BY STEVE ROTHAUS, srothaus@MiamiHerald.com
Floridians at the Democratic National Convention this week are not happy that former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist is scheduled to give a high-profile speech Thursday night.
"If he gets up to speak at the convention, it’ll be a good time to go to the bathroom," Palm Beach County tax collector Anne Gannon told Miami Herald political writer Marc Caputo.
Gay Democrats are particularly riled.
"Crist actively campaigned to establish discrimination against LGBT Floridians in the state constitution," Michael Emanuel Rajner posted Tuesday on Facebook. "As a delegate from Florida's 20 Congressional District, I'm offended Crist would speak at the convention and no attempt has been made for him to make piece with LGBT Floridians whose families he has harmed."
Ironically, Crist continues to be dogged by rumors that he is gay.
In 2009, a documentary about closeted U.S. politicians, Outrage!, featured a segment about Crist that concluded with his very public 2008 marriage to Carole Rome:
And three months ago, the former governor's ex-friend and confidant Jim Greer -- Florida's onetime Republican Party chairman awaiting trial on corruption charges -- alleged Crist had homosexual affairs:
Rajner, a gay HIV-AIDS activist in Fort Lauderdale, said he's disgusted that Crist will speak at the convention.
"I can understand why politically they would need him here to win over the independents, those that are tired of the parties. Those are the people Crist may or man not attract," Rajner said. "But coming into a Democratic arena and giving him false credibility, that he is our friend, is hardly the message I would agree with."
"Like anyone would believe him?" Rajner said. "Crist is the ultimate political whore, only looking to advance opportunities for Charlie Crist."
To read more about the Crist controversy at the Democratic National Convention, click here.
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