The Hindu : International : U.S. Governor quits over gay affair

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 14, 2004

International

International

U.S. Governor quits over gay affair

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, AUG. 13. The Governor of New Jersey, James McGreevey, stunned the State and fellow Democrats when he abruptly resigned his post, saying he had had an affair with another man.

"My truth is that I am a gay American," Mr. McGreevey said in a nationally televised press conference with his second wife standing beside him. "Shamefully I engaged in adult consensual affairs with another man which violates my bonds of matrimony. It was wrong, it was foolish, it was inexcusable," he said.

Crying foul

The resignation would come effective on November 15 or after the fall elections and hence the Democrats would not risk losing the State in the event of a special election. Republicans are crying foul saying that waiting until November 15 "smacks of politics" and that Mr. McGreevey leaving office immediately would be in the best interests of the State.

In fact, reports point to rumours circulating for quite sometime now that Mr. McGreevey was homosexual and that the person who was involved in the affair had threatened the Governor with a sexual harassment law suit unless "millions of dollars" was paid.

The person has been identified in the media as Golan Cipel, an Israeli poet who had worked briefly for the Governor as an advisor on homeland security.

But as a foreign citizen Mr. Cipel could not get security clearance and Federal agencies would not share classified information with him. After he stepped down from this position, Mr. Cipel is said to have remained on the payroll as a "policy counsellor" to the Governor.

`Marriages' annulled

The California Supreme Court has voided the nearly 4000 `marriages' granted to same sex couples saying that city officials broke a State law and a voter approved measure that defined marriage as being between a man and a woman.

The Justices voted 5 to 2 to nullify the 3995 marriages that were performed in a four-week period this February and March and the legality for this would have to wait until after courts decide the constitutionality of State laws that restricted marriages to same sex couples.

The California Supreme Court did not vote on whether the State constitution permitted same sex marriages; rather the Justices confined themselves on the actions of city officials.

"Local officials in San Francisco exceeded their authority by taking official action in violation of applicable statutory provisions," the Court noted going on to say "all affected same sex couples authorised by the officials are void and of no legal effect."

Mayor unperturbed

The Mayor of San Fransisco, Gavin Newsom, seemed unperturbed by the ruling saying that he was `proud' of those 4000 couples that took part in the ceremonies earlier this year.

"There is nothing that any court decision or politician can do that will take that moment away," he said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News Update

Stories in this Section

Al Sadr injured by shrapnel, say aides

E.U. Commissioners named

Iran's role in Iraq uprising suspected

U.S. Governor quits over gay affair

'Plot to involve Pakistan in terrorism'

Schroeder visits father's grave

U.N. envoy headed for Baghdad

Bangladeshi poet dead

Court rejects prisoners' appeal

BBC launches Tamil film music series