Cory Booker's 1992 Op-Ed Proves The Power Of Gay Friendship

Time and again polls show that the single biggest factor in someone changing their minds about marriage equality or general LGBT rights is meeting an LGBT person. It's that simple. They meet a gay person, see that we don't have horns, and move past their archaic attitudes. Newark Mayor and likely U.S. Senate candidate Cory Booker is one of those people.

On April 8, 1992, he wrote an opinion piece for his university newspaper, The Stanford Daily, about how meeting a gay person changed his mind on the matter. That paper republished the piece today. Here is an excerpt:

...While I was highly adroit at maintaining an air of acceptance [of gays], I couldn't betray my feelings. I was disgusted by gays. The thought of two men kissing each other was about as appealing as a frontal lobotomy.

Allow me to be more direct, escaping the euphemisms of my past – I hated gays. The disgust and latent hostility I felt toward gays were subcategories of hatred, plain and simple.

While hate is a four-letter word I never would have admitted to, the sentiment clandestinely pervaded my every interaction with homosexuals. I sheepishly shook hands with gays or completely shied away from physical contact. I still remember how my brow would often unconsciously furrow when I was with gays as thoughts would flash in my mind, "What sinners I am amongst" or "How unnatural these people are."

It takes too much energy to hate. Daniel Bao showed me that. He was our gay counselor at The Bridge when I was a freshman. A beautiful man whose eloquent and poignant truths began to move me past tolerance.

I still remember our first real conversation about homosexuality. I had no intention of listening to him; I only sought to argue and debate. Daniel, however, quickly disarmed me with his personal testimony.

Booker is now one of the most outspoken gay allies in public office.

Watch Cory Booker Announce Potential 2014 Senate Race: VIDEO

Earlier it was simply unnamed sources talking about how Newark Mayor Cory Booker was planning to run for U.S. Senate in 2014.

Now Booker's doing the talking - in a video AFTER THE JUMP, the Democrat explains that while he loves Newark and his job, there's more work to be done in the Garden State and the nation, so he's "considering" a 2014 Senate race. We know what that means...

Watch Booker explain himself AFTER THE JUMP.

Cory Booker Planning 2014 Senate Campaign, Say Sources

Cory Booker, the equality-minded hero mayor of Newark, won't be running against Chris Christie for the Garden State's gubernatorial seat. Instead, sources say he plans on making a go at the U.S. Senate in 2014.

New York's local NBC affiliate reports:

Booker will seek the U.S. Senate seat held by fellow Democrat Frank Lautenberg when his term is up in 2014, political sources tell NBC 4 New York. Lautenberg, 88, is the oldest current senator...

Booker's decision not to challenge Christie comes as the Republican incumbent enjoys record-high approval ratings in polls taken since Sandy hit the Garden State.

Many Democrats considered Booker, the two-term mayor of Newark, to be their best chance to take on the popular Christie.

LGBT equality groups were among those hoping to see Booker versus Christie.

Gay Groups Hoping For Cory Booker Versus Chris Christie In 2013

With the New Jersey gubernatorial race around the corner, the state's LGBT activists are both publicly and privately encouraging Democratic Newark mayor Cory Booker to run against GOP incumbent Chris Christie.

"Do I think Cory Booker is the only Democrat who can beat Gov. Christie? No," Garden State Equality executive director Steven Goldstein said of the popular, heroic and gay friendly mayor. "Do I believe that he has a much better shot than anyone else? Absolutely."

And Fred Sainz from Human Rights Campaign agrees that Booker is in a unique position, both for his national visibility and the LGBT community's devotion. "Like few others, Cory Booker manages to capture the imagination of the LGBT community from all over the country, and from all walks of life," he said. "I would suspect a wide diversity of Americans would support his campaign and help get him the resources he needs to win." And then there's the obvious difference in LGBT politics: Booker endorses marriage equality, while Christie vetoed an equality law for political gain.

No official word on whether Booker will run, but two sources told the Star-Ledger that Booker will decide before Christmas. If he does, the NJ governor's race, with two such boisterous, charismatic figures, could easily become the main attraction in an otherwise sleepy off-year election season.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker Gives Fiery Democratic Platform Speech at DNC: VIDEO

Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker gave a fiery pitch of the 2012 Democratic Party Platform, which, for the first time in history includes marriage equality, in a non prime-time speech deserving of a prime time slot.

"Being asked to pay your fair share in taxes is not class warfare. It's patriotism," Booker exclaimed, in his biggest line of the night.

Added Booker:

"It is our fundamental national aspiration that no matter how you choose to pray or whom you choose to love...that if you are a citizen of the United States of America…that you should be able to find a job that pays the bills."

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

The Washington Post reports

A fall earlier in the day...left the mayor with a sprained ankle, but Booker walked to the podium with only a slight limp and delivered a fiery address. The crowd responded with chants of “Cory” after the speech, and some delegates were moved to tears.

Referring to “our president,” Booker asserted that President Barack Obama’s policies had helped strengthen small businesses and raise education standards. “Our president has made a profound difference for people and businesses in Newark and New Jersey and the nation as a whole,” he said.

Booker is the only New Jersey politician with a speaking role at the convention. The mayor co-chaired the national Democratic Party’s platform committee and has spoken enthusiastically about its support for gay marriage for the first time.

“We support marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples,” states the 40-page document released Monday.

As Obama Team Releases New Bain Attack, Cory Booker Walks Back 'Nauseating' Critique: VIDEO

President Obama's reelection team has made it clear it intends on turning rival Mitt Romney's time at Bain Capital into a major campaign issue. To that end, last week they released an ad highlight Romney's role in the shutdown of a steel factory in Kansas City. And today they released another, this time about a Bain subsidiary's dismantlement of an Indiana paper plant.

All of this made it especially awkward, then, when Newark mayor and Obama surrogate Cory Booker called such attacks "nauseating" on Meet The Press yesterday.

"[F]rom a very personal level, I'm not about to sit here and indict private equity," the mayor said. "This kind of stuff is nauseating to me on both sides. It’s nauseating to the American Public. Enough is enough. Stop criticizing Bain Capital. Stop criticizing Jeremiah Wright."

It didn't take long, however, for Booker, most likely at the request of the Obama campaign, to walk back his remarks in a new YouTube video.

"Let me be clear: Mitt Romney has made his business record a centerpiece of his campaign. He's talked about himself as a job creator," Booker explained. "And therefore it is reasonable -- and in fact I encourage it -- for the Obama campaign to examine that record and discuss it. I have no problem with that."

He went on: "In fact, I believe that Mitt Romney, in many ways, is not being completely honest with his role and his record even while a businessperson, and is shaping it to serve his political interest -- and not necessary include all the facts of his time there."

Romney is calling the Bain angle "an attack on free enterprise."

Watch the Obama team's Bain Capital videos, a bit of Booker's original comment and his elaboration, AFTER THE JUMP.