Alabama's first openly gay state
lawmaker has lost a job offer after she suggested that Governor Kay
Ivey, a Republican, is gay and should be outed.
Ivey, who is fending off four
challengers for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, denied outgoing
Rep. Patricia Todd's claim, calling the allegation a “disgusting
lie” and a “personal attack.”
Todd, who is not seeking re-election,
was set to take a position as executive director of the One Orlando
Alliance, a coalition of central Florida LGBT organizations formed in
response to the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando.
Jennifer Foster, chairwoman of One
Orlando Alliance's board, said that Todd's comments were “not
aligned” with the group's values.
“We strongly believe that coming out
is a personal choice and we do not support involuntarily outing,”
Foster said.
Todd defended herself before the job
offer was rescinded, saying
that she “hates hypocrites.”