GOP Sen. Koering: Gay [View All]

[Dickie Flatt]

http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/5346640.html

State Sen. Paul Koering, a first-term Republican from the Brainerd area who until recently had voted consistently for a constitutional ballot question banning same-sex marriage, revealed to the Star Tribune Wednesday that he is gay and has known it since he was a teen-ager.

He is believed to the first openly gay Republican elected official in Minnesota, and his announcement could affect the course of the raging legislative debate over gay marriage.

However, Koering, 40, a businessman and former dairy farmer, said his "coming out" does not change his position that the state's voters should be allowed to decide whether to ban same-sex marriage, nor will it change his basic conservative philosophy.

Rather, Koering said he wanted to put an end to rampant speculation _ in the capitol, on websites and from constituents _ about his sexual orientation.