June 15, 2007 | Sex & Society

Young, proud, and Republican?

Believe it or not, radical conservative gays really do exist. And one of them (a rather luscious little twink, if we do say so ourselves) has  wandered out of the closet long enough to get a little media attention.

Tyler Whitney is an 18-year-old Republican and the current webmaster for Rep. Tom Tancredo's website. Tancredo, a Republican from Colorado, is -- by definition -- actively anti-gay, as is his young protege. Whitney was considered a leader in Young American's for Freedom (YAF), listed as a hate group by Southern Poverty Law Center for fighting against "special rights and deviant behavior." 

This puts Whitney in an awkward position. Why? He's gay! After recently telling his friends about his homosexuality, someone leaked the news to the rest of the world. Oopsie!

The fact that Whitney once held up a sign telling queers to "go back to the closet" during a YAF protest against a gay ordinance in Michigan, and that he once listed his favorite books as "The Death of the West" by Pat Buchanan, and "Slouching Towards Gomorrah" by Robert Bork, are just a few of the things this young man may find himself explaining, or hiding, in the days to come.

He shouldn't worry too much. Republicans are known for taking care of their own ... aren't they? We wonder how many offers of  "reparative therapy" he's received so far.  

• Young Republican campaigner’s a queer! [queerty.com]
• Conservative activist coming out [pridesource]