Portland Gay Mayor's "Sex Scandal" Divides Gay Community

A "Sex Scandal" Involving Gay Mayor Sam Adams Divides Portand and Gay Community

Portland's newly elected gay mayor Sam Adams has admitted a sexual relationship with 18 year old Beau Breedlove, but it appears their relationship began when Breedlove was 17. Breedlove says he and Adams kissed on a couple of occasions when he was 17, but says they did not have sex until he was 18.

BEAU BREEDLOVE

After a rally supporting him on Friday, Sam Adams says he will NOT resign.

The FACTS are that (a) this was a consensual relationship (b) they did not have "sex" until Breedlove was 18, so Adams did not violate any laws. Are we going to start arresting people for kissing 17 year olds?

Did Adams make a questionable judgment call in kissing and pursuing a romantic relationship with a 17 year old? Maybe, especially given his political ambitions. But the gay community should not be joining the witch hunt against a progressive gay mayor just because they don't like the idea of an adult and a 17-18 year old being in a romantic/sexual relationship.

The underlying problem are these archaic/puritan laws that set the "age of consent" at 18 and then criminalize 18+ adults for having romantic or sexual relations with anyone just below 18. The "age of consent" should be 16-17 not 18. (The line defining an "adult" is arbitrary and socially constructed.) Is there any *rational* reason to label someone who is over 18 a "child molester" or a "pederast" for being sexually attracted to someone who is 16 or 17? (That's another matter..)

There seems to be a double standard in the way straight and gay men are treated in these situations, and "age of consent" laws have historically been used to target gay men.

In this case, Beau Breedlove was NOT a child, and Sam Adams did not molest him. Adams may have lied about their relationship, but I don't think the private sex lives of politicians should be anyone's business but theirs. Why are people more concerned when politicians lie about their private sex lives than when the lie about things like illegal wars, etc. ?

Portland Rally Supports Sam Adams

More on Towerland

UNZIPPED has hot Pics of Beau!