Venus View

Ambassador Victor Ashe

Ashe may be gay, certainly not open

The blogosphere erupted with posts about W's sexual proclivities yesterday. The only reason I noticed such banter relates to the naming of Victor Ashe as Bush's long time lover. While I would not venture to say whether or not Bush and Ashe have had any sort of sexual relationship, I can say this: the blogs that heralded Ashe as "openly gay" were dead wrong.

Ashe, ambassador to Poland since Jjune 23, 2004, was the mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee, for 16 years. I am a resident of that East Tennessee 'burg. As a result, I had the opportunity to observe Mr. Ashe as he conducted the business of the city over the years. I can assure you that he was not openly gay. He would have been ridden out of town on a rail if he had publicly disclosed a gay sexual orientation. After all, this is East Tennessee, home of some of the nation's most strident Christian Nationalists.

During his tenure as Mayor of Knoxville, Mr. Ashe dutifully produced wife and children at most any event or occasion requring family presence. As for what he does in his bedroom, I have not a clue, but I do know that if he is indeed gay, as the speculation both local, national, and now international supposes, he kept his secret well, at least in public.