Missouri State Rep. Zach Wyatt says
he's a gay Republican because he's not “a one issue person.”
Wyatt publicly announced he's gay on
Wednesday to call on Republican leaders to withdraw a proposed bill
which would prohibit the discussion of gay issues in Missouri's
public schools.
The measure, sponsored by Republican
Rep. Steve Cookson, cleared its first hurdle in the House last month.
If approved, the bill would also effectively ban Gay-Straight
Alliance groups from meeting on school grounds as approved
extracurricular entities. This week, the
Tennessee House decided to drop a similar proposal.
Appearing on MSBNC's The Last Word,
Wyatt was asked by host Lawrence O'Donnell why – knowing the
hostility many Republicans hold toward gay rights – he joined the
Republican Party.
“The thing is, I'm not a one issue
person, Lawrence. I really truly believe that we need to have a
smaller government. We need to have a balanced budget,” he
answered.
Wyatt added that he hopes his coming
out will help young people struggling with their sexuality.
“I just wanted to make sure if I
could get one student to not go home, go home from being bullied and
hurt themselves, or worse yet, possibly take their own lives, I think
I've done my job as a state representative.” (Watch
the entire segment at MSNBC.)
(Related: Stephen
Colbert skewers “Don't Say Gay” in school bill.)