Hagel Retracts Statement on Gays

Chuck Hagel is a changed man. That’s the message the former senator is sending to gay activists who were protesting his consideration for the next defense secretary. In 1998, Hagel expressed concerns over the nomination of James Hormel to be ambassador to Luxembourg because Hormel was “openly aggressively gay.” Now, Hagel is retracting that statement. “My comments 14 years ago in 1998 were insensitive,” he says. “They do not reflect my views or the totality of my public record, and I apologize to Ambassador Hormel and any LGBT Americans who may question my commitment to their civil rights.”