Hypocrite [ hip-uh-krit ]
noun
1 . A person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.
2 . A person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, especially one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.
Example:
“Former GOP Representative Aaron Schock is a hypocrite.”
We all need a grammar lesson now and again, don’t you think?
Former Republican Congressman Aaron Schock has not shied away from expressing his anti-LGBTQ views.
Schock voted against both marriage equality and the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell while he was in office, also opposing the addition of sexual orientation and gender identity to federal hate crimes laws, and using government funds to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act.
Schock’s own sexuality has been a frequent topic of discussion.
Since photographs emerged in 2015 of Schock kissing another man at Coachella, he has responded to questions regarding his sexuality as “completely ridiculous and inappropriate.”
To be clear, it is never okay to out someone when they are not ready to disclose their sexuality.
However, when you are on a continual, public journey to ensure that the country’s legislation treats the LGBTQ+ community as less than human, your sexuality is relevant.
Last weekend, Schock was spotted in a gay club in Mexico.
Photos and alleged video have emerged on Twitter of Schock putting money into a male go-go dancer’s underwear.
“Hey Cutie, I’m Aaron Schock,” Greg Hogben’s post reads, “As a congressman I voted against marriage equality, the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and Equal Protections for LGBT folk. Now hold still while I shove this dollar down your shorts.”
Instagram pictures confirm that Schock was in Mexico that very weekend.
The former congressman was in Mexico City specifically, writing “Caminando por el castillo. #mexicocity”
Again, it isn’t right or fair to speculate over someone’s sexuality and use photographs to “prove” that we “figured it out”, but it is not his sexuality alone that is the point— it is the fact that because the man may have an issue with his own sexuality, he is taking it out on the country .
Though this may be Schock’s most recent public scandal, he is no stranger to controversy.
He resigned from Congress in 2015, stating that “the constant questions over the last six weeks have proven a great distraction that has made it too difficult for me to serve the people of the 18th District with the high standards that they deserve.”
He was indicted on federal corruption charges the following year.
These charges included “mail fraud, filing false tax returns, submitting false reports to the FEC and misappropriating more than $100,000 in government funds.”
Though the charges were dropped earlier this year after Schock made an agreement with prosecutors, his image remained permanently tarnished.
He has yet to publically respond to the release of the ‘scandalous’ photos.
Remember that definition we used at the beginning of the article? That applies right about now.
h/t: News Week
