Community Corner

Booker on Gay Rumor: 'What Does It Matter If I Am?'

"I hope you are not voting for me because you are making the presumption that I'm straight," says senate candidate Cory Booker.

Cory Booker makes a point of keeping quiet about his personal life.

The unmarried, 44-year-old mayor of Newark, intently dodged and reframed questions regarding his love life and addressed his perception of rumors that he’s gay, in a recent interview with the Washington Post.

“[P]eople who think I’m gay, some part of me thinks it’s wonderful. Because I want to challenge people on their homophobia,” Booker told the Washington Post. “I love seeing on Twitter when someone says I’m gay, and I say, ‘So what does it matter if I am? So be it. I hope you are not voting for me because you are making the presumption that I’m straight.’”

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Booker earlier this month won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat that opened up after the death of Sen. Frank Lautenberg. He’s running against former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan, the Republican pick and a Tea Party favorite.

Lonegan told the Star-Ledger that questions regarding Booker's sexuality life were irrelevant: "I don’t really care about this guy’s lifestyle... I care about his failed record in Newark."

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Gov. Chris Christie in June called for special elections to fill the U.S. Senate vacancy instead of adding the question to the ballot in the November general election, when Christie will by vying for re-election.

Critics decried the Christie's move, calling it an unnecessary expense of at least $24 million. A lawsuit to block Christie’s decision was struck down by the state Supreme Court.


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