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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 15 sepTember 2020
2018 Florida gubernatorial nominee says he is bisexual

By TERRY SPENCER his inebriated state," the
Associated Press police report said.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) Police said they found bag-
— Andrew Gillum, Florida's gies of suspected crystal
Democratic nominee for methamphetamine. Gillum
governor in 2018, told a told police then and Hall
television interviewer he is in their interview he was
bisexual, responding to ru- drunk, but did not use meth
mors swirling since March or other drugs and that
after he was found intoxi- tests taken that weekend
cated and unconscious in prove it.
a hotel room with two men, Gillum had stable medical
including one who works as signs and police drove him
a male escort. back to his hotel, where
"I don't identify as gay but he got a ride to a rental
I do identify as bisexual," house where his wife had
Gillum told Tamron Hall on checked in. He was not
her syndicated talk show, charged with a crime. One
which aired Monday. "And of the men he was with ad-
that is something that I vertised online as a male
have never shared publicly escort. Gillum denied to
before." Hall having sex with either
The former Tallahassee man.
mayor, 41, appeared on Gillum announced two
the show with his wife, R. days after he was found
Jai. They have three young that he was entering a re-
children. He did not return In this Nov. 10, 2018 file photo, Andrew Gillum, then-Democratic candidate for governor, speaks habilitation facility. He told
a call Monday from The at a news conference in Tallahassee, Fla. Hall that he needed to get
Associated Press seeking Associated Press over "the shame" of what
comment. happened.
He told Hall he began he checked himself into re- cause of how judgmental he reached out to an ac- "I spent a lot of time embar-
drinking heavily and secret- habilitation the weekend people are," she told Hall. quaintance and wound rassed over what I don't re-
ly shortly after narrowly los- after the incident and he "So many people just don't up meeting him at a Miami call," Gillum said.
ing the election to Repub- cried daily. understand bisexuality. Beach hotel. David Johns, executive di-
lican Ron DeSantis, even "I cried because I was sad They think they can wrap Paramedics were sum- rector of The National Black
substituting whiskey for his to see myself in that place," their heads around gay, moned to a room at 1 a.m. Justice Coalition, a gay civil
morning coffee, as a way he said of the photo. "I but bisexuality is just some- March 13 after a third man rights group, said Monday
to deal with his depression. cried because I didn't rec- thing different." reported that Gillum's ac- that Black members of the
He told Hall that he wasn't ognize that person. I cried She said she wasn't sure she quaintance, 30-year-old LBGTQ community "can
sure he wanted to live any- because I didn't know it would have married Gillum Travis Dyson, had over- relate to the complex feel-
more after a photo got out could get that bad." if she knew his bisexuality dosed. Gillum said he had ings" Gillum conveyed in his
of him in a Miami Beach R. Jai Gillum said her hus- would become public, be- blacked out three hours interview with Hall. "Gillum's
hotel room unconscious, band told her before they cause she was in her 20s earlier after taking a drink reflections demonstrate
nude and lying in a pool of were married 11 years ago then and wouldn't have and awoke to find police in that there must be space
his own vomit. that he was bisexual and been able to handle it. the room. in our country for people
"I didn't know that picture she is upset that it is now Andrew Gillum told Hall he Police said Gillum and Dy- to be themselves without
was out there," said Gil- public knowledge, telling traveled to Miami to offici- son were apparently under shame and fear," Johns
lum, who was an upset Hall, "I don't think it is any- ate at a friend's wedding, the influence of an "un- said in a statement. "When
winner in the Florida 2018 one's business." arriving in town a day be- known substance." Rescu- we are forced by harm-
Democratic gubernatorial "I don't think it is fair for peo- fore his wife and friends did ers performed chest com- ful societal expectations
primary and was the first ple who are not heterosex- to attend business meet- pressions on Dyson and he to operate in black and
African American to be ual, who are not assumed ings his aides had set up. was taken to a hospital, white, with no room to ex-
nominated for the office by heterosexual that they He said that on March 12 where he recovered. press the many gray areas
either major party. He said should ever have to say or he found himself drinking "Mr. Gillum was unable to of ourselves that make us
he first saw the photo after disclose what they are be- alone at a hotel bar, so communicate because of who we are, we get hurt."q

Norman clerk: Group falls short in attempt to oust mayor

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — A group of citizens in Norman, Oklahoma, that police overtime spending.
was seeking to oust the mayor over her push to reallocate police fund- Many residents in the state's third-largest city were also upset with Clark's
ing has fallen short of the number of signatures needed to force a recall decision to impose a requirement that people wear masks in public fol-
election, city officials said Monday. lowing a surge in COVID-19 cases.
City Clerk Brenda Hall said in a statement the group did gather enough The group needed to gather signatures from at least 25% of registered
signatures to force a recall election for City Council member Alison Pa- voters, or 18,154, in the city to force a recall election for Clark. The group
trone. submitted more 20,000 signatures for Clark's recall, but Hall said more
The group "Unite Norman" launched a signature drive in July to oust May- than 3,600 of those were determined to be invalid.
or Breea Clark and half of the City Council. They were upset about the The group already fell short in gathering enough signatures to force the
council's decision to reallocate $865,000, or about 3.6%, of the police recall of two other council members.
department's annual budget. The money was shifted to community de- The city council will now determine when Petrone's recall election will be
velopment programs and to create an internal auditor position to track held.q