A Former GOP Congressman With An Anti-Gay Voting Record Has Stirred Up A Firestorm After Attending Coachella

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If the name Aaron Schock sounds familiar, it’s because the former Illinois state representative made national headlines back in 2015 for his exquisitely decorated Downton Abbey-themed office that allegedly cost $40,000. This led to further digging into Schock’s use of taxpayer and campaign funds, which unearthed extravagant spending habits such as lavish trips, private property, and concert tickets. Suffice to say, the scandal led to his untimely resignation from office. (Recently, felony charges were dropped when he agreed to pay back nearly $68,000 to campaign committees.)

At any rate, during Schock’s time in office from 2009 until 2015, he held a harsh anti-gay record which included voting against adding LGBTQ rights to federal hate crime protections, against the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and for the Defense of Marriage Act — that legislation defined marriage as between a man and a woman and was eventually struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013.

So people are of course taking note when writer and political activist James Duke Mason posted photos of Schock at Coachella to Facebook with the following caption:

Normally I wouldn’t comment on something like this, but I am just infuriated by these images of former Republican (and anti-gay) Congressman Aaron Schock partying with a group of gay men at Coachella. The fact that he would think he could show his face in public, particularly when he has NEVER renounced or apologized for his votes against gay marriage, gays in the military and against anti-discrimination laws is astounding. My intention isn’t to out him or target him personally, but simply to point out the hypocrisy. I saw him at a recent gay social event in West Hollywood and shook his hand before I realized who he was; he should really be ashamed of himself. And the gays who associate with him without calling him out should know better. It really is a disgrace.

Likewise, Queerty obtained a photo from a source which appears to show Schock making out with an unidentified man. Others were quick to point out so much on Twitter as people had Some Things To Say about the situation.

https://twitter.com/samkalidi/status/1118349284737335297

https://twitter.com/dannybarefoot/status/1118491762568437760

After being cleared of felony corruption charges for his misuse of campaign funds, Schock — who in 2008 was at the time the youngest person elected to Congress — said he wouldn’t rule out a return to politics. “At 37 years old, I don’t think I’ll ever say never,” he stated back in March.