First Openly Bisexual US Governor Will Take Office Next Week in Oregon
As Oregon's embattled Democrat Gov. John Kitzhaber announced Friday he will resign Wednesday, the state's Secretary of State Kate Brown, also a Democrat, is set to become the first openly bisexual governor in U.S. history.
Kitzhaber is stepping down amid allegations that his fiancée misused her relationship with him to acquire contracts for her environmental consulting business, according to The Associated Press.
The state's constitution requires that the secretary of state take over if a governor steps down or dies.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"This is a sad day for Oregon. But I am confident that legislators are ready to come together to move Oregon forward," Brown was quoted as saying Friday. "I know you all have a lot of questions, and I will answer them as soon as possible. As you can imagine, there is a lot of work to be done between now and Wednesday."
Though married to Dan Little since 1997, Brown has publicly identified herself as bisexual in the past.
In an essay for Out and Elected in the USA, Brown shared how she disclosed to her parents about her sexuality and how her gay friends called her "half-queer."
"Some days I feel like I have a foot in both worlds, yet never really belonging to either," she wrote.
Her spokesman, Tony Green, was quoted as saying that Brown still considers herself bisexual.
Brown, a Minnesota native, was earlier expected to be a top contender to succeed Kitzhaber only in 2018.
Brown, 54, will be governor until 2016.
She was appointed to the Oregon House in a similar fashion in 1991 when another Democrat resigned. She was later elected to the state Senate followed by her appointment as the first woman to serve as majority leader in 2004.
Brown is expected to influence state laws. "I witnessed the difference it makes when our community not only has a seat at the table, but sits at the head of the leadership table," she said at a 2011 Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund brunch. "Because of my role as caucus leader to set the agenda, we were able to make civil rights and civil unions a priority."
Last month, Brown was under suspicion for having written a letter to the Federal Communications Commission endorsing Comcast's merger with Time Warner Cable after having received campaign contributions from Comcast, according to The Oregonian. Many consumer activists as well as the City of Portland had warned that the deal would to reduction in competition and thereby higher prices.
There are about 525 openly LGBT public officials, mostly Democrat, in government offices, according to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund.
