Georgia's First Openly Gay Republican Official, Brian Bates

With 58 percent of the vote, Brian Bates was elected to the Doraville, Georgia city council. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the election results were no surprise: The 36-year-old businessman was a town favorite. To coast-to-coast onlookers (and possibly the rest of Georgia, where same-sex unions are prohibited) the surprise lies in the election of an openly gay republican like Brian Bates.

Could Brian Bates's victory be a signal of America's exhaustion with gay rights as a central conservative issue? Bates told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that his being gay was not a deciding issue in the election.

"I am gay and there's no reason to hide it," he said. "I made the conscious decision to be open and honest about my orientation. It really didn't come up with my conversations with voters and for the most part, I don't think they care. It was not a campaign issue. There is not a gay agenda. It wasn't an issue."

Georgia Equality, the state's largest organization supporting gay rights, sees the victory as a landmark event.

"When you are talking about local elections, it's about finding the most qualified candidate," said Kyle Bailey, political director for Georgia Equality. "This is a sign of progress of the LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender] community showing that we are your neighbors."

More on Gay Republicans:

• The Paradox Called Gay Republicans
• Retired Gay Republican Congressman Jim Kolbe
• Who Are The Log Cabin Republicans
• Bush Fails To Get Endorsement From Gay Repubicans

_{Image © Brian Bates.}