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McGreevey Returns to Spotlight Before Gay Group
By DAVID KOCIENIEWSKI, NYTimes on the Web, October 15, 2004
Welcomed with rousing applause, smiles, handshakes and hugs, Gov. James E. McGreevey of New Jersey stepped into his public life as the nation's first openly gay governor last night, attending the annual dinner for one of the nation's largest gay rights organizations.
Since Aug. 12, when he announced that he would resign and disclosed that he was gay and had had an extramarital affair with a man, Mr. McGreevey has made only a handful of public appearances at ceremonial functions in New Jersey. But by accepting an invitation to the Empire State Pride Agenda's annual banquet in Manhattan, and making his first appearance before a gay group since coming out, Mr. McGreevey gave indications that he may play an active role in issues of importance to gays once he leaves office on Nov. 15.
Despite the high-profile way in which Mr. McGreevey announced his sexual orientation in a nationally televised news conference, he still seemed a bit tentative about his appearance last night at the Sheraton New York Hotel in Midtown. After the news media learned of his plans to attend, and a spokesman for the event directed reporters and photographers to the only public entrance to the event, Mr. McGreevey's aides ushered him in through a side entrance. Once inside the hotel's ballroom, however, the governor made a few brief comments, saying he felt honored to be invited and trying to play down the significance of his attendance.
"Obviously, this has been a very trying period of my life in this journey," said Mr. McGreevey, appearing somewhat uncomfortable by the commotion his arrival had caused. "I'm just thankful for the support of thousands of New Jerseyans who stood by me and offered their support and prayers."
When asked whether he expected to become a champion for gay rights, Mr. McGreevey allowed himself a laugh.
"Right now, I just expect to eat dinner," he said with an embarrassed smile.
The dinner has become an important stop for New York politicians hoping to win the support of gays in New York City, a powerful voting bloc. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi and Council Speaker Gifford Miller were among the many elected officials who stopped in last night, but the circumstances of Mr. McGreevey's resignation made him the center of much attention.
He was greeted by dozens of other guests, who came to his table to offer their support and congratulations for his decision to publicly acknowledge that he is gay. He was gently lampooned by the M.C., John Tartaglia, and his puppet. And when Senator Charles E. Schumer began his speech by welcoming "my friend from across the river," Mr. McGreevey was showered with cheers and applause.
In New Jersey, Mr. McGreevey's resignation has been greeted skeptically. Many Republicans suggested that he wrapped himself in the lavender flag of gay identity because his he feared that corruption scandals involving his fund-raisers and aides might eventually bring him down.
Some gay leaders also contend that New Jersey voters would have accepted Mr. McGreevey's sexual orientation if he had not been accused of appointing the object of his affections to a government job as homeland security adviser.
But to many of those at a dinner to celebrate the struggle for gay rights and against a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, those concerns seemed like trivial political machinations.
"I think he's an inspiring symbol for everyone in the gay community," said Tim Keelan, a guest. "He stood up for who he is even though he had a family and a public career. You can say that he should have done it earlier, but when you're older, it's hard to come out. It's a very difficult emotional decision."
Tom Duane, a New York State senator who is also gay, said that whatever Mr. McGreevey's motivations, his decision to announce that he was gay was admirable.
"The bottom line," Mr. Duane said, "is he came out. That takes a lot of courage, and for that, I think he is a hero."
For all the empathy and acceptance directed at Mr. McGreevey, the event was nonetheless a remarkable milestone in the political and personal life of an elected official who rose to power by portraying himself as a quintessential Jersey Guy: one who believed in hard work, faith, the flag and the traditional (and implicitly heterosexual) family.
While Mr. McGreevey was supportive of gay rights throughout his career -- during his final days as a closeted elected official, he addressed the Stonewall Democrats at the Democratic National Convention in Boston in July -- his path to the governor's office was defined far more by meetings in union halls and diners than by dinners like last night's, which included an auction for a gay ski weekend in Aspen and a walk-on part on the television show "Will and Grace."
But Mr. McGreevey's advisers say that in the months since his resignation, he has felt enormous relief because he no longer has to uphold the pretense that his sexual orientation and his traditional political beliefs are mutually exclusive.
The governor declined to answer questions about his plans, which have been the subject of widespread speculation. There have been published reports in New Jersey newspapers claiming that Mr. McGreevey and his wife, Dina Matos, are separating and shopping for homes in different counties and that he had agreed to take a job at a politically connected law firm.
But Mr. McGreevey would say only that he had no intention of re-entering politics any time soon and he was focusing on healing the emotional wounds his announcement caused his loved ones.
"Right now," he said. "I'm just trying to take care of my family."
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