Let’s start at the top of this Dallas Voice piece, titled “Possibly gay state Rep. Naomi Gonzalez charged with DWI after Austin crash”:
In the 2010 Democratic Primary, challenger Naomi Gonzalez was gay-baited by incumbent state Rep. Norma Chavez, who famously (and redundantly) called Gonzalez “a lesbian woman.” Gonzalez went on to upset Chavez in the primary, but would neither confirm nor deny that she is in fact gay.
Naomi Gonzalez, not to be confused with her out and proud neighbor, El Paso state Rep. Mary Gonzalez, is now in her second term in the Texas House.
I’m not comfortable calling someone “possibly gay,” because a.) that’s not my fight, and b.) it’s harmful speculation, either way. But I don’t work in the LGBT media. Moving on, as the title suggests, Gonzalez was arrested following an Austin crash last night, one that sent a cyclist to the hospital. That DWI, the Voice suggests, was due to one thing:
My question is, does this not seem like the type of reckless behavior that goes hand in hand with the self-torment of living in the closet? It’s only speculation, of course, but here’s my point: The era when the LGBT community is willing to tolerate closeted or partially closeted elected officials — regardless of whether they are actively doing harm to the community — needs to come to an end. Because even if they aren’t harming us, they are undoubtedly harming themselves and the people around them.
No, it seems like Gonzalez made a terrible decision after drinking. The Voice covers its ass — “It’s only speculation, guys! Fun speculation!” — but it’s unfair to connect these two things.
