The Semantics of Coming Out

Ken Mehlman, the campaign manager for President George W. Bush’s reelection bid in 2004 and the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, announced that he's gay. “It’s taken me 43 years to get comfortable with this part of my life,” he told The Atlantic. “Everybody has their own path to travel, their own journey, and for me, over the past few months, I’ve told my family, friends, former colleagues, and current colleagues, and they’ve been wonderful and supportive. The process has been something that's made me a happier and better person. It’s something I wish I had done years ago.” This makes Mehlman the most powerful openly gay Republican in history—and, as he admits, the enormous political pressure of coming out is what took him so long to do so. “"I can't change the fact that I wasn't in this place personally when I was in politics,” Mehlman said, “and I genuinely regret that. It was very hard, personally.” Mehlman says that he hopes to turn his focus to advocating for gay rights and same-sex marriage.