp-/
He goes on, mostly, to blame the media for writing an “utterly false” story about him, which detailed Schock redecorated his office in style of Downtown Abbey. As we know, the media often falsify stories, but Schock’s office did look like the set of Downtown Abbey, so was this really an “utterly false” story or just an accurate observation?
Schock’s office is on the left to the DA set below:
While in office, Schock writes that he “put his ambition over the truth, which not only hurt me, but others as well”. This would be a good place to apologize for that choice, but instead Schock blames ‘circumstances’, claiming:
“I like to think I would have sorted all this out in the right way, had circumstances allowed. As it turned out, the opportunity quickly vanished in early 2015, when I found myself facing an array of false charges involving office and campaign expenses.”
Schock refused a plea deal and insisted on a trial which was subsequently dropped along with all charges.
“After the four years of legal hell finally ended this past March”, he continues, “the joy of vindication was met with the reality of facing my truth with those closest to me. I made plans to drive to my mother’s for Easter holiday and tell her what I had so long avoided.”
“In many ways my mind at that point was also oriented towards making up for lost time, socially. I got tickets for the Coachella Music Festival with friends. ”
“Halfway through the trip, I spoke with my mother. News broke of my weekend at Coachella. Pictures online made clear what I was en route to tell my mother in person. She told me to turn around and go back to LA. I wasn’t welcome at home for Easter.”
Schock goes to say that most of his family were not happy by his coming out and tactically moves onto his voting history.
“In 2008, as a Republican running in a conservative district, I took the same position on gay marriage held by my party’s nominee, John McCain. That position against marriage equality, though, was also then held by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as well. ”
“That fact doesn’t make my then position any less wrong, but it’s sometimes easy to forget that it was leaders of both parties who for so long wrongly understood what it was to defend the right to marry.”
Again, Schock skirts another opportunity to apologize. He continues:
“The truth is that if I were in Congress today, I would support LGBTQ rights in every way I could. I realize that some of my political positions run very much counter to the mainstream of the LGBTQ movement, and I respect them for those differences. I hope people will allow for me the same.”
So now he wants us to respect his anti-LGBTQ voting? I’m confused.
He finishes: “This journey has taught me a valuable lesson: that, whether you are gay or straight, it’s never too late to be authentic and true to yourself.”
Clearly, his authentic self is unremorseful, can’t apologize or admit when they’re wrong; it’s a stereotypical personality type that goes hand-in-hand with seeing oneself as the victim and expecting too much from others.
But I digress, the post is still missing those two words the community wants to hear: “I’M SORRY”.
He blames religion, the media, his party leaders, and his own family for the pain caused in his life – which while this may be true – does not act as a justification for how he voted. He’s expecting us to understand his pain while not apologizing for the pain he caused others.
Schock skirted numerous opportunities to apologize but instead offered reasonings or blame for why he did what he did.
In fact, the only thing he seems to “regret” is the time wasted in having not come out sooner. Presumably, so he could put his hands down more pants at Coachella.
Most of us have a tough coming out, but very few behave in the way he did.
Guess he has finally “validated who he is as a person”: someone who cannot – and more importantly, will not – face up to their wrongdoing but wants our acceptance nonetheless. He hasn’t got mine, but he’s clearly got Instagram’s as they offered him a blue tick this morning. Great work, world.
