Gay Lawmaker Alleges Alabama's Governor Is A Closeted Lesbian
Rep. Patricia Todd, Alabama's only openly gay state legislator, has suggested Gov. Kay Ivey is a closeted lesbian who made her girlfriend move out of her house when she assumed the office.
Todd, pictured above, made the comments on Facebook and Twitter, posting the same message on each platform, calling for someone to "out her for God's sake," adding that she is "sick of closeted elected officials." Todd has since made her accounts private.
Ivey spokesperson Debbee Hancock has denied the allegation, calling it "a disgusting lie being pushed by a paid liberal political hack," AL.com reports.
"There is absolutely no truth to it," Hancock added.
Todd, a Democrat, was elected to Alabama's House of Representatives in 2006 and is not seeking reelection. Earlier this month she was named executive director of One Orlando Alliance, a nonprofit organization formed in response to the Pulse shooting, which she is scheduled to begin on June 1.
Ivey, pictured above, became governor in April of last year, following the resignation of former Gov. Robert Bentley. She is seeking a full term and will face off against three opponents in the Republican primary on June 5.
Ivey, 73, is single, twice divorced, and has no children, according to AL.com.
On both Twitter and Facebook, Todd linked to another AL.com article concerning one of Ivey's challengers, Republican gubernatorial candidate and evangelist Scott Dawson, criticizing her over state funds going to the LGBT non-profit Free2Be.
"I certainly don't agree with the agenda or the values of that organization," Ivey is quoted as saying in the piece.
She also said the grants awarded to Free2Be were federally mandated and that the money came from criminal seizures, and not taxpayer dollars.
Free2Be describes its mission as working "to end violence while advocating for the Human & Civil Rights of Sexual & Gender Minorities."
Ivey released a statement Wednesday morning condemning what she called the "most recent personal attack against me," characterizing it as "disgraceful."
"There is absolutely no truth to it," she continued. "It's false. It's wrong. It's a bald faced lie. And I'm not gonna let them get away with it."
Her full statement follows.
