Transcript of Mike Mohill’s speech

When I decided to run for council so as to serve the interest of the people of the city of Glendale, I did not anticipate it would bring me to the painful point of publicly discussing intimate aspects of my personal life which, I believed then and believe now, are not relevant to my ability to serve.

Some twenty-five years ago, I went through a very stressful experience of having to come to terms with the fact that although I was a happily married man, I needed to confront my wife with the fact that I was gay. At that time, when society was less tolerant of alternative sexual orientations, I was ticketed twice for lewd conduct with a Consenting Adult. Though the infractions were misdemeanors, and I stress misdemeanors, I needed to address my public impropriety with my wife.

This is the infraction which Councilman Drayman has publicized. My wife Lorraine and I, both then and now, have a deep and abiding love for each other. We came to terms with my sexual orientation and decided it could not, and would not, destroy or shake our marriage in which we shared a powerful affection and respect for each other.

As before, and since that episode, we have lived in a loving and mutually supportive relationship which only death can bring to an end. While it may be hard for some to understand, for us, “Till death do us part” is not an onerous or troublesome promise to keep.

Rather, it is an expression of our mutual and profound feeling for each other. Twenty five years ago, and particularly among my generation, acknowledging that you were gay was not as socially acceptable as it is today.

So my wife and I decided not to let our families know about me. This past weekend, we went through the painful process of sharing and explaining matters which we kept from our families for twenty five years. Just as Lorraine and I have an unshakable marriage, we have an excellent relationship with our families and we believe that, in the end, we will emerge as a closer and extended family.

At public forums, I have been asked and in some cases shouted at from the audience for the details of my 25-year-old arrests. I would hope this statement satisfies that lewd curiosity. I am not so naïve as to believe this statement, as agonizing as it is, will not severely hurt my election chances. How badly? Only time will tell.

Finally, I must say something about how I was outed. I have criticized and questioned Mr. Drayman, and then only regarding his public life. I only dealt with the conduct of his public office and not with the details of his private life.

But my relationship with Mr. Drayman, who is reputed to be gay himself, has chosen to act otherwise. He has used public arrest documents regarding twenty-five year old incidents that occurred in another gay man’s life, in order to destroy him as a rival candidate. I, for one, believe that such actions say something about his character which does not bode well for any of us. Each of you, who either hear or read this statement, must decide for yourself how this reflects on his character.

I will continue my quest for a more prudent and responsive government as I did at the start. But, now with this added burden, it is my hope that the painful transparency of this experience, can help take our SOCIETY towards a more tolerant place where people of various inclinations and origins can partake of this great democracy with honor and acceptance. Thank you. Mike Mohill, Candidate for Glendale City Council.