Pa. state GOP lawmaker comes out as gay

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HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 2 (UPI) -- A Pennsylvania state legislator said he came out of the closet to help people understand the dilemma of people who keep their sexuality a secret.

Republican Rep. Mike Fleck, 39, told the Huntingdon Daily News he remained a fiscal conservative and a devoted Christian and added he decided to wait until after the November election to reveal his homosexuality so it would not be a distraction during the campaign.

"I'm still the exact same person and I am still a Republican, and, most importantly, I am still a person of faith trying to live life as a servant of God and the public," Fleck said in the interview published Sunday. "The only difference now is that I will also be doing so as honestly as I know how."

The Philadelphia Inquirer said gay-rights activists welcomed Fleck's decision and Republicans in the state legislature said he was still a member in good standing.

Steve Miskin, a spokesman for state House Republican leaders, said the caucus was "proud to have him as a member."