Most people assumed former Republican member of Congress Aaron Schock -- who served from 2009 to 2015 -- was gay. And last week, shocking no one, he decided to come out of the closet. 

 

He shared his story on Instagram, explaining how growing up in a conservative family made him struggle with his identity. Instead of dealing with his sexuality, he focused on work. 

 

Sadly, some of his time in office was spent making the lives of gay people more difficult. He voted against the 2010 repeal of "don't ask, don't tell", refused to support same-sex marriage, and tried to stop the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

 

"Where was I, [the gay community] will ask, when I was in a position to help advance issues important to gay Americans?" he acknowledged last week. 

 

Even after a dick pic leak, he stayed in the closet.

 

“Arriving in Washington in 2009, as the youngest member of Congress, I received a lot of attention. I confess to enjoying it, though in my case, the attention also glided toward speculation. I was a single guy, and people would comment on how I dressed, and about my preoccupation with physical fitness,” he wrote. “Perhaps correctly, perhaps not, I assumed that revealing myself as their gay congressman would not go over well. I put my ambition over the truth, which not only hurt me, but others as well.”

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Aaron Schock (@aaronschock) on Mar 5, 2020 at 8:22am PST

 

“What I had to share was unwelcome news to every single person in my family, out of the blue in some cases, and was met with sadness, disappointment, and unsympathetic citations to Scripture,” he said. “I still get occasional emails (from my family) trying to sell me on conversion therapy, but recently at our relative’s wedding, my mother told me that if there is anyone special in my life, she wants to meet them. I’m optimistic about the future and ready to write the next chapter of my life.”

 

"This journey has taught me a valuable lesson," he added. "That, whether you are gay or straight, it’s never too late to be authentic and true to yourself."

 

 

Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness was less than impressed.