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Depending on who's talking, anti-gay comments stick

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Skip to main contentYou are the owner of this article.Edit ArticleAdd New ArticleYou have permission to edit this article.EditHomeNewsSportsOpinionPasatiempoObituariesLifeClassifiedsReal EstateJobsLegalsAdvertisementCertain statements stick like glue to public figures. That is as it should be.New Mexico state Sen. Benny Shendo and former University of Colorado football coach Bill McCartney both made accusatory comments about gays for political gain.McCartney’s statements killed his chance of being hired for a second run as coach of the Buffaloes.Shendo, not nearly as well-known as McCartney, was hired this week at the University of Colorado for the new position of associate vice chancellor for Native American affairs.Shendo, 59, did not respond to questions about whether insinuations he made against a political opponent surfaced during his pursuit of the job at Colorado, his alma mater.In a hunt for headlines and votes, Shendo attacked front-runner Ben Ray Luján during the 2008 Democratic primary campaign for Congress in New Mexico’s 3rd District.Shendo claimed Luján hid his sexual orientation from the public at the behest of his parents.“You say you stand for the people of New Mexico, and I want to know how you can stand up for the people of New Mexico if you can’t stand up to your mom and dad about your lifestyle,” Shendo said to Luján.Shendo made that statement during a candidates’ forum in Farmington. His camp sent a followup email saying Shendo wanted to ask Luján about his lifestyle “in this day and age when it’s much more accepted to be openly gay in public life, but your parents made you pretend to have a girlfriend at public events, for political reasons.”Voters weren’t impressed with Shendo’s 1950s-style mudslinging. He finished a distant third in the six-way primary, receiving 16% of the vote.Luján won easily and went on to be elected to Congress. Luján is now a U.S. senator.Desperation and disadvantage drove Shendo in the congressional campaign.Luján’s father, also named Ben, was speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives. The senior Luján’s position helped the son capture endorsements and contributions.Overshadowed by a political family, Shendo tried to claim he merely pursued honesty in the campaign.“If [Luján] is gay and he’s deceiving people, that’s wrong,” Shendo told New Mexican reporters in 2008. “The voters have a right to be concerned about the deception, not whether one is gay or not.”Anyone who believes Shendo’s comments from 15 years ago aren’t relevant today on the liberal university campus in Boulder should consider what happened to McCartney.The coach was the most visible and popular employee of the University of Colorado from the mid-1980s until 1994, when McCartney abruptly walked away from his powerhouse team.An evangelical Christian, McCartney liked to talk about politics as well as the wishbone formation. He became outspoken about gays during a 1992 campaign over a proposed constitutional amendment in Colorado.The coach supported a ballot issue to repeal laws in Boulder, Denver and Aspen aimed at protecting gay people from discrimination.Wearing a team sweater and standing at a university lectern, McCartney called homosexuality “an abomination of almighty God.” He supported Colorado for Family Values in its attempt to strike down the anti-discrimination laws.Polls showed the proposed constitutional amendment heading for defeat. But Colorado voters approved the measure, a good indication McCartney was more candid than many who spoke to pollsters.Entangled in political controversy, McCartney continued to win on the field. Then he shocked almost everyone by resigning late in the 1994 season as his team headed toward an 11-1 record and a ranking of third in the national polls.McCartney turned his attention to Promise Keepers, the Christian men’s organization he cofounded in 1990.His crusades drew tens of thousands of men to arenas across the country.After McCartney departed the university and his recruits ran out of eligibility, Colorado’s football teams declined to mediocrity or ineptitude.This led McCartney in 2010 to attempt a coaching comeback at age 70. He wanted Colorado to rehire him so he could revive the football program while grooming a young assistant to take over.Fans of McCartney urged the university to rehire him.Critics pounded him over his 18-year-old statements about homosexuality.McCartney apologized for being judgmental about gays, and said he regretted taking a political stand on a public campus that supposedly welcomed everyone. McCartney’s remorse seemed genuine, but many didn’t want him empowered again.The university passed him over, hiring one of McCartney’s former players instead.As for the divisive amendment McCartney backed during his coaching heyday, it was ruled unconstitutional in 1996 by a 6-3 vote of the U.S. Supreme Court.Now 83, McCartney remains a booster of the University of Colorado and its football team.Shendo resurrected his political career after losing to Luján. Shendo won a seat in the New Mexico Senate in 2012 and is in his third term.He plans to retain his political office while working for the University of Colorado. In a statement, the university staff said Shendo begins as a part-time employee but will transition to full-time status on March 1. That timetable coincides with the end of New Mexico’s next legislative session.Shendo’s attacks on Luján and Luján’s parents didn’t receive attention outside New Mexico. Still, they’re part of Shendo’s record.He might yet learn something from an old coach who apologized for cruelty and seemed sincere about it.Ringside Seat is an opinion column about people, politics and news. Contact Milan Simonich atmsimonich@sfnewmexican.com or 505-986-3080.AdvertisementSorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.Ringside SeatRescue ReportWill WebberHigh desert tableCopyright © The Santa Fe New MexicanPowered by BLOX Content Management System from BLOX Digital.{{title}}{{summary}}You don't have any notifications.Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.TopicsSorry, an error occurred.Get StartedLog InYou are logged in&nbsp;Switch accountsHave an account? Log InThank you .Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.Check your email for details.OKSubscribeNeed an account? 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Skip to main contentYou are the owner of this article.Edit ArticleAdd New ArticleYou have permission to edit this article.EditHomeNewsSportsOpinionPasatiempoObituariesLifeClassifiedsReal EstateJobsLegalsAdvertisementCertain statements stick like glue to public figures. That is as it should be.New Mexico state Sen. Benny Shendo and former University of Colorado football coach Bill McCartney both made accusatory comments about gays for political gain.McCartney’s statements killed his chance of being hired for a second run as coach of the Buffaloes.Shendo, not nearly as well-known as...

Depending on who's talking, anti-gay comments stick

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