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Courier News Online
c-n.com
Neptune expected to
name first gay mayor
BY AP from c-n.com
Online, December 31, 2007
NEPTUNE, N.J. -- Randy Bishop
understands why a certain amount of fuss is being made over his expected
appointment as mayor this week, though he is doing his best to take a low-key
approach.
If Bishop is named to the position on Tuesday, he will become the second openly
gay mayor currently in office in New Jersey, and just the third in the state's
history.
"I guess it's still an oddity for openly gay people to be in elected politics,"
Bishop told The Asbury Park Press of Neptune for Sunday's editions. "The
same as for years it was probably true of African-Americans, of people of the
Latino cultures, of Asian cultures. It's the oddity because today it's so
few. Hopefully, it will come to the point where people aren't looked at as
though they are in a box, but by what they bring to the table."
Tim Eustace of Maywood is the only other openly gay mayor in New Jersey.
Gina Genovese became the state's first openly gay mayor in Long Hill in 2005 and
no longer holds the office.
Bishop, who owns the Melrose Inn in Ocean Grove, said his sexuality is a small
part of who he is and should not be the focus of his tenure as mayor.
Current Mayor James Manning Jr. agreed.
"Randy approaches everything as a caring 'person,"' Manning told the newspaper.
"His lifestyle has nothing to do with him leading the township."
Bishop said his top priorities are to advance development projects in the town
and start talks about building a township community center.
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